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Master Bath layout decision time...PLEASE help!!

P M
6 years ago

Two options as we and designers see for our shower. Center between the two windows which will require false wall for the plumbing (okay with us) or in the right hand corner which is where it was before gutting. I am more interested in centering the shower between the windows. I think that option could create a dramatic focal point but have some concerns: 1. Will it be too dramatic and seem like an obstructive box in the center of the room? 2. What size should the shower be? Do we extend the false wall all the way up to the ceiling or 45/90 degree it at the top of the shower? How far up to we extend the tile? 3. What type (alcove or freestanding) of tub and how to orient the tub?

If we put the shower in the corner then we either place a double vanity between the windows which we feel is too small for a comfortable double vanity. If we place one vanity between the windows and another next to the shower then they are asymmetric and that bugs me.


I would greatly appreciate your opinion/ideas/advice! Thank you!!






Comments (35)

  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Here is the room gutted. Entrance to bath where shower wall intended.
    spot for the tub.Cardboard template on floor in corner is 60in x 30
    Corner for the toilet...don't want to move location.


  • User
    6 years ago

    Ditch the tub. It’s unusable. And plan to do some exterior work to eliminate some windows. Because none of those are good designs.

    P M thanked User
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    chindman39-thank you for the response. My concern with that idea is the windows are large and low to the ground so you would be showering entirely in window view.

    Sophie-thank you for the response. I understand what you are suggesting. We are hesitent to eliminate windows. We enjoy having the large windows and wonderful views along with exterior symmetry of the home. I realize we then have to sacrifice something with the bath design. Do you mean the tub is unusable because of its size or potential position?

  • User
    6 years ago

    Both. You need to kick all of these to the curb and start over with what ideal layout you could create if the windows were not in the way. It won’t be the tumor of the shower hogging all of the space in the middle to the detriment of a tub and actual people. It won’t be a toilet hanging out in the breeze with no screening wall. It won’t be an overwrought and too busy vanity interrupted by a window. It won’t be anything you have thought about so far.

    P M thanked User
  • jani
    6 years ago
    Could you move shower to right side, then vanity in the center?
    P M thanked jani
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Yes-that is how it was originally designed before we gutted it. See above for my issues with that plan. Briefly-we don't want to squeeze in a double vanity in that 60 in space which would mean two separate vanities that would be not symmetric. Would like a change and have the shower in center of windows which is the only option unless we remove some windows as Sophie suggested but do not want to create the look of an obstructive box in the room all for the sake of wanting a dramatic change.

  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Sophie- your tumor comment made me laugh!! I always appreciate your frank comments on this site! So it sounds like you are dead against the shower between the windows? We are not interested in a very large tub even if it could fit into the room. While we want a tub we don't want or need a large one. Yanked out the stupid corner garden tub with the demo.

  • roarah
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I have a similar master bath size and window wise. Mine is an addition above a front facing side sunroom and my architect said having a balance of Windows above would better integrate the new and old parts of the house. So he worked a 48x24 window placed five off the floor for privacy on one eight ft wall, and a regular double hung on the back 8ft wall where privacy was no concern and a high 36 window above my vanity. I adore the light the Windows offer and for me the limited layout options were worth the sacrifice.

    I ended up forgoing a tub. I need more storage and the ones short enough to work were too shallow to be worth it and I have a lovely deep tub in the hall already that is hardly used now that the kids shower. If I had done a tub this is how the space would have been. It would mean changing your 15 ft wall's Windows to be only above the tub, you would lose very little light and view this way.

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    roach-Thank you for commenting. The current windows are duplicated in our house first level in our library so from the exterior all 52 (I think that's the number ) of our windows are very symmetrically placed in our "Chester county colonial farmhouse". I will not be able to convince my husband or myself to go to that expense and interfere with the exterior symmetry. So did you end up with one long vanity or how did you add the storage to your bath?

  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    roarah-sorry-autocorrected above to roach and I didn't realize. I just reread your post. I now realize you went with a much different plan than the one suggestion you posted for me. I would like to see the plan you went with if you don't mind

  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    a new idea came to me-using a trough sink with two faucets for a vanity between the windows and creating a coordinating makeup vanity on the wall with the casement window next to a rectangular shower in the corner. I would have the makeup vanity be at counter height though. It would be combo vanity/storage. No sink . Just vanity. Thoughts?

