Is this a main bath or guest bath? Moving the tub could be great - is moving plumbing in your budget? not trying to be obnoxious just helpful to know as folks chime in

It’s our main bathroom and we can move the plumbing. My concern with using the tub as a shower combo is I have a 10 year and anchoring anything a wall is they are lath and plaster.

I love a clawfoot but wonder if shower/tub combo would be more practical?

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shower tub combo will be easier to clean around

Consider a wet room area with tub and shower. I wouldn't put the stool near the door.

Since you said moving plumbing was within scope, in addition to moving the tub or tub/shower to the end, I would shift the door to one side and put the sink and toilet on the same side wall. There will be more space to move around and a better sight line. Keep in mind that moving the tub/shower to the end of the room will require safety glazing at a minimum or a new tempered glass window.

The challenge with old clawfoot tubs is they have very high sides, which creates more “getting in and out” challenges. Yes, the window needs an upgrade if you move the shower to that wall.

Maybe the tub can be used in another bathroom for soaking time but a practical modern shower/tub combination is better for this room. (Or just a great, low curb shower?) A larger vanity is definitely needed. Or a narrow shelf unit in the front corner for storage if you like the current sink.

I would leave the tub where it is. It's a nice bathtub. Save yourself some money. You could get a clear shower curtain with fish on it to keep the space feeling more spacious.

Depending on how your joists run, you could move your toilet across to be on the side where your vanity is located. If you opt for a shower/tub combo, you will need to raise the window. It is waist high now. AND make sure it is water proofed, if you keep it. I would have the shower head and controls coming off the wall that the vanity and toilet are on. I note the vintage heat register. LOVE it! If you must remove the claw foot tub, sell it! There will be people who will buy it. It appears to be in great condition. I suggest that you do your flooring in a vintage white and black next to reference the home’s age. Good luck!

Do you have a second bathroom?

i have removed three clawfoot tubs in my life. Never regretted it. They are lovely and romantic looking, but not practical in our current lives. The shower in a clawfoot is horrible. The curtain is always touching you. The sides are high and it is hard to clean.

If you really love it and use it as a tub, keep it but put in a separate shower. Look at corner showers. They can fit almost anywhere. We have two. (We have a bed & Breakfast inn with currently five guestrooms. The house has nine bathrooms. All tiny. )

I'd do a shower/tub combo across the end. Our bathroom is also this size--it's a pretty typical bath for houses the same age as mine where I live. Many are 8x5, so 9x6 is comparatively spacious! IMO the best design if you can swing is the tub across the end, then toilet, then vanity (both on the same side, whichever has more wall space with the door placement). The downside is that this blocks the window if you use a shower curtain, and you may need to replace or redesign the window to accommodate it. Clawfoot tubs are lovely but not terribly functional with a shower. If you have room to do a separate shower, keep it, but otherwise I wouldn't stress about replacing with a tub/shower combo. (Here you don't have room unless you can poach space from other adjacent rooms.)

If you're committed to keeping the tub, I'd move it to the window wall and use a full-surround ceiling-mount curtain rod to fully enclose the tub.

What do you want? What upgrades or changes are most important or exciting to you? Wood or concrete home?