The room dimensions are 15'5" by 8.' Sorry about the typo, The shower pipes and drain are currently along the wall/corner with the vanity and attic wall. When I decide the shower size and closet location, I have to decide towel bar location. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

This post was edited by JimF1117 on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 11:43

Will a 5' tub be big enough? If you want a longer one consider putting the toilet by the shower as you will need 36" for the toilet. And 5' seems a little small for a tub but generous for a shower.

What do you like about the current layout and what's problematic? What's your list of must-haves and do-not-wants? Do you want a 2-person shower? Is an enclosed toilet room important to you? Is your closet space sufficient? etc.

It's easier to come up with a solution if we know more about the problem we're trying to solve.

Thinking of layout something like this, but it is an open canvas as entire bathroom is being gutted. A big open shower is important to us - I cannot wait to knock out the small shower. We would like the shower to be a spacious focal point, the more open the better. The tub can be freestanding or corner, it is rarely used and we have another tub in another upstairs bathroom and a large hot tub outside. Shower seating and in-wall inserts are important. Enclosing the toilet is not important to me, because we have 3 full bathrooms for 2 people - now that are kids are grown.
I am considering a small linen closet next to the shower and perhaps cutting the vanity length down from 7'2" to maybe 6' to widen the corner shower to 5' x 5' or 6' (depending on linen closet width along 8' wall).

This post was edited by JimF1117 on Mon, Dec 15, 14 at 21:20

What is the width of wall space on each side of the window, and what is the sill height? What is the length of wall on each side of the door?

This post was edited by palimpsest on Mon, Dec 15, 14 at 21:29

I always hate hallways because they waste space. The space between your closets does this. Are you willing to swap the closet and bathroom spaces? That would allow you to extend the closet into the attic space.

Something like this:

Or you could split the space vertically, like this, with doors to both rooms directly from the master bedroom:

Without knowing the sill height of the window (assuming lower than counter height), or whether you are willing to alter the closets at all, here is what I came up with.

Thanks so much for the suggestions and layout options.
The base of the window is 34" above the tile and there is 2' of wall on each side of the 4' window.

There is a 32" doorway which is 85+ inches from the window wall and 67+ inches from the attic wall (185" total). the doorway is centered in the 43" hallway between the closets.

Weedyacres, thanks, I should extend the closet into that attic. I also like the layout flipping the closets and bathroom to eliminate the wasted hallway space. If I were building the house from scratch, and lived alone, I would do the flipped layout. Unfortunately, in my circumstances, the plumbing change would involve some significant construction in a large 1st floor room under the existing closets /bedroom, and it is way less of an issue with the den under the existing bathroom. Also, I would not want to be locked out of my closet if the wife is in the master bath. It is much easier for me to keep spare shower/shave stuff in the 2nd upstairs full bath than to organize spare suits/clothes in other closets. I so appreciate your help and ideas.

Given that extra information, it seems like you could do something more like this which would put the vanity area as the focal point walking in and tuck the bathtub more out of the way.

Palimpsest, my wife and I love your layout with the shower, counter and linen closet all on the same outer wall with walking access to window. Thanks so much! Wife's only change was a 7' counter and smaller linen closet. Which direction would you have the door open (left or right and in or out)? Thanks again - you made my day!
Jim

Since you say you seldom use the tub and have another in the home, why don't you eliminate the tub and open up the possibilities for other configurations?

Olychick, I considered eliminating the tub. But my wife uses the tub occasionally and likes the look of the freestanding tubs. Plus, Palimpsest's layout with the tub along the doorway wall works well. The tub's width may extend past the 24.75" between the window and wall (unless I cut it into the closet), but it will not be as tall/high as the 34" height to the bottom of the window - so it's fine. Between that design and expanding the closet into the adjacent attic, I am getting inspired.

LOL on your wife locking you out of the bathroom. :-) Those are the kind of details that help you get the optimal layout for YOU. And it explains why you don't need the toilet to be in a closet.

I like Pal's design. I'd swing the door in so that you've got maximum bedroom layout options without needing room for the opened door. If there was a wall at the end of the tub, I'd lean towards opening it against that wall. But that makes the toilet your first view when you enter the room. So I'd swing the door open to cover up the toilet and give you a view of the vanity and free-standing tub. Since you don't use the bathroom together, you won't run the risk of someone opening the door into a toilet-sitter's knees.

I do think it's a valid to question why put in a bathtub at all if you aren't going to use it. In this case I would do it because the room is so big it would not make much sense to leave it out.

I find it's actually much harder to design a big bathroom than it is a small one. I am designing one where the entire bathroom is 48" x 81" and there was really only one good layout, taking the potential door locations and joist direction.

By comparison a bathroom where you think you have room for everything can be much more difficult, and that's why, on top of everything else they sometime end up weird shapes, too.

I think if you are doing a tub, it would look so pretty in front of the window. Make a wider hallway into the closet area and maybe you could put the doorway in the closet hallway so the door opens against the hallway wall.
You could put your linens on the angled closet wall and open up the attic for extra storage or take a bite out of the angle closet for a small linen cabinet opening into the bathroom.

Karen the thing is that they rarely use the tub and don't want to highlight a rarely used fixture that they are going to end up dusting because they don't take baths.

Pal, the wife is really happy with your last design and considering shelving above the closet by the window. Karen, cool idea about moving the bathroom door down the hallway. We will need to have a conversation with the builder about that (different ceiling heights from 8' hall to 10' bathroom) and opening up the angled closet into the attic area. I am sure that it is all can be done, the question is just the nature/cost of any structural changes. Great ideas. Thanks.