  • roarah
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I ended up doing a single vanity, my grandmother's antique chest of drawers, flanked by large wardrobes for storage on the long wall seen from my room. So my vanity is where your shower would be with a 36 inch circle window above the mirror my wardrobe storage are where your windows are. I am a brat and do not let my DH in the bath when I am using a sink so no need for double vanity here ;) we have plenty of room to move the wardrobes further away and to add a larger vanity and are plumbed for double sinks incase resale is an issue. My shower is behind the create bench. We have jets to give a spa experience.



    This is a rough idea of what I have

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Roarah-pretty. Gorgeous window and so sweet to use your grandmother's dresser. My husband and I don't generally use the sink at the same time either but for the aesthetic and resale purposes I want to have 2 sinks.


  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    6 years ago

    Can you change the height of the window by the tub? That would open up another option...

    The tub would be a great feature - you could still bump out that wall to create niches or do a half wall with a beautiful marble ledge for candles and plants and bring the plumbing out the face of it... This also give you a his/hers vanity....

    Based on where the windows are placed, you pretty much have no options that will look like it was planned and thought out.... things will feel awkward.

    The shower in the middle is fine, but it makes the walking space in front of the tub too tight..

    Keep at it - you will find something that speaks to you... hopefully you are working with a designer that can who you this very detailed in 3D - that will really help

    Good luck!

    P M thanked Debbi Washburn
  • roarah
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    It looks like you have 61 inches between the Windows not large enough for a well functioning double vanity but a trough sink would be ok. will you use a tub? If so maybe a wet room area with tub shower connected. Along one of the 8'7" walls.

    i like Debbi's but still have a bit of window and vanity conflict it seems.

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Debbi Washburn: Changing out that window would not interfere with the front of the house at all. We could change it to a casement window to mirror what is on the opposite wall. I don't know if I can convince my husband but so far your idea feels most comfortable. Sounds as though the idea of a shower between the two windows is not good. My husband keeps saying we need to then make the shower as small as possible so it doesn't seem like an obstructive box. The trouble we would need to go to for a small shower there is not worth it. Unless we close off windows we might be stuck with the shower in the corner.


  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    6 years ago

    It's not a bad idea.

    It's just that it needed to be planned before the windows were installed - by someone who is designing the bathroom - sizing out the tub and other items... at one point you had mentioned "exposure " of the windows with the shower where the tub is - what do you think your exposure will be with the shower in the center? You will be covering those beautiful windows immediately... just something to think about...

    P M thanked Debbi Washburn
  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    The way I figured it is to make the size of the toilet area the same as the shower so the vanities will match - that will be dictated by the windows... so the shower will be roughly 39-40 x 60" - that is a pretty big shower....and it is at the "back" of the bathroom so you aren't parading around in front of the windows in your birthday suit!

    Just food for thought!

    P M thanked Debbi Washburn
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Debbi-that is a gorgeous picture!!But would suspect water would splash all over the floor from the shower??

    We live in the woods so unless there is a peeping Tom we don't have to be too concerned about people seeing us I just would not want the two large wood windows to be enclosed in the shower. But you bring up a good point that the feeling of showering in the middle of two windows might take some getting used to. A corner shower is a bit more cozy.

    My big concern with the shower in the middle is that is will obstruct flow and view in the bathroom.

    Thank you for your opinions.

  • roarah
    6 years ago

    I love my corner shower. As long as it is big enough it is very functional yet intimate.

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    roach-good to hear. I am warming back up to the idea of the corner shower. My husband wanted to keep the same Neo-angle profile and I wanted rectangular and that morphed into changing the whole layout and now I am circling back around and he is considering rectangular. Going crazy trying to figure this out!

  • roarah
    6 years ago

    What was it that made you want to redo the bath? What are your favorite parts of other's master baths. Are you willing to sacrifice any one item to maintain the views and light from the Windows. What do you hate most about your original floor plan and what was ok ? A successful remodel is a marriage of individual compromises. It takes quite a bit of soul searching aswell as letting go to get the best results. And even after this process most still have moments of what ifs and buyer's remorse.

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Debbi-I missed your second post regarding the shower being in the back of the bathroom etc. My husband was pacifying me when I started with the idea of centering the shower but you houzzers are really helping me think through this thoroughly. I have a text out to my nephew who does windows to inquire a ballpark cost of switching out that window. That part of the house is stucco. If we did that then the room would be symmetric and I would feel comfortable moving forward. Thank you. !!!


