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patchtaylor

10x5 Urban Townhouse Master Bath Renovation

Susan Taylor
9 years ago
Can you help me out on my master bath renovation? I have a 1977 Federal style townhouse. Bath is in the center of the house, so no windows, though I am considering a skylight. Dimensions are 10x5. Floor plan attached.
I plan on a total renovation - to the studs - and will move plumbing and build custom to leverage the space I have. It is an affluent area, so higher end materials are desirable. There are 2.5 baths in the home and only two of us. I will be the primary user (professional female, age 60).
I am looking for thoughts, ideas and advice. Bathroom designers keep coming up with variations on the same traditional bathroom (perhaps because of my age).
My style is eclectic, leaning toward neoclassical, and I love modern. I am a minimalist at heart, but do need space for cosmetics and bath appliances.

Wants and needs -
- unfussy design.
- A deep bathtub. 32”+ would be heavenly, but I am a realist.
- Shower does not have to be separate, but I have to have one. Prefer handheld.
- Single sink vanity.
- Pocket door is fine.
- Great lighting
- Uncluttered counters. At most, flowers and soap dish.
- Storage for hair dryer, toothbrush, water pick and product. Space for a few towels and cloths. There is a separate linen closet in the hall. I would love an appliance garage with an outlet. I also like small console vanities (marble and nickel, retro type) with a separate storage piece.
- No bidet
- I have 8 foot ceilings, and am 6 feet tall. Going to the ceiling with storage is fine, and desirable.
- Love white and gray baths and natural materials. Also a fan of concrete, but have yet to locate a local designer or fabricator.
- Would love a little half wall around the commode.

There are many things i dislike about this bathroom. Here is the short list:
1. View from bedroom is toilet.
2. Vanity is too imposing for the room size.
3. No tub.
4. Poor lighting
5. Big mirrors but no medicine cabinet(s).

No budget limitations, but i am thinking 20-30k. One of the joys of a small house is that it does not cost much to splurge on materials.

Many thanks for your contributions. I will share my final plan and share progress on line.

Comments (16)

  • libradesigneye
    9 years ago
    Due to the width of your bath, and your height, I'm going to recommend something personal - if you are going to this expense it ought to serve you. Most roman tub fillers now have handshowers. You can also wall mount a separate fixture above your soaking tub if you tile the wall and floor. You can add a separate floor drain if you think you need one.

    You don't have enough space for a tub and shower unless you make most of the room a wetroom, so I've splurged on a big deep long soaking tub for you - it isn't a little japanese circle but it isn't huge either - can be no more than 68" long / 30" wide unless you skimp on storage. Raise your custom counter to 42" high, and put open tiled shelves aimed at the bath / then appliance garage towards sink, then above, tower storage with door in frosted glass in solid wood (best painted). Storage for everyday things below sink and to right.

    Get a high end medicine cabinet in the end wall to right of sink, (more mirror, more storage where you can use it), and center in the rest of the space a nice large mirror.

    That is how you get a private toilet space - divide the toilet with floor to ceiling glass installed last . . frosted to 50" high so it can borrow natural light from the skylight . .

    Given you have a townhouse with high ceilings, I would play with modern shapes in classic materials - carrera marble on the countertop, soft pearl gray cabinets / tower/ medicine lifted off floor 16" with stainless angle iron beneath, white marble penny round on the walls to 6' plus a carrerra trim cornice tile piece topped with shaker style wood trim piece with hooks every so often along the open walls so you can spray the whole room with abandon . . (paint the door and top trim charcoal). Depending on the colors in your bedroom, you might use yellow accents in both spaces in linen, accent pillows . . or peach, or aqua, .. and a soft pastel of this shade might go on the ceiling .. you could paint the upper walls mid-tone gray and hang an art gallery up on this part in your toilet room . . all silver or white frames .. not so formal art that will be damaged by the humidity but something interesting.

