Help with bathroom renovation

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi all, I need some advice on the best layout for our bathroom. It currently contains a large shower, 900mm vanity and a toilet (that is too close to the shower). We want to redo it to include a bath for our little one. We also want to retain a separate shower. It is a small, not far off square bathroom (2.1 X 2.0).
We have a separate toilet but would like to retain a second one but it could go in our laundry if need be, buuuuttt if I can find a design that allows the second toilet to stay in the bathroom that would be ideal. I came up with a possibility (see attached) that included a separate bath and shower as well as a toilet and vanity but it would require using a concertina style bifold door or maybe a door that opens out? And I'm worried that there's not enough room between the shower and toilet.
Anyway, any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated. I'd also be keen to hear suggestions for optimal layout that just include a vanity, separate bath (1205mm long is the one in keen on) and shower with no toilet as even that is a challenge with the space we've got to work with. Thanks in advance for your creative consideration!

Featured Answer

Bec

8 years ago

Can you do a cavity slider instead of bifold????

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Comments (37)

Vy
8 years ago
I don't think you can squeeze all that in there..

1/ walk in shower will splash everywhere ..I have one..my side panel is 1.1m and it splashes out to 1.5-1.6m etc my bathroom is 1.75m by 2m a bit smaller than yours

which means your toilet will always be wet..not very functional..

2/ I would have a shower over a bath ? not ideal but if you really want a bath for your little one..

my bath nozzle is in the middle not under the shower which means you can still lie down both end ..I have 2 girls that love their baths..

and also if you have a shower you're not bumping into the bath nozzle

3/ just say toilet plus enough room to get in to mop ..900mm plus 900mm for vanity you only have 300mm from your vanity to your doorway..

what about a sliding door?
Vy
8 years ago
This is one of my bathroom 2m by 1.9m bathroom so you can compare..2m is the wall that runs along the bath..
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Not a problem with regard to asbestos if built 1994 DESIGN Work backward from your envisaged complete bathroom, check out bathrooms on Houzz, ( Houzz is excellent, Enter say Average size bathroom, Industrial look...Reece Plumbing has more ideas and Pinterest Establish the " look " you are after Mean time Email/text the size of your bathroom, the position of window/s door and wall construction, timber frame or brick/cement block Access under the bathroom/slab? Height of ceiling, Proposed tiling height, Desired inclusions, e.g Separate shower, freestanding bath, Do you have a " plumber " and electrician " ?
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Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
you can flip this over..brainstorming too quick :) to give the shower cubicle door some room to swing your vanity needs to be smaller than 900mm ie 600mm?

also choose a vanity that's slim with a bowl hanging out..

and like suggested cavity slider or external slider..?

bath 1205mm thus shower 895mm
Gallifrey
8 years ago
Can you install a sliding door rather than a bifold. I have bifold like this in a rental, and it is a real pain.
Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
something like this ?:)
Vy
8 years ago
external slider..
bigreader
8 years ago
Good work Vy. And you are always generous in sharing your own bathroom photos.

Reeces have a bathroom planner. It would help you draw your plan to scale. And don't be afraid to mark out the layout in masking tape on the floor of the lounge. Doing that saved me from making a toilet too small, something that would have been a great annoyance every day.
Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
bigreader that's my fav bathroom that's why :) need to excuse the mess..I'm still figuring out permanent storage :)
how2girl
8 years ago
@Vy what mess??
Vy
8 years ago
how2girl mess on that trolley ..beach house bathroom..

regretted I didn't get storage put in ..thought I didn't have enough room
alisonwallace
8 years ago
I've been working on a similar problem. How about a larger bath along the full length of the 2000ml wall, a walk in shower on the left 2100 wall (which would splash into the bath) and the vanity where you've got it at the moment in your plan. You'd need to put the toilet elsewhere but wouldn't need to compromise on the size of your bath or shower. You could get a custom vanity with a bench running across the bath so you may not even need a non-standard door. I hope my plan is decipherable!
how2girl
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
@Vy, you could put one of those 2 door mirror cabinets above the basin. They hold quite a bit.
Vy
8 years ago
how2girl thank you..I'm after a freestanding one..not a fan of mirror cabinets..
girlguides
8 years ago
Lose toilet put bath on toilet vanity wall then have bigger shower really need 90x90 (80 is too small) and have vanity where you've got bath
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PRO
MB Design & Drafting
8 years ago
While it does all technically fit it will be quite pokey and tight with not a lot of room to get dressed/undressed, etc. You'd have to be pretty sure you're wanting it to be so packed in. Shower over bath, lose the bath, relocate toilet, etc. perhaps?
Vy
8 years ago
what about one of these ? enough room to shower and also double as a tub..
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Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, and particularly Vy for sharing your pics and ideas. And yes, what mess??
I really need to have a separate shower due to a back issue so would lose the second toilet rather than insert shower bath combo.

I gathered I'd have to come back to just including the vanity, bath and shower.
I really like the idea that allowed me to include a full size bath along the 2m wall. Good to know others are grappling with this too! I had considered that layout but was a bit worried about having a shower screen immediately on the left when you come through the door. Do you think that would be OK?
Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks alisonwallace for sharing your sketch - love that idea. Bit worried though about the glass shower screen being immediately on the left as you walk through the door.
Unfortunately a pocket cavity slider isn't an option so it's either a bifold or opening out door.
Does anyone have experience in living with an opening out door?
Oh and thanks for the tip re the Reece bathroom planner and the suggestion to tape out the plan to test it out. Great idea.
Vy
8 years ago
opening out is no problem if you have enough room..ie..when you have an L shape corridor then the door can open out to the wall adjacent etc ..

or the bathroom is at the end of a corridor..
Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
Yes bathroom is at the end of a corridor so no issue from that perspective.
Other option is to have vanity along the wall that the door is on and have bath opposite and shower along the same wall as the bath in the corner.
Ideally I'd have bath and shower along the long wall to the left as you come through the door and a longer vanity running along the opposite long wall just not sure if a regular depth vanity would be OK opposite a 900 shower.
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Gallifrey
8 years ago
Have you considered a barn door (sliding, fixed to the outside)? Can you live with a small tub as a shower base, which is big enough for the kids to have a splash. Not sure you can still get these?

