Primary/master bathroom - inside a private bedroom - so it'll just be my husband and me using it. Thanks for the comments - I think the first option makes more functional sense as well.

60" is really too small for a double vanity. I would opt for 1 sink with extra storage.

Sixty inches is pretty much the bare minimum for a double vanity, but it can be done. Make sure you use undermount sinks with a smaller footprint, e.g. small ovals or rounds. And yes, the first option is the way to go.

It can be done, but since it will be a tight fit in the bathroom anyway, rarely will two people need a sink at the same time. Their ”stuff”, however, will always need a place to be, so more counterspace and drawers will be more appreciated.

I agree - the bathroom may be a bit tight for having two people. However, we're in San Francisco in an old Victorian so are used to odd, tight layouts. We want to do the double - less for us and more for future resell purposes. Buyers really want to see two sinks in the master bath! We don't like to leave things on the counter so large counter space is not necessary. We'll have drawers and possibly medicine cabinets as well for storage.

We want to do the double - less for us and more for future resell purposes

Being that you're in an old victorian, I don't think having a single sink with lots of storage would be a negative. Those of us who love old homes expect tighter spaces and quirks.

Buyers really want to see two sinks in the master bath!

Buyers of contemporary houses absolutely do but it's not as much an issue for those of us who love old homes. I'm on several forums for old homes and no one has ever complained about single sinks in the master bathroom. Heck most who have a master bath are just happy they have one!

Yes very true cpartist! We're thankful we can create this bathroom!

My 1898 farmhouse victorian in a small HCOLA suburban area on Long Island, NY didn't even have a master bath and the one bath upstairs it did have only had a single original pedestal sink. My ex and I sold the house during the recession in 2011 I believe. It was the ONLY house to sell within a 9 month period in that town and we got our price.

Related Q - to create more usable space in the bathroom, we're squaring a corner (upper left by the toilet in Option 1). This means that the hallway (other side of the wall of the bathroom) no longer has the angle you see in the photo below. We can do Option 3 below and maintain the angle in the hallway. Not sure what that means for entry into a 4' x 4' shower - i.e. a door.

Ideally, I'd like to keep the angle in the hallway as it gives the hallway a softer look. Otherwise, there's a sharp corner with just a foot of wall that is 90 degrees to the right side of the door you see in the photo. Will that look weird?

Normally I wouldn’t want to see the toilet from the open door. However, this is a very private bathroom in your bedroom. The option of the larger vanity would be more useful to me. Even if you put the toilet under the window, you would settle for a small vanity.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Buyers really want to see two sinks in the master bath!

Actually, this board is pretty much split on the subject. Speaking only for myself, duplicate sinks are a pretty big negative in my mind. Not saying I wouldn't buy a house with two sinks, but everything else in the house would have to be spot-on for me to accept this excess /reduction of storage.

We don't like to leave things on the counter so large counter space is not necessary.

- But you USE counter space. For example, you take out your make-up or your curling iron and need a place to sit it while you're using it.

- And as you're showing it, you don't have storage at the sink, so -- if you're not keeping things on the counter -- where will your things go?

We'll have drawers and possibly medicine cabinets as well for storage.

In a 60" vanity with duplicate sinks, you can count on one narrow drawer between the two sinks. Remember that the sides of a drawer "eat up" a lot of space. On the other hand, yes, medicine cabinets can be helpful. Go with a large, deep style that recesses into the wall.

You can get duplicate sinks into a 60" vanity, but it won't be done well.

Other thoughts:

- You seem to have a good bit of space behind the door ... maybe a shallow shelf for storage?

- Where will your shower towels hang?

- Where do you see your hamper?

- Where do you see your trash can?

What is going on around the bathroom. Seems unusual to have window on the bottom wall next to the door. How far off the floor is the window.

Can the door on the bottom wall be moved to the left about 12 inches?

How many other baths on this floor or in the home?