  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    roarah-You have great insight and pose thoughtful questions. Thank you. The shower leaked and created wrotten wood. We will probs be doing solid stone shower base in this one. I most hated the garden tub waste of space in the corner and the asymmetry of the vanities. They also were both slightly off center. The shower location was actually ideal. I just didn't like that they had pony walls that served no good purpose. This time we would likely do all glass.


  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Ugh...another thought. My husband is not keen on changing the window...concern about cost (we just replaced many windows to include all of the bathroom windows a few years ago and the exterior is stucco. He is very concerned about structural integrity, leaks ) . So I am wondering if we could have matching lengthed vanities as Debbi mentioned in each corner but use the space under the window as the makeup vanity. If we eliminate the wood casing and use whatever surface we use for the vanities as the sill, the height could be 28 inches.. The sink area would be about 25 in wide. We would not have mirror image vanities but they would atleast be the same width. Alternatively, we could make bench under the window. Thoughts?!!

  • roarah
    6 years ago

    I do not know if these would give you ideas. They are from my idea book when I planned to have all window walls to match below.

    Although cool looking I can not image the morning sun and doing makeup.

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    I love long vanities!! My idea of trying to squeeze the vanity with sink then makeup area under the window is not going to fly. It feels too crowded to have the sink in that corner. I think we might go with the long vanity and make the shower between the two windows more narrow than originally planned. We would like to find a natural stone one piece shower pan.

  • cpartist
    6 years ago

    Can the door to the bathroom be moved?

    P M thanked cpartist
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    HI cpartist!-There is a walk-in closet on either side of the door with ductwork in each wall. The small "hall" created by the master walk-in closets is uniquely constructed with rounded corners on each side. It would require a lot more construction than my husband and maybe me would want to embark on involving reworking our master closets. Currently the double door entrance to the bathroom is directly opposite French doos to a loft. So to move the door would throw the room off.

    Ottawa Home in the Hills - Modern Kitchen & Bath - Astro Design · More Info
    I am not a fan at all of the bathtub in front of this shower and this shower is much larger than we would consider but thought I would include this pic since it has a shower between 2 windows and a false wall.

  • roarah
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    How high are your ceilings? How will you incorporate your window above the shower?

    P M thanked roarah
  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Roarah. It is a two story cathedral ceiling. Great question that we have been pondering!! I dont know if we should either continue the false wall all the way up to the apex/peak of the wall where it meets the ceiling and frame around the window or 45/90 degree the false wall and terminate the tile there or then continue the tile up to the top of the wall. Really don't know which would be best. I dont know that a 90 degree ledge would look good and wonder if we could find large stone moulding to frame the false wall if we don't continue the tile to the peak.

  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    6 years ago

    If you are not going to change the window then stay with your plan... it will be fine... don't shorten the shower too much because that is uncomfortable behind glass. The size of it will be driven by the base sizes you can find... Since it is all glass it won't feel like an intrusion on the space....

    Did you have a designer do a 3d rendering for you? That will really help...

  • P M
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Thanks Debbi!! My husband suggested we need a bit of space on either side of the shower/ false wall so it looks balanced and well thought out rather than trying to jam the largest shower we can in the space and compromising the rest of the space. Currently thinking 48 in between windows by 40 in. The 40 in will end up being 44 on the footprint of the shower because of the 4 in false wall for plumbing. Do you feel the tub should be alcove type and tucked as it is in the attached floor plan rather than a small free standing? Thank you very much

  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    6 years ago

    When you say false wall - you are talking about the "back wall" of the shower ( against the outside wall ) right? I think that will be fine . Are you doing a tile base? Then you can do anysize - preform ones are different. I would go 54 in width especially if you might keep a small bench in there.... do some great niches in the wall for soap and shampoo.... Free standing tubs are more dramatic looking HOWEVER they have to be positioned so you can get behind them to clean - that might be more difficult in your situation since you can't easily get behind the tub. If you want freestanding then do a clawfoot so you can run a swiffer underneath... Be sure to buy a tub that mentions "lumbar" support - that will be a more comfortable tub... I also look for arm rests....


    P M thanked Debbi Washburn