Jan Moyer- my hope is to not mess with the posts/beams and then we don’t need a structural engineer. We have done that before but it would be easier to just figure out a design that keeps them in place, I think.

Make your bedroom and bath a sanctuary. You have too many ideas for the space : ) May as well get great function if you are going to spend money. No clue where the posts are...

Jan thank you :) that is similar to what the designer had proposed. But moving the bathroom to the bedroom area is really not possible because of the ceilings below. The bathroom has to stay in one of the areas you’ve marked for closets, I think.

Only so much is possible minus a team of architect and engineer..........

Agreed. But, we have so many projects to do here (including a full kitchen “remodel” - moving it to a different room in the house) and are trying to budget accordingly.

All the MORE reason to get your team together.

That is arch, builder, kitchen pro, and interior designer.

The money you spend on that will be the money you don't regret in mistakes.

Rome wasn't built in a day - you make a plan that allows implementation over the length of time you need.

True, we are just in the beginning stages. I really thought we had a good designer … we had used her for our old house project and she was fantastic but I was not completely happy with the designs we got for this house (we did this primary suite, kitchen, and living room), so I’m still playing around with it a bit. My dad is a contractor and master plumber so he’ll be doing most of the work with my husband (as long as we are not moving support structures, obviously, then we need the engineers etc but so far there isn’t a huge need to remove any of the posts/beams and we can work well in the existing spaces). We are looking for an electrician and we have an hvac team for some of the heating/cooling issues. Fun times 😆

Did the designer fill in the blue square with the bathroom? Or did she confine it to the original footprint? I’d call her directly and tell her that you would like a bigger bathroom and propose the red or blue square. You don’t want any regrets when this is all done.

She filled in the blue square, so it’s the existing footprint + the WIC. Which means the closet will have to be moved to the red square- the existing storage closet + the dark room. Which is fine, it just feels a bit disjointed?

If that’s a darkroom, it has a sink, right? Could you use that somehow on that floor?

Yup has a sink. We can definitely consider moving the bathroom to that area and that adjoining closet.

Is the red box larger? Maybe that’s a better place for the bathroom? I would want a door for each room so I could walk acoss the stairwell between the bathroom and closet. I think that would bring them closer together functionally.

Rockybird it is a bit bigger, actually. My best estimate is somewhere around 25 sq ft larger. I thought about getting the doors as close as possible together. I wish the landing to the stairs was just a bit larger.

Can you buid a closet in the sitting room? Then use the blue box as an additional closet, extension of the bedroom, office or if you really wanted to go crazy, make it a ”his” bathroom with closet, and the one by the closet a ”hers” bathroom.

That is a really interesting idea. Thank you for this!

As the op stated......the "bath can't move, only can be enlarged"

Unless a lot of window changes and an overhaul? it can have bigger landing, more generous bath, and a sitting area. After that, it's the dynamite

Jan- we can enlarge the bath into the wall in closet, but not beyond that. The size you have here is similar to what our designer proposed but there will be posts in the way (the wall between the existing WIC and bedroom) and the ceiling over the bedroom is vaulted so this would put a bit of the bath under the vaulted ceiling, while the rest of it is under a normal ceiling.

I can move the bath to where you have marked the WIC. It’s a lot more work but it is possible.

Do you absolutely need a tub and toilet room? i’d personally skip both for a larger more luxurious shower in the space you have. If you need all of the things i would move it to the other side to get a bigger shower.

I’m willing to sacrifice shower space for a nice tub (and the toilet room if at all possible)

What don't you like about the bathroom plan from your designer? You said you'd like it to be slightly bigger, but is there a feature that is missing? Free standing tub is the only thing I can think of. You said you don't need a larger shower.

Moving the bathroom to the other side will incur more cost, so you need to weigh whether the money could be spent on something more impactful, here or elsewhere in your reno.

If the view from the current bedroom window is the best, keep your seating area there. Consider removing the wall to create one large room with windows on both sides. The room is big enough to enclose the top of the stairs if you need a door.

Iharpie what if we switched the water closet and the shower in that layout? I think we’d still have plenty of room for the toilet and a door (though probably not a pocket door), but it would give a bigger shower? And then it’s not moving the toilet super far from its current spot so it’ll be easier to get to that drain pipe too.

Yes, it would work to switch a slightly shorter toilet compartment and get a substantially larger shower. The toilet would be very close to its current location, just rotated. No need for a new stack. You'd need to switch the tub for the vanity, and lose the linen cupboard for 2 smaller ones. Seems like a good trade off.

Yes I had already planned to remove the linen closet and make it a bigger or double vanity. I like this idea. Thank you!

Partim- nothing is missing from her design, I just didn’t know if there was a better approach. Though I really like what you did with rotating the toilet and moving the shower. Question on that plan, could I rotate the vanity to put a larger/longer one going under the window and abutting the tub? Do you think that would work OK? I think there’d still be plenty of room to get into and out of the tub.

I think with the designer I was just disappointed all around, and that may have unnecessarily carried into the current proposal. This house has challenges and it seemed like those were ignored and as if we were designing from a new build where things could just be plopped wherever was best, but that isn’t the case with the posts, windows, ceilings, etc. one of the bedroom windows goes to the floor. Arguably, the tub can’t go in front of it, but that was one of the designs we were given.

