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alex_martinez27

Renovation Advice: Bathroom Addition & Wall Removals!

Alex
4 years ago

Hello guys,

We recently purchased a 1920's home that we believe needs some updating. My plan is to add a half bath(or full bath with a standing shower) in the den and tear down some walls to open the home up alittle bit.

Please take a look at my floor plan and let me know if my plan makes sense!

FYI, I know some people feel strongly about the bathroom being close to the dining room but there's literally nowhere else to put it.

P.S. The section in blue is where I think it the bathroom should be. The section in red is the part of the wall I would like to remove.

Thanks so much in advance! :)

Comments (17)

  • decoenthusiaste
    4 years ago

    Soundproof it very well!

  • Alex
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yes, decoenthusiaste. I definitely thought about that!

  • margingalls
    4 years ago

    Would a half bath fit under the stairway?

  • PRO
    Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
    4 years ago

    Rather than placing the powder room in the den, what about making the living room a bit smaller? Could you add the powder room in the corner between the stairs and the breakfast room wall, with a door facing the front door? And make the area by the front door a foyer by adding a half wall with a column?

    In any case, with what your goals are, you probably should contact an architect, especially considering you're planning on taking down walls in an old home.

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    4 years ago

    I am wondering why you need two eating areas literally beside eachother and a dinky little kitchen. The only reason I can see for a shower is if that den is going to be a guest room in which case the bathroom there will not be very good as powder room at all I would leave that LR alone it is a nice size and no to a bathroom under the stairs there I think the bathroom would work there as long as you reconfigure the entry to it from the DR not sure exactly maybe a bit of a hallway to access the bathroom and a simple door way to the den if you plan on using that for a guest room

  • live_wire_oak
    4 years ago

    The furthest spot ALL the way across the house from the plumbing is the perfect spot to maximize expense for your Airbnb conversion.

  • Alex
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Margingalls - unfortunately a half bathroom under the stairway wouldn't work because under under the stairs are where the stairs are into the basement!

    Diana Bier - in the corner between the stairs and breakfast room wall, we have a entry way area for coats, bags, etc. Removing that for a bathroom would mean that we would lose that storage space :(. My goal is to add a bathroom anywhere on the first floor that is logistical/possible without it being awkward for us or guests.

    Patricia - what do the two eating areas being next to each other have anything to do with adding a bathroom? That seems like another topic entirely.

    thanks for the help! I think I will settle on just a powder room for the sake of saving space!

  • oreet
    4 years ago

    How about stealing approx. 2’-3’ from both the living room and kitchen eating area and creating a bathroom there? You could have a bathroom that’s approx.5’X10’. Plumbing can always be redirected. Have the entrance to the bathroom facing the front door with floor to ceiling storage beside the door.
    You have a large kitchen area, but small cooking space. I would eliminate the wall on the other side between the kitchen eating area and dining and take down the peninsula. Bring the kitchen cabinets into the eating area for more storage and counter space. You can always eat in the dining room. Shorten the wall between the dining room and living room near the fireplace. This will create a more open concept.

    Alex thanked oreet
  • Tracey Woods
    4 years ago

    What about opening up the wall in between the LR and dinette instead? Better flow from front door. For the bathroom - it looks like u should have room for a 9x5 bath except for the long bank of windows in the den. How many feet between the window and the back wall?

  • JP Lopez
    4 years ago

    Consider putting the bath/powder in the living room, beside the staircase, behind the breakfast nook wall. Closer to existing plumbing and accessible to all the areas. It does become a problem if you’ll be using the den all year round as a bedroom. The “guest” will be walking around the dining and living to take a shower.

    In the original blue section, I would put a small hallway between the den and the new bathroom if the intent is NOT to make the den a junior suite.

  • Alex
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Helen - Thanks for your response! The den will NOT be used as a bedroom, it will actually be used as a family/playroom for the kiddies for awhile so I think a bathroom there would be good. Being closer to the kitchen where existing plumbling/water lines are would be great I just dont know how that would make sense with my existing layout I would love to open the kitchen up!

    oreet - I love that idea! But in the LR thats where our entrance stuff like coat rack and our couch currently is! Maybe if we do that we would have to flip the couch to the other side, but unfortunately there's a radiator there and it may not allow enough space to walk through the LR into the other parts of the first floor.

    Tracey Woods - That works! I assume I would leave the wall between the kitchen and LR right?

  • PRO
    Pierre Jean-Baptiste Interiors
    4 years ago


    This is the new proposal. Architecture 101 "Bathroom door shall not face a dining room or kitchen" Hope this helps!

  • PRO
    Pierre Jean-Baptiste Interiors
    4 years ago


    You could also remove the main wall, but add a beam so that the space is open to the living room.

  • Alex
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Pierre, thanks for the design! I like this layout alot, we were afraid of the front entrance having a view of the kitchen but if there's the bathroom in between it may provide enough separation!

  • PRO
    Pierre Jean-Baptiste Interiors
    4 years ago

    Glad this helps! :) Best of luck to you!

  • Adam McBride
    4 years ago


    Sorry for my crude drawing. But I would create an entry foyer, with the addition of the power room in the newly created foyer, and remove the breakfast nook room wall. The blue in my drawing represents a powder room and small closet for storage.