Great comments, Mrs Pete! Thank you! It's nice to hear there's a strong single-sink contingency! I'm now less worried about putting in a single vanity!

Additional storage, towel warmer, etc

Yes - we'll meet w/the cabinetmaker about not only the vanity but also possible storage behind the door - including possibly space for a small hamper. A towel warmer will go on wall behind the door, in front of the toilet in Option 1 and 3. Trash can will have to go b/w shower and toilet probably. Something small is fine.

Window

This is a very tall window that begins barely 18" off the floor. We can't alter it - it's historic and street-facing.

Door

Door can be moved - at most - maybe 3 to 4".

There are 3 bedrooms on the floor. Two of them will share the hall bathroom. This bathroom is for the primary bedroom only.

Agreed, one sink in a 60" vanity unless you critically need two. I don't think it will make a difference for resale--the two sinks in a master might apply in other parts of the country, but not in SF. Most people we know don't have a master bath at all, and few of those that do have double sinks, so it's definitely not expected. Just having the additional bathroom is what will matter more, and the storage in a single sink vanity is far and away better than a double sink of that size. We recently added a master bath by converting an old sleeping porch, and the biggest priority for the vanity was having two sets of drawers since it's the only storage in the room.

Conceptually I like Option 3 and keeping the angled corner, but I'm not sure how you could handle the shower door there. The best option I can think of would be to take the toilet space down to 30" and the shower length up to 54" and then put the sink on the right side of the vanity so that the door can open against the left side. You could probably do a centered sink too and just know that the door would block access to it for the brief periods that it was open. Do you have the budget for a custom vanity? If so, you could also consider Option 3 but flipping the vanity and toilet. Make the vanity 48" across the front but absorb the corner into it. That would give you more breathing room around the shower for the door to clear.

I appreciate your thoughtful comments, artemis78. Yes, we're planning a custom vanity. Flipping the vanity and toilet in Option 3 takes me back to Option 2 with its problems - likely not having enough code clearance for the toilet. I'll speak with the contractor about having a swing door that open toward the vanity in Option 3.

At least from your diagram, it looks like you're fine on code for the toilet clearance--30" of width and 24" in front. The door swing wouldn't impact that in our city, though we're across the bay so it's worth checking in case SF is stricter on that. Your GC may know, assuming they've worked with SF permitting, though.

Our SF GC had her measuring tape with us as we inspected the space (just got gutted) - and we may be just shy of a couple of inches that is required in front of the toilet - unless we go to a different toilet. After a LOT of research, I chose the Toto Nexus. The only thing that comes close in terms of what we want is Toto Aquia IV, which is shorter (good) but gets negative reviews for streaks (bad). Else, we could go with wall hung.

If you are going with a custom vanity, what about switching the swing of the door, using the full 8 ft for vanity and storage. The toilet in the location for option 1 and reducing the width of the shower, but increasing the length to about 3’x5’?

There is a large window to the right of the door so it can swing that way.

Is this layout a possibility? Smaller shower.. Probably could lengthen shower a little more.

Thanks for playing around w/the plan Karenseb! I edited a bit to show little more clearance in front of the door (it's only 30" wide, not 36") plus a slightly bigger shower. This is the layout we had originally imagined, but our GC thought the shower would be too small. The shower couldn't get wider than 3 1/2' since the clearance b/w the edge of the vanity and shower is now 30". We'll call this Option 4! Shown w/squared corner, but we could keep the angle. Not sure where/how the door would open.

FWIW our shower is 42" x 36" and we find that plenty spacious. Just make sure the shower door will clear. Our layout is similar to Option 4 except that the door and toilet are flipped. We have exactly 30" between the shower and the edge of the vanity and I stressed about that at the time, but it's great--feels like more than enough space.

Thanks, artemis78! What kind of door do you have and how does it open?

One sink in a 60” vanity would be a luxury for us. The extra storage would be golden.

