We are going to be adding a ground floor master suite addition to our house.
Can you show us the existing house /or at least the portion to which this addition will attach? The real question is, are you limited to this size /dimension?
1. This is a budget build so I am keeping it primarily to the basics. Plumbing will just be roughed in and I will be doing all the finishing myself.
Keeping all your water-items on one wall will help for simplicity and cost. As you've drawn the bathroom, you'll have to run water through at least two walls -- and that means more plumbing /more opportunity for leaks /problems.
As for keeping things off exterior walls, yeah, I get the point -- but that's also preventing you from having windows, and natural light makes all rooms more pleasant. I'd make use of the exterior walls, but insulate the plumb lines well. This is absolutely possible.
2. I've never had a water closet and I am not a particular fan due to claustrophobic feel and the ick factor of having to open a door before getting to a sink. However, the idea of some isolation is appealing so I designed in a semi-private wall for the toilet
You're right to avoid a toilet-in-closet. In addition to being uncomfortable to use, they're difficult to clean and just plain difficult for anyone who has mobility issues.
However, I don't like your placement of the toilet. A pony wall (what you're calling a semi-private wall) behind a door is going to be awkward. A store I shop at frequently has this odd set-up, and it is ... well, odd.
Like I said I am not a wc fan and it feels like too much of a public restroom
Exactly.
My best suggestion: - This layout brings the shower to the interior, allowing for loads of natural light in the bathroom. I drew in three windows; the one in the shower being a short/up high window.
- The simple three-in-a-row bathroom keeps your water all in one wall (minimizing possibilities for leaks) and will require heavy insulation, but that's not a big cost /only must be done once.
- This layout gives you a short entry hall for privacy /keeps light from spilling out into the bedroom and disturbing a sleeper. You can have a cabinet (or bookshelves, or mirror-over-cabinet) as a nice site-line in the small hallway. Something like this:
- This layout provides a small pony wall between the toilet and the vanity /provides some privacy for the toilet ... but keeps the toilet accessible for an elderly person who might have mobility issues. You could have grab bars on the solid exterior wall and the pony wall. Here's a bathroom with pony wall -- it could go to the ceiling; I have that in my bathroom, but it definitely blocks light, and I wish we had the half wall /pony wall:
- Or you could have a pony wall with storage above -- I do like the look of this one, especially with the light on the front side:
- Consider that elderly people often need storage at the toilet (my grandparents both had conditions that required some, um, items at the toilet. You could do a pull-out in the pony wall. Something like this:
- You now have a linen closet across from the toilet, which would allow for a hamper and plenty of storage for towels and toiletries.
- You drew in duplicate sinks, but in a vanity of this size that means you'll have NO drawer storage. Two repetitive sinks provide little extra value, but everyone needs storage AT the sink. Ideally each spouse would have a stack of drawers flanking a nice-sized sink.
- I drew in one BIG closet with shelves for the non-clothing items. You could include a small chair or stool in the "L" for dressing; alternately, depending upon the width of the space, you could put a small island (maybe an Ikea bookcase -- one of those cube looking things) in the middle. And I gave you two doors to this large closet -- one from the short entry hall /one from the bedroom -- since neither passes through the bathroom, you might not want two.
- Maybe I should've placed the hot water heater on the other side of the closet; placing it closer to the bathroom might mean faster delivery. You could make the linen closet "shallow" and recess the water heater (which doesn't need to be touched often) in the indentation.
Q