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rachel_nyc

Bath tub size

14 years ago

WE are midway through a gut reno on our apartment and I am having some buyers remorse on our bathtubs. Talk me down? We have a prewar apartment and went with the Kohler cast Iron 55" tubs so we could have a 30 inch vanity instead of a 24". The plumber just set the tubs and now I think they look tiny and I should have done a 60" tub. Is 55" enough? It would be costly to switch now, but they are laying the floors on Monday so its now or never. I have a toddler and another to come someday soon so I need the tubs. should I swap to the larger tub and smaller vanity?

help!

Comments (13)

  • 14 years ago

    I meant 60", not 55" sorry! Should I have gone with 66"?

  • 14 years ago

    Hi Rachel,
    So understand your last minute qualms and the distress involved in renovating in tiny nyc spaces. If you have 60" tubs in NYC you are FINE. From a resale perspective I would notice a 55" but not think twice about a 60 being small. (PS the fact that you have space to consider a 66" sounds luxurious to me.

    If you are having remorse because you are a bather then just go get in the tub and decide if you will not be happy without more space in which to soak. But be honest with yourself, I have a deep comfy tub that I never use.
    If you think you won't use the tub because it is not long enough and you are planning on staying for awhile, then by all means do what you want and get a bigger tub, but I would put it in the bath that is not the master, because you will probably want more vanity space in the master.

    At the end of the day, don't stress. The difference between the 2 tub sizes is just not that big of a deal unless your better half is 6'5" and wants to soak.

    I am sure your apt will be gorgeous.

  • 14 years ago

    60 inch tubs are standard. I wouldn't worry aobut it too much. especially if the trade off is the vanity 24 vs 30.

    If you're BIG into baths, I would go for the larger tub, but realistically most people don't take them, they shower, its really for kids/resale that you're getting it, stick with the standard and enjoy the larger vanity, b/c 30 isn't large either for a vanity and 24 is small.

    I think you're going to find yourself cursing the smaller vanity more than the smaller tub

  • 14 years ago

    I live in a NYC prewar too. I am big into baths and love, love, love my very deep 48" Kohler Greek tub in my hall bath that my kids share. We use it as a tub/shower.

    60" is normal. A lot of people think that big baths are a waste of space and water. What is your shower situation? IS this a standalone bath or a tub/shower?

    Pardon the bluntness, but trading a 66" bathtub for a 24" vanity would be an unfortunate decision that you will regret.

  • 14 years ago

    You are golden. Stick with your original plan. Better to have 30" vanity and a standard tub than a big tub and a tiny little vanity.

  • 14 years ago

    Thanks everyone! You are easing my mind. I actually never take baths, but I have a toddler who does daily. He should be fine in the 60" tub. Even if he gets a sibling, two should fit in there, right?

  • 14 years ago

    Easily. I bathed mt twins in our former 60" tub when they were little. No problem at all.

  • 14 years ago

    I was all ready to say "get the 66" tub", but if it's only for the toddlers and you never use it, a case could be made for the large sink/small tub setup.

    If it were for you, I'd choose a small but elegant 24" sink and go with the larger tub. Maybe it's a good idea even if it's just for the kids. Something like a vessel sink vanity (pic below) takes up only 24" of width, but has plenty of storage space, and you and everyone else who sees it will think "wow, nice sink!" instead of "gee, the sink is too small". If you're on a smaller budget, Ikea's Hollviken or

    sinks look and work great, and cost under $100. Another good option is a
    which makes the sink feel much wider than it is by extending over the toilet.

    Get one of these, and every time you stretch out luxuriously in your 66" tub, you'll be glad you didn't get a 30" sink....

  • 14 years ago

    IMHO this is a wildly impractical sink and vanity for a household with young children. Or children of any age for that matter. Once they start to wash up themselves and use their own products, the area will look like a war zone. That's without even considering how they could carelessly chip the bowl or how you will love to clean their messes from underneath the vessel. And there's always the issue of having them reach it in the first place. Seriously.

  • 14 years ago

    Vessel sinks are normally placed on low cabinets, so the top of the sink lip is the same height as a typical flat vanity top. This particular vessel is glass, but other matterials like stone, concrete, and stainless steel are very kid-proof, and likewise for cabinet finishes. I would probably go with the banjo top for a kid's bathroom though (yes, they also introduce an impracticality of their own by hindering access to the inside of the toilet bowl, but if you have a newer, lower toilet this is not likely to be a problem, and I'll happily remove the sink to work on my toilet every 5 years in return for the elegance and very practical extra space they provide). These are more practical with messy kids, because not only can you sweep the surrounding area of the cabinet top into the sink, but also do the same with the area over the toilet.

  • 14 years ago

    My vote is for the 60" tub and 30" vanity. I just did Kohler's Archer 60" and love it.

  • 14 years ago

    60" is standard, so you will be just fine. We considered the 66" tubs but we found that you pay waaaaay more & typically they have just made a nice large ledge at the back vs. making the bathing space longer. So let the floor go in on Monday as scheduled & enjoy your toddler!

  • 14 years ago

    I suspect when you have a couple kiddos you will so much more appreciate having a longer vanity than a bigger bathtub. I have 3 kids in elementary school and my tub is smaller than yours and have never once wished it was bigger (and I used to put all 3 in it regularly!) I can't tell you how often I wished I had a larger vanity!!