Here are some pictures with the water closet . Ignore tile.

I think toilet rooms are silly no one should be using the toilet while someone else is in the bathroom. My hubby and I have gotten ready together for 60 yrs and never needed to have a toiulet room you just organize your time or do what the Europeans do and have the toilet and a sink outside the actual bathroom . I find tiny toilet rooms really claustrophbic too. To me the bad design is the closet accessed through the bathroom that is never a good idea.

You have enough width, but I don't think you have enough room in front of the bowl. You can get shorter toilets, but a standard one is going to be at least 30" deep (from the wall to the front of the bowl). Stack some boxes in front of a toilet you have now at the same distance you would have in the proposed toilet room and see if you're comfortable with that distance. I had a toilet room in my previous house which I'm pretty sure was deeper, but the door still had to open out. At least in my bath the door opened onto a wall so it wasn't in the way when open. I do agree with Patricia about only being able to get into the closet through the bathroom being undesirable. If this is a new build and you have an opportunity to change that, think about it. That's not a good configuration when you have two people getting ready in the morning at the same time. In the current configuration you could add a wall next to the vanity to make a hallway to the closet.

The house was built in the 80 s so not a new build! There actually was a wall there we took down!

There are a few vocal people on here that hate water closets, but the majority of people like them and want them in their master bathrooms. You can get a few more inches on the length by pushing back into the closet.

Without seeing the whole space that you have available, it is hard to make any other suggestions. No way to get a window in the bathroom?

We love our water closet. Our bathroom is completely open to the bedroom, so the separate room for the toilet is absolutely necessary.
The tiles in our WC are roughly 12” x 12” so you can see it isn’t quite 36” wide. Ours is a comfort height elongated bowl toilet in about 60” of depth. You can see where 48” would be by the tiles. 60” isn’t necessary.
We always keep the door closed, so it doesn’t protrude into the room. If you are the only 2 people using it, you’ll know when it is unoccupied, even with the door closed. The only time it presents an issue is if someone is coming or going to the closet, which doesn’t happen much. Never had an issue with the closet access through the bathroom, either.
We have had this home for 13 years. We are retired, so not hustling to get ready at the same time in the morning often, but we do both get ready to go out to dinner or events. We do use the WC while the other person is in the room, and appreciate the privacy.

Is a 49 by 35 1/8 water closet too small?

Yes. Too small in both directions.

Other parts of this bathroom /closet look small too.

Whatever, sort of not great a plan? You aren't showing what surrounds the bath.....but I'd not want it as designed.

Yes the chase is missing here. We know its there....exact dimensions mia.

Not seeing bedroom, so no clue there, either. Just seems a lot of convoluted, to me, with too much want/need for the space.

Pocket to a bath is a noisier venture in the wee hours, a swing is better.

The water closet is too shallow, and removing the walls is not optimal in this layout. Measure out 49" sitting on your toilet. You might actually hit your head on the door when leaning a bit forward as you start to sit down or stand up.

So the overall bathroom layout feels pretty closed in from the shower/water closet being a doored wall behind the vanity, with tall cabinets on the adjacent wall.

The existing plan (including more of adjacent spaces), existing toilet location, what is actually in the chases, and your priorities of closet vs bathroom would need to be known for good advice.

There are a few vocal people on here that hate water closets, but the majority of people like them and want them in their master bathrooms.

I hate the whole idea: Usually dark and small, they're uncomfortable -- impossible for people with mobility issues. They usually include no storage at the toilet for extra TP (or the medical supplies that older people frequently need). They're harder to keep clean. And for no real purpose.

No way to get a window in the bathroom?

Few things are universally true, but natural light makes every room better.

I would guess that the vast majority of America has a standard-sized bathroom and has never even considered the possibility that a toilet could be enclosed in a room within the bathroom, let alone developed an opinion on the option!!

I think most people are aware that toilets can be enclosed in closets -- I mean, we all see the stalls in public bathrooms -- they just don't see the point in a private home.

Whatever, sort of not great a plan? You aren't showing what surrounds the bath.....but I'd not want it as designed.

Jan's plan is an improvement on the original. I'd remove the pocket door /let the toilet just be "tucked away" in that 5' wide alcove ... that's not spacious, but it'll do. Alternately, the toilet could be turned 90 degrees so it'd sit at the back of the bathroom /facing the shower ... that would give a little more space, right? I like that the alcove has storage, and if the toilet were turned 90 degrees, that storage could move to where the toilet is now ... in fact, it'd be easier to access. If it's possible to add a small window across from the toilet, this could be quite nice.

I would move the shower door so it faces the toilet ... this would prevent the shower door and the bathroom door from knocking into one another, and it would move towels to the wall on the left of the (newly placed) shower door ... easier to reach from the shower.

Measure out 49" sitting on your toilet.

Better yet, measure toilet stalls in public places /ask yourself how comfortable they are. Recognize that you're considering this same thing to your home.

After seeing Jan's idea, I had the same thoughts as Mrs Pete.

I sat on my toilet in the WC and leaned over, I’m 5’8” and couldn’t get my head to the 48” mark on my floor. Put both of my elbows out and did not touch the walls. Have a cabinet over the toilet for TP storage.

@ Mrs Pete - best you stay in the US. Separate WC are common in other parts of the world, in private homes. My husband’s family is in NZ. A separate WC, usually is located down a common hallway to the bath and/or shower. It usually has its own little sink.

The op typed the question in an airport, on the way to a vacation, and has.........left the building.

A separate WC, usually is located down a common hallway to the bath and/or shower. It usually has its own little sink.

That makes it a half-bath, which is a different thing.

@ Mrs Pete - so what do you call the room with a sink and a shower?
They call it a WC or toilet room. And believe me, if you were there, you wouldn’t call it a half bath.

Toilet rooms are fantastic for those with the luxury of substantial space, unfortunately I'm not so sure thay applies here. I made a quick sketch of what I felt would be the best option for preserving space so you don't feel so scrunched in there. Hope it helps!

@bsgibbs You may be able to squat like a Sumo wrestler or be a gymnast to use a water closet ("toilet") day in and day out without ever feeling frustration in a 49" space. As always, YMMV. Realize that everything anywhere can be made to work for anyone anywhere. But there are design standards that are generally followed, and most make sense. You can function in a kitchen with a 32" aisle between an island and stove, but 46" would be much better. You can enter a room through a 24" door, but 30" is better. You can ignore general design standards if there are more important goals to appease for that decision, but in this project the bathroom does not warrant making the toilet room shallow as the whole ensuite can probably be improved.

@3onthetree - the OP asked a question. I gave a real life example.

That may not be what professional guidelines you think apply are followed. Building Code says 30” space for a toilet. OP had 36”. I don’t recall what was required in front of the toilet for code.

There are some ‘professionals’ on this forum that are just plain bullies. They spout their opinions as though their words are gospel. I just tried to balance that with some day to day common usage of my home.

But the OP disappeared like flushed TP.

Code for space in front of a toilet is two feet. The op disappeared , so I doubt it matters. She was given better arrangements for the space - more comfortable, and more appealing on whole.

She hasn't returned, meaning it hardly matters, to her? Nobody can say : )

For grins and giggles I measured 24” in front of my elongated toilet and came to 50.5”. The 49” proposed WC would not meet code with an American Standard elongated toilet.