Need to redesign bathroom for normal sized people!

13 years ago

This is the master and hall bath in our adorable dollhouse of a beach house. It was built in 1998 on the footprint of a 30s cottage and the beadboard trim you see in the photos is rescued and repurposed from the original cottage. The casement window over the tub needs replacement.

The biggest problem is that the space for the toilet is 21" wall to wall. The biggest waste of space is the humongous jetted bathtub that we have never used in the two years we've owned the place. Not to mention that the water heater does not produce enough hot water to fill the tub above the jets.

The sink is tiny and cramped and can't serve as a vanity area. And it's in the traffic flow into the bathroom. I have attached a sketch with some dimensions noted.

The bath is on the second floor. There are no expansion possibilities. Below the bathroom is a bedroom. The views from the windows are spectacular. You could theoretically soak in the tub and watch the crashing waves of the tide coming in.. Or you could rip out the tub, get by with showers, and go to the beach and soak in the salt water! This is an adult house. Tub for kids not necessary.

So. How to reconfigure the bathroom and make it more useful and comfortable?

Featured Answer

sacapuntaslapioz

13 years ago

last modified: 13 years ago

here is my sketch of I would do. only the laundry would remain where it is. the tub would go. I love a toilet room or even a half wall. a little privacy goes a long way there.

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Comments (21)

Connie
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
Right side up sketch!
And an exterior shot for flavor. The bathroom is in the upper right of the picture.

For scale on the picture -- the front room is 10 feet deep and 18 feet across the front, as if it were an old-time screened in and sleeping porch. Not a huge house, but just perfect for 2 adults hanging out at the beach.
Connie
Original Author
13 years ago
I should also mention that the first floor had some serious updating with the previous owners, but they didn't do anything upstairs. It needs to be done -- and my ideas range from a small free standing modern egg type tub to no tub at all and adding full size washer and dryer and putting the toilet into the laundry closet.
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San Bee
13 years ago
I love my new stackable GE washer/dryer combo which is in a niche inside our guest bath. So I would never go back to a side by side washer dryer which take up so much room. How about a tub with shower in the tub niche with the windows. You need a larger sink area with lots more counter space so you could put this on the 72 inch long wall that is being taken up by the shower stall right now. Leave the toilet where it is but you might want to consider a wall hung toilet to take up less floor space. My husband is a master plumber so he's done lots of bathrooms including ours which we are very happy with.
San Bee
13 years ago
here is the wall hung toilet which is next to the vanity shown here. Our bath was only 4 foot wide by 7 feet long so we used the space from a coat closet to make this tiny bath 2 feet longer. We splurged on upscale HansGrohe bath faucets.
kimdee24
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
That's a tight space. I guess it depends on how much plumbing you're willing to move. Can you steal some space from the master closet, or no?

Assuming not moving a ton of plumbing, I was thinking if you left the shower where it is, but made the inside dimension 32" x 45" and did a frameless glass enclosure on two sides, that would give your toilet some extra inches.

Then if you stole some space from the master closet, your vanity could go there with some counter space. Change out the door from the master to a sliding pocket (there are door swings every where in that corner!) OR, remove the door to the master all together, and use that space for your vanity. Change the swing on the bathroom door. OR, both (remove door, steal space from the closet and maybe there's enough room for double sinks).

Take the tub out and the tub deck and replace that with your egg shaped free standing tub which might take up less space visually.

I don't know how big that laundry area is, but as Sandy noted above, stackable full sizes are great.
annmarie2
13 years ago
1. Kill the door from master
2. Put a larger vanity (or maybe double if space allows) against that new wall.
3. Swap laundry and shower locations. Use stackables and give space to toilet. Shouldn't require too much plumbing.
Dar Eckert
13 years ago
I'm thinking that you should remove the tub and put a walk in shower there with glass sides. Put a double vanity where the shower currently is, along the wall with the recessed shelf. Remove the current sink maybe open shelves or small linen there.
opmcb
13 years ago
Ditch the tub, leave the laundry in the current position (could the laundry closet open into the hallway rather than the bath with the use of a pocket door?).

You then have room for a 60" or 72" vanity and a storage tower that are mounted to the laundry wall facing the current shower. The toilet moves into part of the area the tub occupied; it would be facing the shower and can either be built in its own room or have a half wall. The shower stays in place but expands to fill in the area once occupied by the toilet. There would be room for a shower seat.

The shower would be about 36"x 56", toilet area 60" x 40" +/- with storage, this type layout would take advantage of the window. The window is unobstructed as the vanity is to the left and the toilet is to the right. The little corner sink would no longer be needed.
Connie
Original Author
13 years ago
We can't steal any space from anywhere. Having said that -- it's like the biggest mini bathroom ever! I should be very clear that the current toilet space is an unacceptable 21 inches wide from wall to wall. I believe that code is more like 32"+.

