Thanks for your feedback ... I love the idea of the grey grout but worry it would make too much of a feature of the subway tile ... Would prefer to use towels & pictures to feature ... But will give it some thought ... I find it interesting about the negativity of the subway tile when it seems to be featuring in all the current home mags ( not the architectural ones which seem to focus on concrete, timber & stone)

We considered all of your ideas and more, to the point where we had a sure plan, quoted and ready to go - only to be surprised when we actually saw it. That plan was to make the current ensuite the main bathroom and enter off the end of the room, to reconfigure the WIR to a third bedroom and to make Bed 2 the new master with a walk-thru robe to the new ensuite - currently family bathroom. The issue was that despite taking room from the existing wardrobes between the WIR and Bed 2, the area was just too small - so back to the drawing board. What we have decided to do is keep the same floor plan, knowing that if we choose to sell and return the WIR to a third bedroom it will cost approx. $4K - we think this is a great return on investment, but for our needs the WIR is a big benefit. It turns out our draughtsman missed some vital space where our current pantry exists so we have been able to utilise that space and move the pantry. This has allowed us to change the opening to the main bath to be adjacent to the back door/hall area which removes it from the kitchen/dining/lounge. Despite our best efforts we couldn't make room for a separate shower and bath, so we will have a shower over bath (island style) larger vanity (1200mm) and a concealed cistern toilet. Our finishes will do the talking with exposed brodware michaelangelo shower/bath mixers, beautiful marquina carrara and nero mosaic floor tiles and subways together with a statement wallpaper. We will retain the ensuite as is but we will make the shower significantly bigger, add a large vanity and concealed cistern toilet as per main bathroom. Same finishes. The trick in the ensuite is that we will cover the existing windows opposite the existing shower with the vanity and shaving cabinet (they are frosted from the outside) so we can utilise that wall and it makes no difference to the outside of the house - plus they are double glazed and don't open on that wall so it makes no difference to light or function. Here are the floor plans and the before photos , demo has occurred and we'll be framed and lined prior to Christmas, so stay tuned for more updates!

Hi Jess Suazo - What a wonderful opportunity to do a fantastic bathroom renovation, like all small rooms they do require some careful detailing. I thought the following might help a bit: 1. If you move the door as shown on the included plan sketch (please not that I had to guess the dimensions) you will notice that you have quite a bit of space. 2. The shower (bath drain) and the toilet plumbing are kept in the similar position thus save of plumbing costs. 3. By using a glass screen, possibly running full height, and no glass door for the shower you save on shower door costs. (you might like to provide a second strip drain at the shower entry if splashing of water is of concern) 4. You can run a decent towel rail behind the door. 5. If you want extra space you can open the door outward, if you are not concerned by the closeness of the other doors. 6. You have somewhere to hang the toilet paper roll on the side cabinet, and could run a good size mirror at the back of your basin. Like all small areas there is a lot of detailing required, also you would have to take some accurate measurements of the space before further detailing and choosing of fitting and fixtures. The choice of tiles and lighting would be a priority., natural lighting (maybe a skylight ) would help a lot in the ambience of the space. If you do a good set of working drawings, and then choose your builder well I think you may have a very satisfactory result. Hope this is of some help, I would be happy to continue further advice on this project. Regards Michael Manias - mm407p@gmail.com

Thanks for commenting, dreamer. If we could spend less than 20k that would be great. The tiles are in good condition which is why I'm hoping we can put panels directly over them. The only problem with having a clear glass shower is that at least with the shower curtain, someone could still come in & use the toilet if someone is in the shower. We managed to be a family of four doing this 😊 It's just the two of us now, but not sure how future owners would go.