Variation:
Pros:
More storage
Feels more spacious
Cons:
Shower smaller
Closet a tiny bit smaller but maybe less functional due to the 4 ft width

Hi mshutterbug, I don't know if the layouts I drew above did interest you but in case it did, I just made a change because I read at many places that a passage way should be 42 in. minimum. So in the layout below, I had to move the cabinet to the right to allow 42 in. between the sink and cabinet. This caused that you would not be left with much linear feet in the closet. So to give you more linear feet, I had to remove the closet door.

Thank you so much!! My induction last Tuesday turned into a rather dramatic emergency c-section, so I spent the remainder of the week in the hospital. Trying to get back on my feet now, and will check out these new ideas. Thanks again for all the help and detailed drawings!

Hey, Congratulations mshutterbug--hope you and all the family are doing well!

Congrats! Wish you loads of health and joy!

Congratulations mshutterbug. Wish you all the best with your precious so adorable baby. Do you have a boy or a girl?

By changing the shape of the shower, you get a bit more of linear feet for hanging clothes.

Personally, I would like to have a door from the master bedroom to the closet. The layout below is the same as the one above except that I added a 22 in. door. It gives you 9' 6" of usable space for hanging clothes. I do not count the shaded area because that corner is hard to reach.

Joanbllt has it with the walk in closet opposite vanity separated from the rest if the bath! Very cool thinking! The 1st joanblly walk through closet to bath design also works well. You just put low hamper under hanging clothes...

This is my last layout. It's a promise. It's the same above but the shower is bigger and I swing the doors the other way. It seems more natural.

Below is a list of details I paid attention when I draw this layout. Not all the details may be important to mshutterbug but I would like to point them to her so she can decide which ones she really would like to have in her new master bathroom/closet:

1) Entrance to the bathroom is inviting: nice vanity on the right and a view of nice bath towels at the back of bathroom.
2) There is more space allowed for the bathroom than the closet. You need to decide what space is more important: bathroom or closet.
3) Toilet is hidden by the vanity.
4) Toilet is close to the vanity which is convenient to wash our hands.
5) Can take a bath without being close to the toilet or having the view of the toilet.
6) Good size shower. Personally, I prefer square or rectangle shower as opposed to a corner shower. It is more spacious.
7) Towel rack is close to the bath and the shower.
8) Two accesses to the closet. You may not always want to go to the bathroom to change your pair of shoes.
9) Closet is separated from the steam area.
10) Extra storage for make-up, linen, hamper, toilet paper ...
11) In this particular layout, the actual effective closet space to hang clothes is 9 ft 6 in. There is another 1 ft 8 in. in the corner that is usable not as easy to reach. Mshutterbug will need to decide if that is enough space.

Note: This is a list of details I thought but I am sure there are others. Maybe you can point them to mshutterbug so she will have considered every little details before taking down walls.

How about moving the tub to the right of the shower and
Build a walk in closet where the tub had been.

After re-reading the list of details above, I saw some compromises in the floor plan I could do to add more closet space which I think mshutterbug would maybe like to consider. The differences compared to the plan above is:
- The passage way in front of the sink is 40 in. instead of 42 in. I read that it should be 42 in. minimum. I would be really interested to know if it is a by-law or if it is for comfort only. Houzzers, what do you think?
- The cabinet is 24 x 12 instead of 20 x 12
- The vanity is 21 in. deep instead of 23 in.
- Less space to move around once in the closet

The problem I see with this plan is that person entering the closet can walk in on person sitting on the toilet! There should be a door from interior of bath to closet also, for privacy sake.

pcmom1, I agree with you but it doesn't seem to be a concern for mshutterbug. Personally, I would add a pocket door at the entrance of the closet into the bathroom for these reasons:
- you may not be interested to look at your clothes while sitting on the toilet.
- it will help reduce the humidity entering in the closet.
- it would offer some privacy.

I read that mshutterbug does not like pocket door but if I were her I would, in the floor plan above, install one anyway even if it's to stay open all the times. At least the next owner will have the option to close it.

