lspendl828

What do you think of this new bathroom layout?

lspendl 828
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

Very excited to be having a new bathroom at last!

Went into a local bathroom store just for inspiration but it must've been a quiet day as the lovely man in there ended up doing us a layout which included a freestanding bath (would never have thought we'd have space for one...and my gut feel is that we probably don't!). We'd love to have a separate walk-in shower.

pic 1 measurements:


pic 2 store's suggested layout (only storage is floating vanity unit - not much!!)



pic 3 store's suggested layout - revised as our size was out - resulting in a reduced size bath:


pic 4 alternative layout from premium brand store. Pretty much the same but with toilet and vanity flipped and built in bath rather than freestanding.

I know it's not ideal having the toilet facing you as you walk in the door but the designer pointed out that the door would rarely be fully open so you really wouldn't see it.


What do you think Houzzers? Any better alternatives?

Comments (58)

  • Sarah U-S
    4 years ago

    I forgot to say - I’d be tempted to have a built in bath - you would have space for a much bigger one and it would be easier to clean. Freestanding are gorgeous but you need plenty of space around it for cleaning.

    lspendl 828 thanked Sarah U-S
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    There's a stud wall to the left of the door (where the current shower is) - the others are all brick. With this design, we were thinking like you, of a full height stud wall on the left to house a back to wall toilet/pipework and definitely some niches.

    The other thought I have though, is that the vanity unit would be a fairly dominant block as you walk in the door - definitely much higher than a toilet - although a floating vanity would be less imposing than a floor standing one, I suppose.

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  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Does anyone think that we should forget the walk-in shower? Go for a quadrant instead, maybe?...or another over-bath shower?

    Really would appreciate your opinions.

  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I understand what you're saying and the last thing I want to do is cram too much in. Just to cover off all the options, what do you think about not putting a toilet in there - given that it's separate at the moment? I suspect that's bonkers but...

  • Sarah U-S
    4 years ago

    I’ve seen several nice images of bathrooms with the shower next to a freestanding bath - like a wet room. They can look fab - it would also allow you to have a bigger freestanding bath!!! (Swap position of shower with the vanity or toilet)
    I’m not the most technical, so have hopefully managed to attach a couple of screenshots to show what I mean.
    Main issue I guess would be cost... (you’d also need a very good plumber!)

    lspendl 828 thanked Sarah U-S
  • K D
    4 years ago

    Just to add our family bath is the 790 as in your first suggestion and it is plenty big enough! Because freestanding baths tend to be deeper this length actually makes it much easier to sit up and read, or generally move about. And plenty of space for someone to join you should you wish!

    lspendl 828 thanked K D
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Sarah, very nice indeed. Not so sure it would work for us though. It would mean that the toilet would either be on the RH wall, facing you as you walk in the door, or on the internal wall (backing onto the landing) immediately to the left of the doorway - a not a good place to put a soil pipe.

    KD, is your 790 bath a shorter length one too (1485)?

    Any suggestions of an alternative layout if all we include is a bath/over bath shower, vanity (probably floating) and a toilet. Tall storage/shelves maybe for towels etc. We're getting to the point where we struggle to get past the current layout and it seems crazy to spend all that money to get the same thing + toilet. I'm feeling a bit disappointed now but if we haven't got the space, we haven't got the space!


  • Sarah U-S
    4 years ago

    Where’s the soil pipe? Also, how high is the window? (Is it high enough to put the toilet underneath if needed?)

  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    It's 109cm up to window sill.

    Currently there's no toilet in the bathroom but the newly installed one will be connected to the drain (sorry, don't know it's proper name!) at the RHS of the room as you face the window.

  • K D
    4 years ago

    Sorry, yes, it’s that exact bath!

    lspendl 828 thanked K D
  • rinked
    4 years ago

    Where is the separate toilet in relation to this bathroom?

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    It’s across the hall with a bedroom in between it and the bathroom. No easy knock through to combine them unfortunately :-(

  • rinked
    4 years ago

    What size is the toilet? Could it also be a shower, for example?


    And I think you need to choose between bath or shower in the new bathroom. All suggested layouts are rather tight!

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    The separate toilet is 970 x 1750. Providing we manage to get a toilet into the main bathroom, our loose plan is to convert this into an ensuite for the next adjacent bedroom - we'd need to steal a little bit of space from this bedroom (about 10-11cm) to make it work, according to the plumber.

    Accepting that we need to forget the walk in shower, would you go with over-bath shower instead given our plans above?

  • minnie101
    4 years ago

    Hi. How long do you plan on being in the house? I'm a bit on the fence on this but I think I'm a bit more inclined to design the house for you ie a shower.

    i can't design kitchens/bathrooms etc but as an alternative I'm just wondering if a deep soaking tub would work?

    If not, I'd definitely go for a shower over the bath





    lspendl 828 thanked minnie101
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Hi Minnie. This is the forever home so want to get it right - especially as we've waited so long to do it. I'm not a fan of the soaking tub but I can see why you suggested it.