I have thought about making this one big room, but I have liked having the door for when my husband or I am up late watching tv or working we are not disturbing the other. But I think flopping the sitting room and bedroom might be a good approach here too. I also have visions of changing the windows with a view to glass doors with a balcony… someday.

Just an idea. I wonder if you removed the tub from the bathroom, lengthened the shower, added a small dressing table next to the window and put the tub in one of the rooms off the sitting room?

You could also have a walk in closet between the sitting room and bedroom. Could add a small sink and toilet if wanted.

Karenseb- I was thinking about this when I couldn’t sleep last night! A separate tub room. Its interesting because the downstairs has the initial primary suite of the house and the bathroom is legitimately two rooms, one with a toilet and sink and another with a tub, shower, sink but no adjoining door. It’s so odd in person, but super convenient for the kids to share… I have some regrets over my kid getting that whole suite setup but I’m pretty sure we can make the upstairs really nice.

I have seen pictures of vanities under a window, with mirrors hanging in front.

Here’s a crazy idea and probably too expensive but you could create two baths and two walk in closets. The advantage is you could always sell as an extra bedroom or office. This gives you your own private space to soak in the tub. I would add a shower to the guest tub though. I would add another closet as well.

I have a long nine foot vanity in front of a window. I’ll have to find a photo. I had a custom mirror made that hangs from the ceiling but I didn’t install it because I like the view. I have a second vanity that has a mirror.

I like this idea, I’ll have to mull it over. The only added cost would really be the fixtures, my dad is the plumber so we have that expense removed. It would be a nice spot for a large tubs, the windows in that closet also have a really nice view (no idea why they are blocked off in a closet …)

Love that!

I moved the linen cabinet too.

I think having two baths up there would be amazing. It would give you your own private space and lots of closet space. Also, would be good for resale as you could sell it as two en suites or one giant master suite.

Partim I like that a lot! Thank you.

I think we will consider two baths… I’ll have to talk it through with my husband and my dad.

I was also looking at doing a smaller but deeper soaking tub to take up less space? Maybe something like this?

Another idea would be to forego the toilet room and put the toilet near the window and a small pony wall between the tub and toilet. Put shower where toilet was. You would see a pretty tub upon entry.

I happen to like toilet rooms, but sometimes they are not as private feeling as you think.

Sometimes you have to have one if you access a closet through a bathroom.

I’ve been looking at this design more, and I was thinking I could also bump the shower into the room further, making it larger, and switch the toilet to the other wall in the toilet room and door opening to the other side. Though all thinks considered I think I like just swapping the toilet and shower anyways.

Might have to make the vanity a bit shorter or something depending on the actual space there. I need to get some graph paper …

I am worried both of the toilet room options along bath wall don’t give you enough space in the room and will be cramped or not to code. i’d rather have no toilet room than have a space thats hard for 2 people to pass through - then what is point of toilet room? of course i don’t care for small dark rooms anyway so would only do one is closet had to be off bath.

Iharpie mostly to save my annoyance at my husband for barging in/forgetting to knock or deciding to use the toilet while I’m doing other things in the bathroom (like brushing my teeth). But I might have him sold on a his and hers bathroom …

In case anyone is still here and following - any thoughts on doing something like this? It would be slightly shorter than the inspo pic (I think by 10” or so) but it could work? I was looking at a tub like this one

I have no experience with this kind of arrangement, but I have ready many posts where people have said that their very large shower is too large to warm up nicely, and showering is unpleasantly cold.

Your window would be in the wet room, although on the opposite side of the shower.

Hum I hadn’t thought of it not warming up. That’s a good point. And yes window would be in there. Might go back to the drawing board 😆

@partim in your drawing, I think the toilet need to go on the opposite wall in the wc?

I think I'd favor a larger vanity over a tub.

What is in the space to the left of the toilet room?

Also, try to make the toilet room at lest 42 to 45 inches wide.

You may not be able to put shower head on outside wall.

If you were to do a 48 X 60 inch shower with the shower head on the bedroom wall, you could fit a stand alone 5 foot tub under the window, although most people will say that is not enough room to clean around the tub.

Karen we definitely want a tub.
The space to the left is open above the stairs coming upstairs (they wrap around). The only outside wall is the window wall.

After playing with this for a few nights these are the ideas I’ve come up with (I’m not saying I’m any good at this, but I’ve enjoyed the brainstorming none the less). My plumber (Dad) is coming today so I’ll have him take a look as well.

Two more 🙃 the corners are very tight on some of these, I’ve seen photos with tubs at an angle and am wondering if that would work better (but how do you clean behind them?) or seriously considering getting a smaller soaking tub

I predict that you Dad/plumber will vastly prefer a plan where the toilet is close to its current location, unless there is a compelling reason why this doesn't work. Water is so much easier to relocate than a toilet stack when there are rooms underneath. That leaves you with some version of this.

You can switch the tub and vanity but I would prefer the vanity near the window for good light and easier opening/closing of the window.

You need to leave room to clean around a free standing tub, so you may be best with a drop in tub. You can get a deep one.

Definitely the easiest, but if I really wanted him to I’m sure he’d move it. Pipes below are going through the laundry room which already has exposed pipes. He’s a very “we can make what you want work” type of person, even when I have crazy ideas :)