We have a glass door on a pivot hinge (though set to only be out-swing). It's 26", I think--or maybe 27"? I took it down a bit from the 28" the glass company had proposed because I wanted to be sure there was healthy clearance between it and the vanity, but that didn't turn out to be a concern at all--I think (as they assured me!) 28" would have been just fine too. I apparently have no good photos of the shower, but here's a not-so-great one that at least shows the size and some of the door (with the vanity reflected in the glass!) Hard to tell in the photo but there's glass along that pony wall too.

Thanks for sharing this photo, artemis78!

I think I would rather a 36 X 54 or 36 X60 shower than a 48 X42 inch shower. (Just personal preference), Even 38 X 48 would feel good with glass at the end of the 48 inches..I have that now in a shower 48 X 60 with the shower head on the long wall. Wish it was 54 inches! haha

Actually, 36 X 54 would be quite nice.

You could do a 38 X54. I like close 30 inches in front of the toilet. Then do a 28 inch shower door.

Thanks, Karenseb. I feel similarly - I prefer rectangular showers over squares. I think 36" wide is fine, but the GC is reminding me that 36" wide is more like 32" interior after the tile, door, etc. In any case, I've digested everyone's suggestions (thank you!) and narrowed it to the following two. The GC's suggestion and mine with an angle to maintain the more gracious hallway. There will be a half wall b/w the vanity and shower - perhaps the door hinge will go there. I might have to make the vanity 50" or make the shower a little shallower (36" or 38") - have to find a place for a small towel ring to right of the vanity.

On option 5, I wonder if you could make the shower 42 X60 and make a false wall to contain the diagonal wall plus a recessed cabinet over the toilet?

Interesting idea!

Re: shower size, that was initially my thinking as well, and one thing I was surprised by was how spacious the shower is relative to a same-size shower-over-tub because of the way a shower pan and glass work together. So while it's true that a 36"w shower is only 32" at the pan, the glass on ours is set in the middle of the 4" curb, so the shower is actually 34" inside once you're above the curb (something the inspector noted when he measured there instead of at the base, because he noted that what the code cares about is your space to maneuver and turn in the shower). Whether 34" feels spacious obviously depends a lot on your baseline--but ours was a 30" x 60" traditional shower-over-tub setup, so the internal space on the new shower is significantly more. (I went back and measured the existing shower, which just has a curtain, after that inspection and got about 26" x 54" interior even though the actual tub is 30" x 60"--so it made sense that 34" x 42" felt bigger overall!)

I really like @Karenseb's solution for the angled wall--keeps the hallway functional but also eliminates the angle in the bath, and you can likely put the plumbing in that wall too and save the headache of opening up the main wall. You could potentially do a full wall on that side to give the toilet privacy (though we have a 42" high pony wall with the same setup and find it is fine for privacy too, since it's an infrequent overlap and on the very rare occasions when it happens, the person in the shower has the water on and the glass fogged up anyway).

Thanks for additional input re shower size. I feel similarly. We're not big people - 32" wide is definitely wide enough!

Honestly, with all this stuff I think it's super helpful to mock it up and try it out to see what works for you. We spent lots of time taping things out and standing at imaginary vanities. (I also made friends and relatives nuts measuring their showers!) In our case we were balancing space between a closet and new bathroom, both of which are "too small" by modern standards but are in a 1250sf 100+-year-old house, so it is what it is. Could have made the closet smaller and had a bigger shower, but when we tested it out, didn't think it was worth the tradeoff. Some future owner might, and they can change it then. You might try testing out the flow in the hallway with and without the corner, too, using some cardboard and painter's tape.

Just met with our GC who advocated for a wider shower: Option GC above - 5' x 3 1/2'. If we stick w/the single vanity - I'm ok w/a 54" one - so maybe we'll follow her advice. She says buyers will want to see a bigger shower. I was worried it would look imbalanced in such a small bathroom - to have that much sq for a shower, but she disagrees.

And they've squared the corner already - so that's that!

