Bathroom Design
Daring Style: Bedroom and Bath, All In One
Loft-Like Open Plans Remove the Master Bath Wall. Is This Look for You?
This trend gives a whole new meaning to "bed, bath & freakin' beyond!" and I think people will either love it or hate it. It's the wide open bedroom/bathroom combo. I had seen it in some modern home and loft design magazines, but had not experienced it firsthand until I was hired to furnish and decorate a contemporary penthouse loft that had the bedroom and bathroom all completely open to each other. Then about a year ago I was hired to stage a traditional home built in the 1920s. When I got to the master bedroom, I was surprised to see that they had taken out the wall between the bedroom and bathroom so that they were completely open to each other. That was a surprise!
In lofts and open-plan homes, designers and architects are looking for ways to make spaces feel as open, light and bright as possible by eliminating walls and doors. Does that concept feel right or go too far when it comes to eliminating the wall between the bed and bath? It's definitely not for the shy.
In lofts and open-plan homes, designers and architects are looking for ways to make spaces feel as open, light and bright as possible by eliminating walls and doors. Does that concept feel right or go too far when it comes to eliminating the wall between the bed and bath? It's definitely not for the shy.
Looking from behind the infinity edge bathtub, you can see that the bathroom is wide open to the bedroom. One advantage here is that they both overlook the living room below and enjoy two-story tall windows with city views, so the bath feels so much more spacious than it would with walls around it. You can also enjoy the fireplace from the bath or the bed. It could be pretty romantic to have a candle lit, shared bubble bath and then progress right to .... well, use your imagination.
Looking back the other direction in the same suite, you can see you have completely unobstructed views from bed around two entire sides of the loft. This is one of the most extreme versions I've come across of the open bed/bath because the toilet is only obscured by a frosted glass panel, and it is also right next to a floor-to-ceiling window. For any privacy there, you would pull a curtain across the window. The shower next to the bath has a wide, horizontal band of frosted glass strategically placed from about thigh-height to shoulder-height.
Using a completely open, wet-room style bathroom, this bedroom and bathroom flow right in to each other with the bathroom counter also acting as the side table for the bed. Showers are along the left wall. The whole room feels very serene, and again, feels so much more spacious than if a wall separated them.
This room feels very eclectic, doesn't it? The clawfoot tub fits right in with the decor. I don't know if there's a toilet here too, but I'm curious about that little arched niche just past the bed ... maybe?
This bed/bath combo and the next one appear to be from the same home. The bathroom is surrounded by a glass wall that keeps water inside and lets light through. Many bathrooms are placed away from outside walls so they have no natural light unless there is a skylight. Handling a bathroom this way lets it enjoy the same amount of light as the bedroom. Frosted glass gives a modicum of privacy.
The glass around this one is totally clear and you can see everything. I do mean everything! No frosted glass and no curtains. Could you share this room with another person, or would you have to be alone to feel comfortable?
Hubby and I are too shy. I won't use the toilet with anyone else in the room, and my husband won't even use the toilet on the same floor as I am on. But there are lots of couples out there who don't think a thing of it, and this wouldn't bother them a bit.
Hubby and I are too shy. I won't use the toilet with anyone else in the room, and my husband won't even use the toilet on the same floor as I am on. But there are lots of couples out there who don't think a thing of it, and this wouldn't bother them a bit.
At first I thought just the sinks were open to the bedroom, but look closely and you see that there is a rain-style shower head on the ceiling in front of the tile wall. I love that they have a slightly raised floor to create a pretty transition from the carpeted bedroom to the tiled floor of the bathroom. Again, the wet-room style bathroom encourages freedom from walls. My guess is that the sliding frosted door hides the toilet.
Although this bed and bath area are very open to each other, they've taken a slightly different approach by facing the bed away from the bathroom and creating a wall just the width of the bed to give more privacy. Although I couldn't find a photo of the other side of this wall, I bet that the niches on either side of the bed are also providing storage for the bath area too. I like that this design preserves the feeling of open space and eliminates doors while still offering more of a feel of the traditional separation of bedroom and bathroom.
If the totally-open-all-the-time sort of design is a bit too much for you, I found many examples of large sliding doors or walls that let you control how much you want the spaces open to each other at any time.
Although this bedroom is completely open to all areas of the bathroom they also have sliding frosted glass panels on a track. So you can have the rooms entirely open with all available light and space. Or ...
Although this bedroom is completely open to all areas of the bathroom they also have sliding frosted glass panels on a track. So you can have the rooms entirely open with all available light and space. Or ...
You could strategically slide one panel between the bed and yourself. Or ...
You can completely separate the two rooms for privacy while still allowing light to flood both rooms.
This one has a sliding door about the size of the end wall behind the console table. You can see the track for it on the ceiling. Easy to keep it wide open or to separate the rooms entirely. I see a some wood peeking out at the edge of the wall, so my best guess is that this door is opaque wood.
Just thought you'd like to see a few examples of the nice big frosted glass doors that open up the space. These doors are quite narrow. It's a little hard to tell if they open up all the way, or if this is their max.
A very large frosted glass panel provides a very minimal feel to this partition.
One last example of a wood framed, frosted glass sliding door.
As the popularity of lofts and open plan homes continues to rise, is there an open bedroom/bathroom floor plan in your future?
More: Float the Bed, Loft-Style
As the popularity of lofts and open plan homes continues to rise, is there an open bedroom/bathroom floor plan in your future?
More: Float the Bed, Loft-Style