Bathroom Remodel - Storage Debate

7 years ago

We are in the process of converting our under the stairs closet into a half-bath (toilet & sink). I am stuck on what type of shelving/storage to use. I'll post the drawing of the bathroom I used for the permit (scale is 1 square = 6in). I placed a red "pin" on where the shelving/storage will go. The line drawn where the pin is, is an air vent so it will most likely need to stay. Please excuse the junk - these are the best pictures I have on hand. The sink will be positioned directly in front of the door - so toilet to left & storage on right. It is a 17in sink so there's plenty of room to get by.

I am looking for advice on what type of storage to use. Cabinets, open shelves, or a combination. We have other storage in our house, but we are hoping to not lose all of the storage space from this closet reno. But also do not want it to feel cramped.

I will post pictures of the fixtures in the comments. We will have beadboard from floor to about 4ft (painted cotton knit white) and the floor will be a medium wood color, continued from the hallway.

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Lauren
Original Author

7 years ago

Hi Debbie, yes we have. Our city code states that the ceiling height has to be 6'8" measured from 10.5in in front of the toilet (center of the clearance space indicated below). Thankfully this allows us to have it against the back wall. As reference, the picture of the drawing is the approved permit drawing.

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Comments (6)

Lauren
Original Author
7 years ago
Nancy in Mich
7 years ago
What do you need to store in a powder room, besides TP? If it is general household storage then it needs to be shut behind doors. Have a custom cabinet maker make a tower that fits right into that space. Are you really going to be able to access it with the lavatory being across from the door?
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Lauren
Original Author
7 years ago
It would extra household storage - since we are losing the closest. If it was open shelving I would do wicker/cloth baskets that fit in each shelf space so that the items would not be seen.

And yes, from the drawing there is plenty of space to open cabinets. The closet is 9ft in length and the toilet is on the opposite side of the space. It is also about 4ft wide and the sink (17in) will be mounted to allow closed cabinets to fully open. So space is not too much of a concern - it's just what will look better.
felizlady
7 years ago
I would have an 18”-20” deep unit built to fit the space. Store larger things down low so you don’t have to get on your knees to reach them. Smaller things above that. Consider roll-out drawers instead of stationary shelves.
The configuration will depend upon what you will store there. A toilet paper stand and a narrow trash basket will fit to the left of the sink and next to the toilet.
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Debbi Washburn
7 years ago
Please keep in mind that while you might fit a toilet all the way back on that wall , it doesn't mean thats where it will wind up. Have you checked for head height? You will need to be able to stand up or stand and use the toilet. Depending on the slope of the ceiling, you will need to figure out where you have about 6 ft or so of height and that is where the front edge of the toilet will be. I do not know off hand what or if there is a specific code in this situation or if it is just a comfort thing. Also there are sinks that are shallower than 17" that would be perfect for this situation.

Can you capture that storage from outside of the powder room?

Best of luck and make sure to post photos and progress pics to help others!