do you have a window in there w/lots of light? make it a plant wall. wood shelves, flowers, green plants, etc. (click on my name and you'll see my bathroom)

or, do you need storage? how about a tall tower or a custom built shallow unit?

or,,,put a teak bench in the spot, a few hooks above for towels, or artwork, and call it a day.

btw,,is that your final paint color? looks a bit too minty green.

You could add a modern ladder towel holder...or electric towel warmer...but can’t see where the shower is? Could you add more images?

this one is from TheMine.com

Yeah, no to both in that location. And especially no to the water feature. Do you really want that noise running all the time. The dripping/gurgling/babbling/splashing gets really old really fast.

You'll probably have it off more than on. And then there's the upkeep.

Thanks everyone for the feedback/advice. To answer some of the questions - this is final paint color - but it entirely doesn’t come across in the picture unfortunately. It’s a very light blue with a small hint of green - Blue Horizon Sherman Williams. Very calming. It does indeed look minty in this picture but it’s much different in person. The shower area is to the left of this wall - open concept shower with large freestanding tub. Here are other pics - one with towel warmer is to immediate left of this wall and then the shower area - still under construction (large tub and filler under window, will be a new slightly smaller frosted glass window, vanities are not going to be here just moved temp). It’s a huge area - but a tough area since it has angles and was formerly a steam shower way back in the day.

Idea of hooks, artwork and ladder are great as well as team bench. Goal of fireplace was to provide a nice ambient affect when using the tub (and a small amount of heat which isn’t crucial just nice). Same with waterfall but upkeep was a potential concern. It was more of an after thought which is some of the prob. Think we are going to remove this fireplace for sure.

Simple is better in your case it will be a great spot for art too! So glad you nixed the idea of water feature and fireplace...you will be glad you did! Can’t wait to see the finished room...please keep us posted!

Your bathroom budget should go toward things you need. You don't spend so much time in a bathroom that spending extra money on a fireplace or water feature is realistic. Put your money into good tile, flooring, and fixtures which will add value to your home and make showering or bathing pleasurable, if brief. A nice vanity with storage (drawers and drawers) is a necessity. Quality towels are a necessity for me. And I like to have art in every bathroom (every room, actually). Art in bathrooms should be framed under glass.

Excellent points, thanks! We already feel better nixing the fireplace / water feature. We are going to likely put some nice art up there. I also agree with putting the money towards good tile, vanities, fixtures - that was actually our main goal aside from maximizing the space and making it functional. I will certainly share before/after pictures - it already is quite a transformation. We should actually be done in a few days!

following

Would love to help with art and accessories!

For the kind of use you’re thinking, if you do eventually decide to revisit the fireplace idea I think one of those ethanol ones would be perfectly adequate and those don’t need to be built in. So no rush to pick one now, you can see if you actually miss it once everything is done and the room is in use.