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Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Splitting a family bathroom into two?

Scarlett Swallow

3 years ago

Hi all,

We are extending the ground floor of our 4 bedroom Victorian semi. We currently have one bathroom, and no downstairs toilet. We desperately want a downstairs toilet and a second shower, somewhere.

Originally we were hoping to put a shower room and toilet into the downstairs extension, but we're really struggling to configure a layout that works due to shallow plumbing and the like. that doesn't seriously compromise the rest of the downstairs.

Trying to think of alternatives, and I wondered if it may be possible to split our family bathroom (floor plan below) into a smaller family bathroom, and make an ensuite for the second bedroom - which we use as the master?

Has anyone managed to split a bathroom like this successfully? Or is it a mad idea?

Thinking along the lines of this, with a pocket door from the bedroom to the ensuite. Please excuse the dodgy drawing.

Thanks

Scarlett

Comments (11)

Natasha McLenahan
3 years ago
Hi Scarlett, initial thoughts...could you lose the bedroom next to the master at the front instead and turn it into a lovely spacious master suite? If not, you’ll probably want to consider a shower over bath and not a separate shower. I don’t think you have enough space to walk comfortably past/use the sink. It might be better to compromise with one decent size house bathroom instead of two very cramped spaces.
Natasha McLenahan
3 years ago
A layout like this could work though...the shower in ensuite is only 700mm x 700mm so on the tight side and the sink is a space saver cloakroom size and the bath in the family bath is 1600mm long so again a little short. But if you use wall hung units (wc and sink) in the main bathroom with built in storage above and below then a small space could still be functional. Oh and don’t forget about the waste from toilet in ensuite to the stack, could run behind the bath but a plumber would need to confirm :) hope some of that helps! Good luck!
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PRO
Scarlett Swallow
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you Natasha! Can‘t change the small bedroom as it’s used as a bedroom for one of our children. One family bathroom is fine for now while children are small but we really need a second shower somewhere in the house for when they get a bit older - originally we were planning the shower room downstairs but that’s proving problematic due to shallow drains For the toilet.
PRO
Scarlett Swallow
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you for the floor plan idea! Shower over bath fine for family bathroom
PRO
Scarlett Swallow
Original Author
3 years ago
This is the floor plan I’ve been inspired by

https://www.themodernhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/EASTBOURNE-AVE--BATH--TMH.pdf
Jonathan
3 years ago
Alternative ensuite position
cannonja
3 years ago
Just to add to the conversation
My honest opinion is the bathroom is excellent as it is
Good size, maybe a slight change in positioning at most

However you haven't got near enough room to split it up
It would be foolhardy to do such a move
PRO
Scarlett Swallow
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you all, seems like consensus is best not to split it!

we need to keep the bedroom as a double, so I think back to the drawing board for how we can squeeze a shower in downstairs.
Jonathan
3 years ago
Although both the ensuite and the back bedroom would be tight I do think you can fit a shower room for the larger front bedroom and still have a double bed for occasional visitors.
Jonathan
3 years ago
Even better if you move the door too
rookie1986
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
If I was to try and include one upstairs I would place it in the bedroom rather than a split (it’s also the best choice to the plumbing element):-

Although this might make the bedroom too small (drawings not to scale for fitting in a bathroom suite). I‘d possibly look at what you can do on the ground floor, can you replan the space and lose some from the porch / Kitchen?

Although for me, I’d fully reconfigure the extension end, do away with the porch next to the kitchen and open it up into one large usable space (as someone with a conservatory thats 3m x 3m it’s the largest most under utilised space in the property and is used primarily as a drying room in winter for laundry....

I’d look to place the kitchen in the top half and the area marked for kitchen on your plan would be turned into a utility/laundry room and toilet/shower area (again, the split isnt to scale, but you get the idea of where to place things). You can have a nice large window, folding doors or even a sky light over the kitchen to give it loads of light (can the porch be brought out the extra bit to make it level and a true ‘L’?). You could also reposition the dining room doors if you wanted to use the wall along that side for more kitchen storage.

I’m no good with room design but I feel this will give you the best options for the property.

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