All of this is very helpful. I think this is the right version of the Expanse, isn't it? https://www.amazon.com/KOHLER-K-1118-RA-0-Expanse-Integral-Right-Hand/dp/B007FDVE14/ref=pd_sim_sbs_60_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=31bh0kxQeSL&dpSrc=sims&preST=AC_UL160_SR160%2C160&psc=1&refRID=594YJT0MY584YS82V1NV

When the description says 17 inches height, is that from the outside? I assume so... just curious how that compares to what I currently have.

That is the correct version. Yes, 17" is the height from floor level, excluding tile flange (18.25 total height with tile flange). Soaking depth (inside) is about 12.75 inches to the bottom of the overflow. Complete specs can be found here:

http://www.us.kohler.com/webassets/kpna/catalog/pdf/en/K-1118-LA_spec.pdf

What do you have currently? The traditional cast iron standard shower/tub that was common to the era of your house was 14.5 inches on the outside with 9 inch soaking depth.

Mine is 14 inches, and yes, 9 inches soaking depth. Crummy! I do have a little plastic thing that covers up the overflow, which I bought when I was enormously pregnant, lol. So the situation can only improve drastically with pretty much anything, but especially with the Expanse. I'm a little worried it won't fit, considering the width, though-- I'm going to try for a 24-inch vanity (I'm going to try to convince my contractor to scoot the vanity over an inch or two to make it fit) since a 20-inch vanity will offer almost no storage or countertop. I am even open to moving the vanity plumbing if needed, though hoping not to have to move the toilet plumbing for the sake of expense. There is an awful lot of room allotted to the toilet in our current layout (37''), and the minimum required is 30''. Also, my heart is set on the drawers on that ikea vanity I posted and that is the smallest size it comes in, so I am really hoping it works out.

I must admit after looking at that tub I'm starting to get my heart set on it, too!! I just hope it can all fit in the space. It's just not a huge area to work with. If only I could just swap the stupid vanity and toilet plumbing... but I'm sure that's even more expensive than just moving the vanity over a little.

Go 34" on the toilet space, then a 24" inch vanity. That puts you at 58," which still leaves 40" allocated for the tub, according to your drawing. The smaller expanse is only 36" at its widest point so with this spacing you would still have the desired minimum 4" space before the start of the vanity (it would actually be 10" of space at the wall where it is mounted). I really would not want to go less than 34" on the toilet. 36 is always preferable.

Will you be living in this house indefinitely so that aging in place and bathroom safety is a greater concern?

If yes, it would be better to have the sink and toilet on a wall opposite your tub. Accessibility guidelines recommend clear floor space the entire length of a tub.

We don't really know. But it's a moot point, because those things will not fit on the wall opposite the tub.

So, move the vanity over three inches? (so the center is three inches over?) I'm no architect, :)

Correct. Though you really only need to go over two inches to get the minimum 15" clearance from sink centerline. (which would put you at 35" for your toilet).

15'' clearance refers to the clearance from the tub?

Yes. From widest part of tub to sink centerline would be 15" if you move the vanity over just two inches. That also keeps 35" for the toilet.

My master bathroom has sink and toilet across from the tub on a 60" wall. 24" vanity, 36" for toilet. You could put a full length mirror medicine cabinet on the back wall with tub on one side and sink/toilet on the other.

It it really is so much better to have clear floor space the full width of the tub.

The issue with putting sink and toilet on an opposite wall in this particular bathroom is that one of those walls is an exterior wall, which would be problematic for locating the sink there. It's possible to put plumbing in an exterior wall, but requires a lot of extra care and work and some plumbers may even refuse to do it because of the risk of freezing pipes. You could avoid that by swapping the tub to the opposite wall from its current location, but then it would necessitate relocating the door. There is also the question of the size and location of the window on that side, which may also require reworking. Having to completely relocate the plumbing and completely revamp the space would be a much more expensive/intensive project for the OP. It may be something to investigate but may not be a financial possibility. The current plan seems to be a much lower cost proposition as sink and toilet plumbing will not be moved and the reworking of the shower plumbing will be comparatively simple. It also does not require movement or reworking of doors and windows.

Yes, I have to say, we would not be able to afford this project at all for years and years if we had to move doors and windows, along with all of the existing plumbing fixtures. As it is I am being quite careful with costs since we just did a gut job on our kitchen two years ago and that is the biggest renovation on our home we plan to do at any point. The window wall is an exterior wall, which is the wall being considered for placement of the toilet and sink in this discussion. it just isn't in the cards right now. If we need ADA-accessible bath fixtures at some point, we have another bath with a tub, and it has the setup you are talking about--sink and toilet across from tub, though the tub itself would likely need to be modified somehow (although that bathroom also is original to 1964 and will need to be renovated at some point in the future too before we are retirement age, so we would be able to keep accessibility in mind at that point when we choose bathing fixtures).

On a different note, I just wanted to say I like the gray vanity. It seems like everything else is going to be white and it would be a nice contrast.

Hi! Just wanted to say a couple of things. Your small bath layout is identical to mine. We redid ours but did not put in a tub. We just remodeled the existing shower. Also, redid my other bathroom and went from cast iron tub to acrylic. The acrylic holds heat way better than the cast iron. But it may be due to the design of the new tub? Not sure. Here's a pic of my small identical bath:

The company is aquatic

http://www.aquaticausa.com/

Very pretty, tsth5236! I love that tub! If I weren't after a tub/shower combo, I'd love to have a freestanding tub like that. There is something so relaxing about having it open like that. I just love the tub fixture too. It's beautiful!

Wow, it's uncanny how similar the shower and vanity situation is. Really uncanny! Thank you for sharing your renovation.

I just put in a Maxx Rubix 32"W 60"L acrylic alcove tub. http://www.maax.com/en/products/bathtubs/rectangular/rubix-6030-6032

It is MUCH roomier than I expected - both width and depth. The backrest looks like it would be uncomfortable because it's almost vertical - but it's actually very comfortable. I could have gone with the 30" and been alright, I think. I'm 5"7 and wear size 16 pants, so that gives you some indication of size.

It's definitely a modern-looking tub that goes well with IKEA Godmorgon.

Cons - (1) It's hard to clean acrylic. Anything abrasive is likely to damage the finish, and anything non-abrasive requires a LOT of muscle power to remove soap scum.

(2) The ledges of the tub are very narrow and won't comfortably hold bottles. If you can build a niche into the wall, though, that's not a problem.

IKEA Godmorgon - the high-gloss white is nice. That would leave you lots of options for introducing color through wall paint or tile.