I think one of you is going to have to compromise.

Thank you for the quick response! That's what I was thinking. He thinks 2 feet on either side of the tub is fine but I think it's a little tight once water and a tub filler are involved.

24" clearance (even less) is enough to transit into the tub, but it could appear shoehorned into place. Are corner vanities a possibility? Can you place tub with mock vanity to test your idea? Also, certain custom vanities may allow better clearance than others.

Thank you, spymatch. Corner vanities are not an option because of a doorway and window. We are planning on ordering custom vanities and have already purchased the tub (or I would consider changing to something I could step in/out of from the end). I know counter space is like gold but I don't want it to seem as though we just shoved this huge tub into a hole. I think we will use your idea of a "mock" vanity to test.

Ha, ha David Kerry. I am not sure about sink size yet.