The same plan as above with the pocket door:

I would really wall off the closet from the bathroom entirely.. that door will be open most of the time creating steam + ick factor of seeing the toilet all the time, etc. If you wall off the closet you will have more haning/shelf/hook space too.

I would think about moving the toilet way down the wall to the corner opposite the shower. If the shower could be down in that area with the toilet, behind a door, there would be privacy and the steam could be contained and would warm the area for drying off.

Then the vanity and tub would be in a dressing room area with access to the closet. Then you could eliminate the door to the bedroom from the closet and have space for a chest of drawers or full length mirror.

Again?

joanbllt, there are many things I like about your floor plan. So I hope you are not mad at me for drawing it with visio because it allows make a floor plan more precise:

- A standard tub is 30" x 60", you allowed 36" x 60". This is an advantage because I was able to squeeze the toilet a bit more so the closet is 4 in. wider and you still have 38 in. width allocated for the toilet (the minimum is 31" .i.e. 15.5" on each side from the center of the toilet).

- The pocket door beside the 2 sinks needed to be moved on the other wall because the wall beside the vanity is not large enough to be able to hide a 36"wide entry.

- I thought that maybe mshutter could use a double pocket door for the closet in stead of a bi-fold door. I see 2 advantages about this change: 1) more consistency. Having a bi-fold door would make 3 different styles of doors in a small space. 2) double pocket door use less space to open.

Again, I hope you are not mad at me for doing the floor plan and bringing little changes. It is only with the good intention that we all want to help mshutterbug.

haven't had any feedback from the original posters recently - was just asking for their input. these programs can be scaled very accurately to the inch - and easily changed. Actual plumbing and wiring is harder - I also have some issues with my condo but have to deal with feasible vs impossible dream.

joanbllt, mshutterbug must be busy with her very very new baby. In the meantime, we, houzzers, can give her a lot to think about in her "free" time :). Here's another version of your layout with a linen cabinet added:

Sorry, I don't know why I sent the previous one, I don't like it at all. Here's one I like:

Just aiming at different targets - slightly larger bath a little bit more luxury as in following
I expect that mshutterbug will have a very busy time recovering from the new baby and a caesarian. Here's hoping that she will not be too sleep deprived in the next few months.

Still wondering if all these layouts posted have enough floorspace to bend over, pass/help eachother and turn around and walk..

Thanks for all the ideas! Yep, you got it right...it's been pretty busy around here. My delivery didn't quite go as "planned" (not that babies ever do what we plan..LOL) and recovery has been tougher than anticipated. And of course, the usual sleep deprivation doesn't help. It's all worth it though of course...
We had a little girl :) That makes two girls and a boy.

So, to answer a previous question...below the bathroom is a hallway of sorts. So, there's a door into the master bedroom, and a little corridor that goes past the master bathroom into the actual bedroom. I'll attach a pic so you can see. I thought about moving the door to bathroom or closet onto that wall of bedroom, but our bed and nightstands will go there and that leaves no room for a doorway. I also considered making the bathroom/closet a pass-through into bedroom, but I'm not crazy about being required to go through the bathroom or closet to get into bedroom. Even if there was a way to do it so an occupied bathroom didn't block access to bedroom, I'm not crazy about that idea.

Could you sketch out a floorplan (with all your free time!)?

If that wall I see is in the bedroom, I would just do a whole wall of closets, no walk in. That would give you much more sq ft to play with for the bath.

pcmom - I was going to attach one, but didn't lol... just grabbed an old diagram (so ignore all the layout stuff) and added the info about the bedroom/hallway...the hallway is not to scale though.

I have not read the whole thread but what I have read I am wondering if you have done a plan without the bath? Just to see if you have more breathing room? Do you use your bath frequently or just now and then? I am feeling that you could regret trying to squeeze all you want in this space. In my mind, if you got rid of the bath it would free up nearly 6feet...that's alot of feet. Having an open closet in the bathroom would be another regret I fear :(...Your closet needs to be behind doors. Does it have to be in the bathroom or can you make it separate to give yourself more room, or...have to closets, his and hers but in different places in the bedroom????? anyway, just thoughts...I have been designing our new bathroom for a year and still havent got it right...going to hire help with a designer to tweek it :)

I have been giving some thought to a tub/shower combo with a shower curtain. I don't like bathing in tub enclosed with glass doors. Obviously my preference is a walk-in shower and separate tub, but maybe I can find a nice tub/shower combo to save that space...

