Possibilities for my 5' x 12' "master" bath

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Well the time has come to remodel our UGLY 80's , very narrow master bathroom. Unlike the rest of our remodel thus far... we really need to stick within the footprint of the existing 5'x12' bathroom . I have been looking at the options. Although our bathroom is small, I want it to be as spa-like as possible. As spa tub is important to me, as my lifestyle leads to non-stop aches & pains, lol!

Here are my ideas- any input would be so appreciated!

1. Do a separate tub & shower "wet room". I have 60x66" to work with here... so it would have to be a 30-36"w tub and 30-36"w shower. This would give me enough room for the toilet and a single 48" vanity. I would have to move the toilet 2 feet with this option and we are on a concrete slab.

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2. A 36" traditional shower/tub combo, I would still use a spa tub. . This would be the cheaper option and allow for more storage with at least a 6' double vanity.

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The smarter more economical choice is #2 but I just love the idea of #1... If I do go for the wet room (do you think these are just a fad?) which is better... a wider tub or a wider shower? Hubby and I are both average sized people folks... me 5'3" , he 5'11. Perhaps a 32W tub and 34W shower? Or maybe a 36" tub and a 30" shower as there will be tons of shoulder room regardless...

For my light I would also install a large skylight !

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salex

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

We did something similar to what you're proposing, although we had a smidge more length (14'):

View toward the left of the drawing above:

And to the right:

/Tangent: I do woodworking as a hobby and made the cabinetry from 100-yr-old Douglas-fir studs that we tore out during the remodel. So I made it to my own specs and love it./

I love, love, LOVE the 6'x6' shower/tub space. Despite its small size, it is the most zen
space in my house and feels spacious whether showering or bathing - I'd
do it again in a heartbeat. As you can see, we gave up the option of a
double vanity to do this. It looks like you could do something
similar, although as you said you'd have a 48" vanity and obviously the
toilet would not be in a separate water closet.

To answer your
questions about whether to have a wider tub or shower, I would go with
the wider shower and narrower tub unless you're a relatively wide person
or like to sprawl out sideways in the tub. Because my tub is relatively
narrow, I take more baths - it doesn't take as long to fill and uses
less energy to heat the water.

Good luck and enjoy the planning!

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Comments (16)

hcbm
9 years ago
I am no expert and have never had to clean a shower or tub in a wet room. However, the first thing I see in every picture of a wet room is a cleaning nightmare. I imagine having to clean all the walls, tub floor and nook and cranny on a regular basis. I have a tub/shower combo and only have to clean the tub and tub wall. I use a curtain. If cleaning isn't an issue and you like the look and use of a wet room go for it. Is there anywhere to see one in person?
S Hill
Original Author
9 years ago
Good point... But the cleaning is not really an issue....
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cpartist
9 years ago
Would this be the only shower?
S Hill
Original Author
9 years ago
It would be the only shower in the master bath... but not the only shower in the house.
mrspete
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Moving a toilet on a slab foundation will be BIG BUCKS. Can you show us a layout of the room? That is, where are the door and windows ... and the toilet?

Without knowing that, I'd be inclined to line the items up simply:

Nothing's luxury-large, but nothing's puney small either. My girls have a 30" wide shower, and it's functional. You can squeeze in a bit of storage at the foot of the shower, something like this ... and then the "back side" of that storage could be wonderful tall storage inside the shower:
S Hill
Original Author
9 years ago
Here are some pics of my lovely bathroom ;-)
It's that horrible 80's design where the vanity is open to the bedroom. To the left is a closet. We do plan to remove that wall that separates the vanity & rest of bath and install a door to the bedroom where the opening is now. I will probably do a barn door and keep the doorway large so that the bathroom feels roomier.
roarah
9 years ago
Do you use the bath often in that room? If not is there another tub in the house?
S Hill
Original Author
9 years ago
It's the only tub in the house... and I would use it all the time if it didn't suck so bad... its only 11" deep! It's a very strange wide and short oval shape... not comfy and doesn't have any jets, gets cold fast, etc.
Linda Doherty
9 years ago
Make the master bath have a shower and no tub. Put a really nice jacuzzi tub in other bath.
S Hill
Original Author
9 years ago
There is no room for a tub in the other bath... it has a 36x42 shower .
roarah
9 years ago
Is there room in the budget to move the toilet and /or other plumbing?
S Hill
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes, there is some room in the budget for plumbing and moving toilet ... We just have to stay within the current foot print- there isn't really a good option for expanding. The only place to go is the master bedroom and it is already too small.
cpartist
9 years ago
I would not do a traditional shower/tub combo in a master bath. It will cut down on your resale.
kirstyeg
9 years ago
Nice bathroom @salex! OP- I say, go for the wet room - wide shower, narrow tub with good depth. IMO the problem with master bath shower/tub combos is that you're either scrambling over a high curb to take a shower every day, or you've got an unpleasantly shallow tub.

You'll have to take up the slab for the toilet move, but also to add the drain for the shower- so you'll need budget for that.
spiredem
9 months ago
Moving the toilet to get the separate tub is worth it! I did a 6x12 exactly as you describe with the 48” vanity. I’m now planning to do another one but this time I only have 5x12. Going to use a completely neutral pallet with continuous plaster to make it feel more spacious.