We have alcoves in the master, bedroom 2, and the laundry closet with Elfa systems from the container store. You'd be amazed how much those spaces can store; each "closet" has a rod plus 2-3 shelves above (ceilings are 8'6"). We opted for open floor space instead of more built in closets; free standing cabinetry offers us more flexible storage. In the master bedroom the bed is flanked by dressers that have unique hutch type cabinets above them. In Bedroom 1 we have a full size murphy bed flanked by two armoire type floor to ceilng cabinets. In the "mudroom" we're installing floor to ceiling cabinetry. We have to be very vigilant about what we bring into the house. Everything has to be super functional and hopefull serve multiple purposes. For example, the dining table is on locking casters so we can easily move it around. The TV is inset into the wall and all digital and wireless, so we have no need for furniture to hold TV related stuff. We don't have a garage, but we do have a basement where we store rarely used things. Our last house was 2200 square feet and it wasn't a good fit for the four of us. Lots of unused space and lots of STUFF. We're really enjoying the smaller home and being more intentional about our possesions. This house was built in the late 40s and came with a gigantic pink fireplace. We tried to work around it, but ultimately removed it and it made all the difference. It sat right about where the main bath sink is. By removing the fireplace, it freed up the square footage we needed for two full baths and a side-by-side laundry. Sorry for the long story. I really love smaller homes and the challenges they present.

ORB will technically work with chrome, yes..speaking of your lighting the rest you'll see after you know your other choices. The hardware need to have smth similar..say you have a lot of round, softer lines(existing lights, trim)-so I'd pick it when choosing faucet too. Unless you want to get away from it-and then existing lighting might or might not work. In short, it's not only about finishes. I would try to keep to the current vintage vibe-easier..and is attractive enough, well at least to me. Checkerboard flooring might be cool..I'm just thinking aloud. now, thank you for mentioning your bathtub and toilet are ivory (lucky you..I like ivory)..yes, something to take in the account, definitely, but easier to work with than with the existing vinyl -vinyl is bossier. can you post a picture of gray vanity with white/gray countertop your daughter envisions? There are many shades to gray..some will be too cool and stark while others might work. Lilac gray. Green gray. If warm enough.. I like the idea of a nice woven shade..will slightly repeat ORB as well, since they share this vibe of warmth, you know?.. I like the idea of deep drawers that mayflowers suggested, perfect for towels. Well deep drawers are kinda great to have whenever.

If I am counting the squares in your diagram correctly, you have less than two feet between the wall of the toilet room and the shower, so you cannot expand the shower to the left. I wonder at the diagram, however, because the shower is shown extending right up to the edge of the window, yet that is obviously not true in your photo, where you say the bit of green wall between the window and the shower is about 9 inches wide. That indicates that the bathroom does not match the diagram, to me. Maybe someone else can help you interpret this. I don't know why folks are not joining in this discussion. Since you do not mind losing the door to the closet, you can consider making the shower the same width it is now, but extend its length of that wall as far as you want to go. Of course, the window will have to be modified to have it in the shower, or it will need to be removed. If you don't want a 7 ft long shower, you could add a bump-out or cupboard inside your closet. It seems that no matter where you put your shower, it is going to have a window inside of it if you want it to be bigger or if you don't want to move the toilet room. Having that little room in the center of your bathroom severely limits your options. If you simply extend the shower out toward the closet door, you can have a vanity starting at the window edge where the tub is now, extending toward the shower as far as you wish to go. In front of the windows, you could put in a seat, or get a large plant on a stand. The wall between the window and closet could hold hooks for robes or towels. I would think about ending the vanity before the shower, though, and having towel hooks or a towel warmer there.

Is the closet that intrudes into the bathroom necessary? If you remove it, you could tuck the toilet there and regain a longer vanity directly opposite the door, in the location that you plan. Of course, it means moving the toilet, but you already plan on doing that.