Look for low tubs. I remembered you saying you were not really tall. Stepping in&out will be easier (even for tall people).

I recently completed a bathroom project where we made an ordinary tub in standard shower stall look like a million bucks by building in a granite front edge over bead board apron, marble tile on walls with different format (sizes and patterns) and a couple of wall niches.

I still like Joanbllt's floor plan a lot. I changed her plan a bit to have more room to move around. The 2 floor plans are identical except one is 12 x 11 ... just in case mshutterbug could take 6 in. from her bedroom and give it to her bathroom :)

Congrats on your family addition! You've gotten some amazing advice & focus on your problem. Makes me love Houzz when I see that happen! I lived in a 1940's house for 5 years with a new addition where my hanging closet was in the bathroom. It was just me, but I never had a problem with moisture or smells on my clothes. There wasn't a door to the bathroom either & the BR had a vaulted ceiling, so maybe it just had good ventilation.

My x built a corner closet for my son when we enclosed a garage due to the window placement. It worked great! The ceiling was high so we did double rods (4 rods at about 5' each) with a shelf over the top. the door opened in & there was an overhead light. I'm not fond of bi-folds & this was really good. So much so, that my son later built one in his house. ;)

Thanks for the tip rinqreation! And the link...that's really pretty.
TMK - those are really lovely - nice work!!

I don't think I'd mind a small door opening to the closet...we had that in our previous home - door from bathroom into closet that we rarely closed. It's just having it completely open like that...
Thanks for the ideas! I still need to look closely at all the latest ideas :)

Just trying to read through all the great ideas - thank you!
joanbllt - I really like your designs. Initially I thought the vanity opposite closet would be great, but then I realized it would mean the person in toilet area wouldn't have access to wash hands before leaving the room...

Ohhh I think baby might actually sleep for a bit so that's my cue to close my eyes ;) still mulling over the compromise of doing tub/shower combo to allow more elbow room and storage space. I also mentioned to husband that if he got me a hot tub for the deck I'd forgo a bathtub in master and just put in a walk-in shower lol :)

By baby #3 you'd think I'd know better..sigh.. If she's not gonna let me sleep I might as well get on houzz ;)

So, just to clarify...privacy for toilet area is definitely a concern for me :) I don't mind less privacy for dressing or brushing teeth, but yeah pcmom - I wouldn't want someone entering closet to potentially walk in on person on toilet lol!
suzanne - thanks for all your well thought out plans. Your last list was especially helpful :) If I'm reading scale correctly it seems like the closet wouldn't be wide enough to walk into...?

Sorry about baby not sleeping - on the sinks separated from toilet/tub area - had the standard 5' X 10' bathroom divided by pocket door with toilet and tub in 1/2 , sinks in other half - Usually we only closed the pocket door between when demand became high ( 3 children and an elderly grandpa)

I'm trying to remember those years - what worked and what didn't - I remember swaddling , motion and pacifiers. Long ago.

Thanks joanbllt! I'm going to re-look at these...I'm seriously leaning toward either giving up the tub for a walk-in shower (and using the kid/guest bathroom for the occasional bath I might want) OR doing a more upgraded version of a standard tub/shower combo. Thinking long-term a walk-in shower might be smartest (like if elderly parents need to stay with us at some point, but I have no reason to worry about that at present since they are thankfully in good enough shape to chase active grand kids lol, so maybe that's really overthinking it right now??) If I stop trying to predict the future lol I think I'd lean toward the tub/shower combo.

Either way...If I step back and consider using the room, I really think ultimately I'll be happier with more closet space and counter/storage space in bathroom itself vs a separate tub and shower.

So now I've got to look over these ideas and see how best to modify with that in mind! Kind of feels like back to the drawing board!