Ha, that is easy to get decisions made! One thing to consider re: vanity size--what style vanity do you want? Where will the light fixtures go? Will the side of the shower be glass or solid wall? You may want to think about a 48" vanity to pull it off the shower (so you'd have 6" of open space on either side) if you either plan to have the side of the shower as glass there or if you plan to have lights at the sides vs. overhead. If you want a freestanding-style vanity with feet vs. a traditional vanity, that may also factor into the aesthetics of putting it against the shower. You can butt a vanity right up against glass but more often it's a partial wall, which you'd want to factor into the footprint.

Are you remodeling for immediate sale, or are you planning to stay in the house for a few more years?

I like clean lines. I don't like the little 6" of space where dust can collect. Will likely have the vanity go right up to the shower - perhaps a half wall. We'll live for a few years at least.

Will the shower head be on a full wall on the left side of the shower or on the right side of the wall? If on the right side, it would be good to locate the controls on the pony wall.

The shower head will be on the right side - same as vanity wall. Yes, considering the valve trim on pony wall or on wall along toilet side.

Is your placement and width of the door accurate - if each square is 6" you have a doorway drawn that spans 6 1/2 blocks that equals 39". That is very wide for a bathroom door. My bathroom door is 28" and it is plenty wide. My last home had a 30" bathroom door. Those extra 9 to 11 inches could make a world of difference in your design choices.

The drawing is off. The door is about 30". There's also trim that's about 3" on each side, which we could remove.

How many inches from the corner does the door start?

When debating the size of the shower, make sure that you know the actual finished interior dimensions of the space. Things like any pony walls or newly created alcoves will eat away considerable inches of the finished interior shower space.

My shower in the master is approx. 36 x 48. It's fine. Not too big and not too small. Long cold winters here in Wisconsin--I would not a larger shower (cold/ drafty) in this climate! (8' ceilings, too, vs a potentially drafty shower with your 10' ceiling.)

IMO, two sinks in a 60" vanity is one too many. You give up counter

space and, more significantly, cabinet space below. The supply lines, the drain and the bowl will reduce the usable space underneath the sink by at least half. Two people using sinks at the same time is a crowd. Worse in a small bathroom when the person using a sink nearest the door has to move to allow the other exit or entrance.

Double the plumbing cost, double the cleaning required, double the potential plumbing problems and, twice as many faucets to replace if one goes bad or if you just want to change the look.

With another bathroom down the halls, I would absolutely use only one sink in this bathroom. Two sinks make sense in huge bathrooms but preferably in two separate vanities with lots of space between.

Do you have room for a pocket door? We have used that in several master baths opening into the master bedroom?

Thought these might help in regards to shower access/clearance and getting a decent size interior. Leave enough room to be able to clean the glass next to vanity or a half narrow partition might be helpful.

You mentioned that storage was a priority, while counter space and double sinks were not. If you have room for a narrow cupboard because of the shower configuration above, it could be a real bonus. It also takes advantage of the height of the ceiling.

I appreciate the engagement here!

Thank you Maureen for the suggestions and photos. In looking at the space w/the GC yesterday - it doesn't look like we'll have enough space behind the door for a tall storage cabinet. May consider putting in some sort of inset tall medicine cabinet.

How many inches from the corner does the door start?

Maybe 15-18" - w/o the trim.

No room for a pocket door.

@ci_lantro - is the shower measurement you gave interior? the GC wants us to have at least 36" in width interior - hence her suggestion for the 42" total width.

We are definitely doing a single vanity now!

Yes @uws2012, 36 x 48 interior dimensions.

30" door would allow you something like this

Shelves or shallow cabinet behind the door.

Thank you for taking the time to do this, Jennifer! Unfortunately, there’s a window to the right of the door so a shower can’t go there. A very big window.

I'm still with plan #1. The shower is a good size, the vanity is a good size, and the sink is nearer the door for those times you just want to wash your hands or do makeup. If you need more storage, the tall skinny unit behind the door.

Agree acm - we're going w/a version of #1 (smaller vanity - single).