I showered our kids even before they could stand up. Perhaps a tub could be sacrificed?
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Megan Hall
8 years ago
A friend had a bath/shower which was built into the floor, like a swimming pool. It had a step at one end, glass screen 3/4 of the way along. It did use a lot of water as you could fully lay down in it but you could make it shorter. The inside of the bath was tiled. Great bath.
alisonwallace
8 years ago
With the glass door on the left, one option is to put it on a hinge so it can be folded out of the way when the shower isn't in use. More exy, but possibly the only option. We have an outside opening door at the end of a corridor. It's on an automatic closer which keeps the door out of the way. It works well.
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rossnbillie
8 years ago
My husband renovated the bathroom in our investment home. It was quite a similar size bathroom just a bit more rectangle. We also wanted to put a bath in it for most people who rented it had kids and wanted a bath. We had a wall hung vanity which made the bathroom appear bigger. Was definitely not enough room for a toilet.
PRO
DM2Architecture
8 years ago

Not difficult to fit everything in without compromising circulation.

Using the 1300mm bath dimension, bath and shower side by side along the 2000mm wall.

WC at end of bath and vanity on opposite wall adjacent shower.

Door to the centre with internal face slider to allow towel rails in the inner face.
Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks everyone for your input. Some great ideas.
DM2Architecture - was very excited by the design but unfortunately the door can't be moved and isn't centred in the room. It's on the far right. That design could probably still work though but with a smaller vanity.
Can't do a slider door externally but hadn't considered one that was on the inside of the room.

Good idea re the glass panel being on a hinge (concertina style). I had been looking at shower panels that can do that.

Had also considered a Roman style bath but would be hard to dig down.
I've also considered a shallow shower base bath combo but would prefer to go with separate bath and shower if I can.

Happy to forgo the toilet and put that in the laundry.
Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
sorry only read it now no bath shower combo..it's been bugging me..I hate it when I can't solve a problem ..

here's another plan for you..walk in shower all the way in..your side glass panel comes out 1100mm you've got 2000mm if your vanity is about 300mm deep you've still got 600mm to walk through to the vanity

this way you've got full access to the bath to bathe your young ones without worrying about bumping into the vanity

and since you are set on the door opening out the vanity won't block your way out
Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
this one is 350mm deep

http://www.reece.com.au/bathrooms/products/adp/adp-essence-mkii-900-semi-recessed-vanity-unit-2304883

another 330mm deep

http://www.renovationkingdom.com.au/adp-indigo-wall-hung-vanity-1800mm-l-x-330mm-d-x-380mm-h.html

or get a bench custom made to 300mm width and semi recess your basin to it..

that's what they did at our old place
marko1969
8 years ago
I do bathrooms every day of the week and I can tell you now that,
If you really want a bath in that space and shower just do a shower over bath I noticed your shower was 800mm wide this is to small for a shower 900mm minimum.
Forget the bifold doors put in a cavity slider or if this is not possible do a face of wall sliding door on the out side of the bathroom.
If you really really want separate bath & shower move the toilet into the laundry.
Get an 1800mm deep
soaker bath and run it along the 2000mm wall run your shower along the 2100mm wall opposite the vanity.
I take it your on a timber floor not a slab as moving a toilet on a slab can get costly.
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Vy
8 years ago
marko1969..no bath shower as back problems
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Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
You and me both Vy! It's been doing my head in.
I really like that plan. Thanks so much for investing the time.
Think we might have to go custom as I'm after more traditional finishes as it's an old place (floorboards, high ceilings, picture rails) so am envisaging patterned floor tiles and subways. Could always go a pedestal too I suppose.
Vy
8 years ago
you're welcome jmacalice..happy to help..

I love figuring out plans.. bed time for me as got volunteering early in the city tomorrow..
Noel Goddard
8 years ago
I think I've drawn the bath a bit wider than scale but you get the drift... Not sure if this will leave you enough floor space though? If you put in a claw foot bath that will give the illusion of more floor space and also if you had a pedestal vanity - not sure how you'd go for storage then though?

Also another thought was if you could get a custom shower screen so it actually rolls back in half which will open up the room and give better access to kiddies in the bath - I've attached a picture of what I mean, if you can understand. Good luck with it - this one's a tricky one!
Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for that Noel. Yes, a shower screen that has the flexibility to fold or slide would probably make sense in this space. And yes claw foot could be good for illusion of space but bit worried it could be difficult to clean around.
Yes, it's quite tricky.
I think I'm going look more into the design from Vy and Alisonwallace - I hadn't considered a shallow depth vanity with recessed vanity and I think that'll be the key, regardless of the layout.
Thanks again everyone. It's really exciting to see all of the great ideas everyone has!
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spmm
8 years ago
Have a look at the building code - dull I know, walk in showers can take up more space, and require 150cm splash zone IIRC

corner showers framed or frameless keep the rest of the space dry, are warmer and easier to see. Climbing into a bath to have a shower really is horrible I agree.

Modern Japanese baths are lovely, smaller and deeper and can come with a lid, available in Australia.
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Jess
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for that spmm - hadn't thought to check that. Good point particularly re enclosed showers being warmer.
I have looked at a couple of Japanese baths as I like the idea but was a bit worried that they'd be impractical for bathing little ones though that might be worth the compromise.
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