As for the baby sleep problem...sigh... I've tried it all - swaddling, pacifier, motion, white noise. My oldest was a difficult sleeper as a baby and would only sleep when held. It took over a year but he finally slept through the night in his own bed. At 8 he's still my snuggly boy though, and I love it. So I comfort myself with that :)

I vote for a great shower in the master bath. I have a jetted tub in our master bath that gets used maybe once a year. The shower, however, is used each day. Do a lush one: built in bench, rain head....

This is a version of joanbllt model without a bath:

I was talking to my baby today(he' 43) - about his antics as a child. Have forgotten a lot. The tub shower is your decision - Would a Japanese soaking tub with an overhead shower satisfy cleanliness and relaxation needs?

Wow joanbllt - your baby is 43! I may have found that hard to imagine years ago, but as my own first baby is going to be 9 soon I feel like time is speeding up. I don't like it. LOL!
I haven't even considered a Japanese soaking tub...hmmm..will have to check them out :)

I posted to a new thread, but if anyone here sees this, you all had such great ideas, would love to hear from you! We are now living in the home, sharing a bathroom with the kids, and SO ready to move forward with our bathroom renovation. Every room in the house is in a varying state of renovation. LOL

Anyways, now that we're here I know that I definitely want a shower/tub combo. My priority is A) getting this bathroom started and DONE and B) storage space, storage space, storage space. Having a separate shower and tub is no longer a priority. Would be nice to have, but not gonna happen if I want to maximize space.

There are so many layouts here, but all are to try to squeeze in a tub and shower. Would love any help on coming up with a final plan, based on new priority! Posted here: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/need-help-with-bathroom-layout-to-maximize-closet-and-storage-dsvw-vd~642507

Definitely having an open closet in a bathroom is a bad idea. The sour smell of mildew will soon become inseparable from the clothing if the fan is not utilized before he rushes out the door for work. You have plenty of space for a closet, shower, tub(jetted), vanity, linen closet & toilet. Remember to add resale value to any remodel. Read this article below.
http://www.houseplansbydsms.com/increase-home-resale-value/

This is a little narrower than I would normally do, but you're limited in space. The tub space is pretty narrow, 3' or a little less so you'de need to find a narrow tub. You could take a little out of the bench if you needed a deeper tub deck. In any tight situation, you want to minimize the dedicated circulation and keep things as open as possible. I hope this helps...one step closer to be building code :)

Hope you resolved your issues. If your hubby prevailed and you ended up w/damp towels on open shelves, consider a vinyl folding closet door. https://www.google.com/search?q=vinyl+folding+closet+doors+images&biw=1366&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CBwQsARqFQoTCPLKjpWf48gCFQo0PgodHMUDXw Not my first choice.

If you've not remodeled yet, you really don't need both a shower and a tub -- you could opt for both in one: a larger tub with a surround and using shower fixtures with the tub leaves you much more space for other uses.

Not having a window, even with a good vent fan, is a bummer. Sympathy much on that but congrats on the new home and baby.

I have an open closet in a big bathroom and have no issue with steam etc.

I'm looking again at some of these old ideas because I may actually be sold on the idea of going with a shower-only! Someday we will actually get this remodel done and I can stop walking on subfloor in my master bathroom ROFL!

I just bought a 1920's house has an large addition on the back. The space is 24'x15' and I plan to have a 12'x15' bedroom and with wall construction I will have a 11.5'x15' space for the bath and closet. Being single, I just keep thinking a bath/closet combination will work the best. It really makes sense to me to have clothes, accessories and etc., in the bathroom in custom wardrobes with frosted glass doors. I know the issue of moisture was brought up, but really, steam from a shower can be contained with an fully enclosed shower and a good exhaust fan. As far as odors, I really don't think that would be a problem that air freshener and/or a exhaust fan wouldn't take care of. I look at it, as an open room, where everything is in one place, where mirrors, lighting, windows and even a glass door to outside would make it bright and spacious feeling, not to mention letting the dog out in the morning would be easy. I've always thought having closets for hanging clothes and shoes in one room, while lingerie, sweaters, etc., in dressers in the bedroom, and the bath in another room, meant you were constantly running from room to room. I just think if I had more space, I would put the laundry in the same room and would have lots more time on my hands. PS. Having a door to the outside, will make it so much nicer after working in the yard especially in the hot, humid Ohio River valley summer weather.