    If you can afford an operable skylight, get one. The room has a drain after all ..
    Susan Taylor thanked libradesigneye
  • PRO
    Dytecture
    9 years ago
    Not much can be done due to space constraints as mentioned.
    Susan Taylor thanked Dytecture
  • jillybeansisme
    9 years ago
    You don't say what surrounds the bathroom. Since your budget is large, you might be able to take space from another room or closet to add to your bathroom so that maybe you could put in a larger tub. I would consider an air tub -- you can use bath salts/oils or bubble bath in them. Failing that, I would consider one of the I would make sure that the plumber installs a shower head high up on the wall or in the ceiling in addition to the hand held (split valve). Definitely get the comfort height toilet and raise up the vanity -- use a kitchen cabinet and raise it up.
    Susan Taylor thanked jillybeansisme
  • Susan Taylor
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Like the higher shower head idea and the kitchen cabinet height for a vanity. My partner is 6'5", so that helps. Does anyone put anything but comfort height in a commode anymore? I have one in my powder room and guests will take me aside and ask for the model number they like it so much.
  • Susan Taylor
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Libradesigneye, thanks so much for the very thoughtful design. I was steering away from a freestanding tub. Because of space constraints, I thought the alcove shower-tub combo was my only choice. Brilliant frosted glass commode idea. Very compelling.
  • PRO
    sstarr93
    9 years ago
    Here is an option that uses a contoured floating vanity unit to permit more function in this limited space. A generous 60x32" bubble tub with a high-set rain head plus rail hand shower have a fixed glass partition rather than a door, for a more open feel. The doorway view is of the vanity, rather than the toilet.
    Susan Taylor thanked sstarr93
  • Susan Taylor
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    Genius. Thank you. Where can I find this vanity!
  • PRO
    sstarr93
    9 years ago
    I'll have to check on sources for something similar.
    The toilet and shower head are Toto; the hand shower is Brizo; the tub is Kohler Underscore bubble massage. regards, S*
    Susan Taylor thanked sstarr93
  • PRO
    sstarr93
    9 years ago
    ok, this vanity is actually Italian, company is Stocco, model is Vela. It is modular, so you put together pieces to get the configuration you want.
    You can get the pdf catalog from this site: http://www.stocco.it/scheda_collezione_eng.php/IdCollezione=3/NomeCollezione=Vela
    There are probably other similar options, of course, but I do like this one! S*
    Susan Taylor thanked sstarr93
  • libradesigneye
    9 years ago
    Sstar, I don't want to be a wet blanket, but that layout doesn't meet code - you have to have 60" min for a toilet back to the next thing - maybe the codes allow less when there isn't a partition - but let's be realistic. A commode is approx 30" from the wall, and a bath fanity is usually 20 - that leaves 10" to pass between for knees .. even if you use a 12" cabinet depth across from the commode, you are at 18" - not enough space .. .

    You could turn the commode 90 degrees, and put it on the end wall, as you only need 30" min for plumbing access and the width available might depend on the door swing on your cabinet but you could go to open shelves there. . . the location of the door gets to be important then, but you could use the back of an open door as a sort of privacy screen if two are in together

    My depiction is of a soaking tub - but they don't have to be freestanding, they come in deck mounted too . . .sstar;s idea of a ceiling mount rain shower head over is brilliant.
  • PRO
    sstarr93
    9 years ago
    Libra, please have a look at this curved vanity unit. It is quite narrow at the point in front of the toilet. That is the point of it.
  • User
    9 years ago
    P2705.1 General.
    The installation of fixtures shall conform to the following:
    5. Water closets, lavatories and bidets. A water closet, lavatory or bidet shall not be set closer than 15 inches (381 mm) from its center to any side wall, partition or vanity or closer than 30 inches (762 mm) center-to-center between adjacent fixtures. There shall be a clearance of not less than 21 inches (533 mm) in front of a water closet, lavatory or bidet to any wall, fixture or door.


    http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/icod_irc_2012_27_par008.htm?bu2=undefined


    http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/icod_irc_2012_3_sec007.htm?bu2=undefined


    Some codes such as San Diego require 24" in front of the toilet.
    "Water closet clearance. Minimum 30-inch-wide by 24-inchdeep clearance required at front of water closets. (CPC 402.5)"

    http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/docs/pds081.pdf

    This means that by "code" you need 52"-54" for a toilet space in some jurisdictions and 49"-51" in many others.
  • PRO
    LineBox Studio
    9 years ago
    One advice is not to have the toilet right in front of the door. This way its not the first thing you see when you enter and its not visible when the door is open
    Susan Taylor thanked LineBox Studio
  • Shaadi Khair
    4 years ago

    oh woww, new to this site but now I understand why architects are important!!! great contribution you all...