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anthony_chuang83

Sizing for a double shower

3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Hello,

Planning out a bathroom remodel, and here's the dimensions I'm working with. I would like to put in a 60" double sink vanity (picture is a bit off), and a double shower at the end (currently a 33" by 77" space).

My question is twofold:

1. Is 33" too narrow for a double shower? I can move the toilet and wall on the right side out a couple of inches, but it will be a significant amount of work to do a 36" shower. The toilet is at the edge of a floor joist already and the whole branch will have to move over. Can't do any bigger than 36" or it'll eat into our already not big enough closet.

2. How would you do the shower doors in this case? Swing or sliding? If swinging, which way?


Comments (9)

  • 3 years ago

    We have a 32x60" shower in our hall bath, and its width is adequate, though not luxurious.

    An equally important question: Is 6'5" long enough for the shower to be a double? Two users are going to "bump butts" as they shower.

    Are you going with a storage niche between the two shower heads, so a user on either end can access the shampoo? Build it bigger than you think you need.

    I'd go with a sliding shower door /avoid swinging. Why? Because you want to hang towels across from the toilet /convenient to the shower, and the door swing either cover the towels or force you to move the door too far towards the middle of the bathroom.

    I am often in favor of a simple shower curtain, but -- in this case -- I think you need to stick with glass to make the space look larger.

    You don't have space for duplicate sinks here. I mean, you have just about 4' for the vanity ... in that space you can have one nice-sized sink and one bank of drawers, but you can't fit two sinks ... not unless they're seriously undersized and uncomfortable ... and, if you could, two users couldn't comfortably stand next to one another and be able to lift their elbows /use the duplicate sinks.

    With little storage in this bathroom, I'd think about a train shelf above the toilet for towels ... and a deep medicine cabinet over the sink.

    Anthony C thanked Mrs Pete
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    thank you both! I wasn't super clear in the OP but I did mean a single vanity with a double sink (60" wide), which should fit. Definitely like Mrs Pete's sliding door idea over the swing door.


    For storage, I'm planning for a full width niche on the left wall in the shower, and a medicine cabinet on the right wall by the sink, and probably something over the toilet.


    The drains and water supply lines are all going to be new so we should be good on sizing. We don't really shower at the same time normally, this is just more of a nice to have his-and-hers space. Will definitely look into a bigger water heating system when it's time to upgrade though.

  • 3 years ago

    A double shower seems weird in this arrangement where you don't have clear floor space across the entire opening. Imagine two people are legitimately showering and the one pinned in on the toilet side wants out. I guess you can do-si-do in a 33" space. Awkwardly. What was the original layout like?

  • 3 years ago

    No a double sink in the vanity is too much because there is no room on top and no storage. Stick with one sink and use the space for storage.

    I wouldn't do a shower less than 3' x 6' for 2. What we did in our old condo was have one end have a handheld and then put a rainhead in the ceiling in the middle.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    It's going to be a bit tight to maneuver, but I think it's objectively better than two people sharing one shower and the second person being cold. Plus it's nice to each have our own "area" with our own stuff, if that makes sense.

    The original space is a typical 1980's bathroom... really wide single sink where the current shower is (half of the counter space is not really accesible due to the toilet), and a small shower stall where the new sink location is. We're moving mechanical and expanding in the space to the right, and expanding the bathroom a little bit. Having a 60" double sink vanity is important to us here. We've gotten by just fine in smaller bathrooms so I don't think there's an issue of storage...

  • 3 years ago

    Also I'm really confused by the consensus here that 60" is not enough room for 2 sinks, when 80-90% of the 60" vanities on the market are double sinks... definitely not what I was expecting pushback on today :/

  • 3 years ago

    The shower proportions give me an institutional feel with two small showers sharing a common space. I would go for a 5 foot shower and add a full length storage cabinet at the end of the shower

  • 3 years ago

    I guess it depends on what you need in a vanity? i about never need to spit my toothpaste at the same time as someone else. but we keep toothbrushes and soap out. sometimes need space to set out meds, toiletries, hair drier, etc. it would work for me but we are about as low maintenance as they come - i imagine most women would want more space. and even i would rather have more drawer space in the bathroom that wasn’t a bottom drawer.