    I'm looking through brochures at the mo in a last ditch attempt to reduce the footprint of the shower and free up some space for the other stuff. The walk-in in the original plan was 1200 x 900. Just seen (in the book) quadrant showers at 800 x 800, 900 x 760, 900 x 900, 1000 x 800 - don't know how claustrophobic these would be in real life but I'm guessing they would be. Will have to go and try them out. Not even sure if changing to one of these will make a difference to the overall feeling of space??? I just want to consider it before settling for an over-bath shower.

  • minipie
    4 years ago

    We have the layout in pic 2 though our dimensions are different - 3m x 2.1m.


    We have a 1200x900 quadrant shower but with your squarer dimensions I think you would need to use a 900x900 quadrant shower. Which would feel fine but not generous/luxurious. If a large shower is your priority I think something else has to give (shower over bath, choose a compact bath or keep the loo separate?)


    We have a small sink as otherwise it creates a pinch point with the shower.


    We don’t have a vanity as didn’t want a big box on entry, although I think a small wall hung one would have been ok. Instead we have built a false wall along the shower/loo side and have used that for built in storage (as well as a big shower niche and a concealed cistern). Your dimensions unlike ours allow for pull out storage either side of the bath as well if you go for built in.


    pic 3 seems to have a pinch point to access the loo, not ideal, what size is that gap?



    lspendl 828 thanked minipie
  • minipie
    4 years ago

    Hang on, just looked at your dimensions and you have 1320 across the wall to the door? So could put a 1200 shower that way round (so like in pic 2 but with shower rotated 90 degrees)? That’s what I’d do

    lspendl 828 thanked minipie
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yours sounds lovely minipie. If only mine were that big:-)

    Just playing around now but here's a plan with smaller shower/vanity.

    Shower could go smaller if quadrant but need to go to shops to try out. Equally, it could turn to face the door arc. Toilet could flip over onto long wall where towel rail is. Bath could be built in.

  • rinked
    4 years ago

    A 150x90cm shower would be way nicer than a tiny bath ànd a tiny shower.

    (we have a 120x90cm shower with two heads and we shower with the whole family at once! me, husband, 4yr old)

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • rinked
    4 years ago

    And if you start missing a soak:


    Seriously, the older people get, the less likely they take a bath, as they can get slippery.

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • rinked
    4 years ago

    This could work: (relatively small shower though)



    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • rinked
    4 years ago

    Deeper shower, but sink in front of the window (which doesn't need o be a problem):


    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I replied to you last night rinq but my comment seems to have disappeared! Your shower must be absolutely stunning but I'd not be brave enough not to have a bath in the house.


    Been mocking up some layouts today (see slightly embarrassing pic).



    We've reached the conclusion that, even though technically what we'd like fits, it's all at a compromise. Decided to forget separate shower and go for over bath instead and try to get a wow somewhere else in the room. Thank you for all your ideas you've been a great help in getting us this far! Please don't stop....!!

    I'd love your ideas on new layout with bath/over shower, vanity (maybe bowl on top) and toilet (probably wall hung) and design ideas to get the wow we've been after. Love some shelving for towels, would like a bit of wood for warmth but not around the sink. Wall and floor tiles too with some kind of feature wall tile in shower area plus somewhere else to co-ordinate.





  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    ...should've added, the window will be white and I'm hankering after a white (faux) wooden blind.

  • KK1000
    4 years ago

    You can make a really nice big walk in shower , forget about a bath and a large vanity with storage instead having a cramped space. If you have to have a bath then have shower Above the bath with a glass screen .

    lspendl 828 thanked KK1000
  • kiwimills
    4 years ago

    I am not a fan of bath over shower, so we put in a curved 800x800 shower and a 700 vanity in place of a 1200 vanity.
    It's great for my kids, and me...but really too small for hubby
    A 900 or 1000 curved would be better for adults.
    A bath, a vanity and loo (if you decide to use the other loo as an ensuite loo.) and sep shower is my ideal bathroom

    In our ensuite we ripped out the 800x800 square shower and a bit of the wall to use some hallway and now have a 1200x900 shower and it's fabulous! You can have that size in your ensuite, why not have an 800 sep shower in family bathroom for the kids?
    At least it isn't over the bath, so a kid can be in bath, another showering another brushing teeth...sorted! Just my opinion though..

    Attached some before pics. I don't have a finished one on iPad, but there is now a corner shower on right and 700 vanity in the middle ( black..looks fab! ) now and the room is white , no blue to be seen
    I'll post a pic below from my phone

    lspendl 828 thanked kiwimills
  • kiwimills
    4 years ago

    Shower and vanity. We have a loo next door and popped a vanity in there, so it's now a powder room. In NZ, we rarely have a loo with a vanity...not sure why, as its gross not too!!
    Sep loos here in older houses are the norm.
    But if you can Put a loo in yours, I would.
    We lowered the shower head, to wash the dog still.

    I would go for a back to the wall wall soaker bath ( not quite free standing, ) vanity, loo and small shower.
    Have a stunning shower in your ensuite as the wow.

    lspendl 828 thanked kiwimills
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    We tried out the 800 x 800 showers yesterday at the shops but they were too small (for us). The 900 x 900 walk in was ok but even that, along side everything else in the room, felt too cramped when we mocked it up in our room. Hence, reverting to over bath shower reluctantly.