The laundry (which is small stackables) cannot face 90 degrees right -- the stairs are right there. It might actually be the landing and not the steps themselves, but I don't think it works. They could be relocated within the bathroom space and give up their closet to a shower or toilet room. There is no place to relocate the laundry within the house envelope.

I don't know if you could see from the pictures, but it's a slanty ceiling over the bathtub, so that has to be taken into consideration when thinking of stackable w/d in that space or a shower. And the windows are low to the floor -- sitting just above the tub deck.

Thanks for all the ideas -- we just love our beach house and keep thinking about living there full time -- but the bathroom HAS to be more liveable!
wmpj
13 years ago
Here's a suggestion, install a double vanity or two pedistal sinks along the wall where the recessed shelf and shower are. That will give you enough room to slide the toilet over a bit. This will also give you more space in your master closet. A small lined cabinet can be built/placed where the current sink is located. Install a free standing tub where the current tub is and relocate the shower where the laundry area is. I'm not sure where you could put your washer and dryer. Perhaps it could go in the room next to it.
lefty47
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
HI -- Connie your toilet is not to code . A proper space for a toilet is a 36 inch wide space . The toilet should be moved to the left to get 18 inches to center on each side . The tub is fine but I would lose the seperate shower and just have a hand shower fixture for in the tub. OR put a shower where you show the washer/dryer .But if you don't want the tub then replace that with a nice big walkin shower. Find another location for a smaller stacking laundry set. If you steal some space from the closet then you could have a proper sink/vanity .How big is the bedroom ? Maybe you could steal the whole closet and use a wardrobe in the bedroom and then that space could be used in the bathroom. You are trying to put too much into the bathroom space and that's why it's not working. If anything you have to fix the toilet space. PS: Have you given thought to a heat on demand water system or a bigger water tank ?
wmpj
13 years ago
Connie, can space be taken from your master bedroom closet? Do you have room to build a closet elsewhere in your bedroom? What is the dimension from the left wall to the window where the tub is located?
Connie
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
No ... we can't steal from the master bedroom closet. While there are two closets in the master -- I may be sacrificing the other one to give us a smidge more space in that room.

Lefty -- thanks for calling it like it is on the toilet space! It is really not OK and we've known it since we first looked at the house. We have enough hot water for showers -- just not for filling up monster tubs!

The master bedroom is about 15 inches wider than a king size bed at the far end, and maybe another 12 inches wider at the end near the bathroom. There's about 5 feet from the foot of the bed to the closet by the bathroom.

The shower to toilet to window wall dimension is 36(shower)+21(toilet space)+40(tub deck) = 97 inches.

I'm really thinking that the tub has to go. We're not using it, and I don't think my husband will agree to giving up his walk in shower.
lefty47
13 years ago
HI - Connie -- That looks pretty good ! Try with the toilet where you show the shower , then the toilet plumbing does'nt have to move so far . I think that might be better . Love the vanity in the picture .
Connie
Original Author
13 years ago
From all these ideas -- which are really helpful by the way -- I am thinking to lose the tub, expand the shower towards the window, and move the toilet towards the window and add at least a half wall (reusing the beadboard) to separate it a bit. The new vanity will go on the laundry room wall, but it may only be a one sink wonder. I can live with that.
kathy
13 years ago
Hi Connie
I would put vanity along laundry wall,as you suggest, but not worry about the half wall for the toilet. Then you might be able to extend vanity to under angled window. If window is to low, you could lower counter for storage underneath window - and a spot for flowers on top! In this scenario, toilet is facing angled window (as it is now), but closer to front window (now over tub). I hope you have good blinds!
Crystal
13 years ago
I would make the tub a shower/tub combination. Put the sink where the shower stall currently is and remove the recessed shelfing to allow a better closet. You can pick up storage from the vanity that you use. I would leave the toilet as is.
sacapuntaslapioz
13 years ago
The toilet code: for a toilet installation you need a minimum of 15" from the center of the toilet to any side obstruction. so basically you need a 30" opening to install a toilet. I'd recommend 36", 30 is kind of tight for a "larger" person, or for anyone needing to clean up ;-). . you also need a minimum of 18" from the front of the toilet to any obstruction.
Source(s):
International Plumbing code.
sacapuntaslapioz
13 years ago
Connie, my second take. I had not read about the sloping wall. in this one the shower and the laundry stay in place.you get a linen closet, the shower would open towards the other wall. the toilet go under the window, separated by a half wall which also has a folding down table to use to fold laundry. the weird shelf that takes room from the closet would disapear, giving you extra room in the closet, which also gets expanded in the space now occupied by the vanity. this should give you enough closet space to take your other closet for extra space in the master. there is space for a second linen or storage in the bathroom, or even open shelves.

Good luck.
PRO
Bespoke Fine Interiors
10 years ago
Yes, absolutely 86 the tub!!! More and more buyers want a fab shower, not a tub. See my sketch attached.. may be a pie in the sky idea, but that's a great place to start.