    However, when I was looking up the wall soaker baths that you mentioned kiwimills, I came across this and started wondering (again!!!!) if this would work allowing the separate bigger shower in?? It's 1270 x 1270.


  • kiwimills
    4 years ago

    Owwww, I don't know, will it!?

    If it does, do it!!

    Get your graph paper girl...

  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    :-)

  • rinked
    4 years ago

    Cute bath, but no.. completely claustrophobic..

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • rinked
    4 years ago

    And to ease your mind: In the Netherlands there's more houses without a bath than with. And I bet it's not the only country. So it's not a question of daring, it's a question for yourself and your family members: Could YOU live without?


    Personally I hate showering in a bath (after having slipped and fallen a few times).

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Funnily enough, we've been out today to a local independent store and they proposed more of a wet room solution - one with and one without a freestanding bath. The key difference being that they did it all without any shower screens (tanking the whole floor).


    Thanks for doing that rinq - the corner bath doesn't work.


    All this has started us thinking, maybe the right thing to do for us is do without the bath. My heads sore thinking about it all :-(

  • rinked
    4 years ago

    I can imagine, we sacrificed our third bedroom to make a decent bathroom. That decision didn't come easy either.


  • titiankim
    4 years ago

    I wouldn't go for a freestanding bath unless there was a lot of space around it for cleaning. I detest cleaning around and under mine (which the previous owners crammed across the full width of the wall, with a shower cubicle on one adjacent wall and the basin on the other). I just can't get into the corners to clean properly. We can't change it as the whole room is also tiled, making it too costly (and messy) to refit. I hate my bathroom everyday and wish they'd gone for a fitted P or L shaped bath with a shower over it. I suspect the "designer" from the well known bathroom store that they bought the bathroom from was just trying to sell them more (and more expensive) fittings

  • kiwimills
    4 years ago

    If this will be the kids bathroom and you have an ensuite then a small bath I think needs to be somewhere in the house

    lspendl 828 thanked kiwimills
  • Sarah U-S
    4 years ago

    What layout did the independent place suggest with the bath and wet room? I think that could look fantastic - and being a wetroom, it could still feel spacious!
    Is this the family bathroom and is there a bath elsewhere in the house? If this is the only bath, I’d be more on the side of keeping one.

    lspendl 828 thanked Sarah U-S
  • minnie101
    4 years ago

    You said before that it was your forever home therefore I would lose the bath personally and go for the shower that you'll use.

    lspendl 828 thanked minnie101
  • Sarah U-S
    4 years ago

    This design of Rinq’s could look great - especially if the shower was a wetroom type - it wouldn’t feel that small because you wouldn’t be restricted by a shower cubicle...

    lspendl 828 thanked Sarah U-S
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Sarah, we've no bath elsewhere. Here's the pic with the open wet room suggestion. Not too sure about bath facing doorway but he suggested it be a freestanding bath, sitting on a built up plinth.

    Minnie, yes that's true and we're actually coming round to thinking that having a fantastic shower room might be the way to go (if this one here, or a variation of this one, doesn't work). What do you think of this one?

  • Sarah U-S
    4 years ago

    That could work!!!
    If the bath is freestanding and you go for one with a curved end instead of being square ended, it would be quite spacious. Lusso Stone have some nice looking ones that are quite curvy.

  • rinked
    4 years ago

    Oh no.. Freestanding ON A PLATEAU?? in front of your doorway?! With just 60-70cm between the bath and toilet?!? Did he have breakfast?


    And a wet room might sound wonderful, but keep in mind the sink and toilet will (most likely) be most used. Will you have underfloor heating and/or how will you keep the floor dry?

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • rinked
    4 years ago

    And to be honest your bathroom doesn't look bad at all, at least on your photo it doesn't. What about it do you want to change?

    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    You made me laugh out loud there rinq! Yeah...that one's been ruled out already :-)


    Here's a pic as it is at the mo:

    We did half an update around 10 years ago - new bath/screen/sink/taps/cupboard doors/floor - but our budget didn't stretch to retiling.


    The main drivers today are:

    • to get a toilet in here
    • new tiles (wall & floor and U/F heating)


    TBH, I want it to look more modern and I want a toilet. If we have to do without the separate shower, so be it.

  • rinked
    4 years ago

    When turning the current bath into a shower (about 120x90), you could add a hung toilet on the sink wall. Hardly any changes in the plumbing.


    lspendl 828 thanked rinked
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Had loads of good advice from you all, thank you. Think we've got to go away and sort out what we actually want to do now.

  • KK1000
    4 years ago

    Just looking at your existing bathroom and I am thinking you could have walk in shower instead of bath maybe even bigger or wide area , toilet in the top left corner and a nice vanity under the window, simple and efficient, we had same layout but our bathroom was even smaller so we couldn’t fit the toilet, but it’s in the room next door which is laundry/ bathroom. Please post finished photos regardless of your final decision.

    lspendl 828 thanked KK1000
  • lspendl 828
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Will do! :-)

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