The easiest answer would be to widen the space slightly between the shower and vanity, perhaps reducing the vanity to 1500mm, and fixing the toilet roll holder to the side face of the vanity.

Will elderly relatives be using your ensuite, or do you have another bathroom that they could use? If so then you may want to consider a discreet grab rail on the side of the vanity, or an elevated toilet pan, which makes it easier to stand up.

I would NOT swap the vanity and the toilet as the toilet will be in the line of sight from the master bedroom. The vanity is in the best spot as the mirror will reflect more light from the window and make the ensuite feel bigger.

Another option is a dwarf wall between your vanity and the toilet, like I designed on this project for a client. The client's brief was to have some visual separation between the toilet from the rest of the bathroom, but the bathroom was too small to completely divide off the toilet into a separate room. Again, like my easy option you will need to reduce the length of the vanity to about 1500mm so that you have room for the dwarf wall.

If you are paying your architect for design services perhaps this preference of yours should have come up in the briefing meeting? Or did your architect miss it? Rather than provide your architect with a solution, you should clearly state your concern and let your architect come up with an answer, as that is what you are paying for! You can then choose to go with the architect's answer or another solution that you prefer.

You should also clarify that the ensuite window sill is above the vanity bench for ease of detailing and cleaning, rather than finishing below the vanity bench height.

Best of luck

Dr Retro

Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits

One option

Apologies all - the bathroom I’m referring too is the one in the middle with the bath.

(the top one above it is the en-suite and I actually quite like that one!).

Thanks.

What about a freestanding toilet roll holder.
We used one
Worked fine.
Older relatives could use the bath to lean on ?

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I personally think the toilet is too close to the bath . What is that round thing in the 'alcove' ? That to me ( you say plumbing isn't critical ) is the logical place .

Slightly off subject , but I've built a camper van -- I race cars , so I put a V8 in the van so I can sleep in it , shower , toilet , TV , microwave etc , and of course use it as a tow vehicle . The toilet I lift out of the shower area when I shower .

I was looking at others for ideas , and one campervan had a cool shower -- the toilet is hinged , so swings out into the shower , but swings back into the wall ( and into the walled space under a cupboard ) when you want to shower . While in my house I like space , in the van its fun taking each item fold out into something else .

So maybe have the toilet and shower together hahaha . . . . . .

On a slightly more serious note , maybe turn the bath 90 degrees so its along the side wall , have the toilet in the 'bottom left' corner , and a smaller vanity under the window ?

A rough sketch of my thoughts. However, Exact measurements may not allow this change.Your current plan looks like the "Dunny in the desert " scenario. I think a wall next to toilet is a good idea. I think it gives a sense of privacy, instead of being on show if someone walks in on you while using the toilet. Have also moved your door.

given enough space my suggestion would be to have a separate powder room and more spacious bathroom

or a smaller vanity allows space for the toilet in a corner with wall space for the toilet roll holder

and, although the vanity is smaller a wider wall cabinet over the top of the toilet would provide extra storage

I’d go a freestanding toilet roll holder. There are some lovely onesAnd shift the door a little off the side wall to get a towel rail behind door on wall.

I'd like to see more of the overall house plan ... that entry to the bathroom and bedroom looks a bit weird to me... I feel there are other design issues leading to a bigger problem here.

The separate powder room idea is great.

Austere, I and every person that I know and interact with, have a separate shower. So I and my friends must be the 1%, of people without a shower over their bath.

I hate showers over baths

Showers over baths should be made illegal, totally lethal unless done in the style of a Japanese flat bottom tub

yep showers over baths are even worse than loo's stuck in the middle of nowhere!

I was wondering how wide the shower will be after allowing for tiling?

the shower should be at least 90cm wide with a 90cm wall and extra walk in space but accurate dimensions will need to be confirmed on site but it's been suggested that you ask your architect for advice and of course you should but the beauty of this forum is the opportunity to ask questions and consider a whole range of ideas that will help you better understand what's possible

Thanks everyone for all your comments and suggestions.

the great thing about this forum is seeing how different things are important to different people which gives a great perspective and helps clarify your own sometimes!

Don’t fear! As mentioned in my initial post I am meeting with my architect to go over my queries - I simply wanted your thoughts in the meantime as I get very impatient during this exciting time!

i have full faith in my architect, he has given us a first draft that was already above our expectations whilst working to our financial and site limits.

i have attached the full floor plan for interest. The separate toilet is one we have been debating for a while, but currently the extra storage is winning.

I am also not a fan of a shower over bath situation and would easily take the toilet where it is if that was the only way around it (which it won’t be, I know).

will keep you updated

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with such a generous entry hallway there should be plenty of space for some gorgeous freestanding storage to allow for the separate powder room

not toilet related but I'd also be thinking about your entry to your bedroom. it's never that practice to have a door opening near the head of a bed like that if it can be helped!

Louise I can't read the measurements properly on my phone. how wide is the proposed shower alcove?

C P - unfortunately the bedroom door is already in place and those solid walls aren't going anywhere! But it still actually not too close for us (works out about 70cm from the head of the room and 140 cm from where the bed starts on th diagram - it's a 4.1m wide room).

The shower dimension isn't on that diagram but I've confirmed it is currently 95cm wide allowing for tiling.

sorry I was thinking it was a new build for some reason which was what was confusing me!

is it an extension add on? That whole side? So the WIR, Ensuite, Bathroom and Bedroom?

If no powder room... Looks to me like there is space to take from the bedroom. Widen the bathroom a little, change the doorway into the bathroom (but it into the shower space)...

then put toilet where door to bathroom is ATM. Put bath along ensuite wall,, shower on outside wall and vanity between shower and toilet.

I'd opt for the powder room over the storage. So if going that option, I'd still have bathroom entry changed, and put shower on the ensuite wall, bath on bedroom wall and vanity where the door is now.

Also, I'd remove the door from hall entry to open plan living area.

Update: I’ve compromised to losing a bit of storage and gaining a separate powder room. The other compromise is now loosing the open shower look as there is no space.

(please ignore the sliding door to the bedroom, it was a miscommunication and is back to a regular door now).

Fabulous!!

if you plan to keep the bath along under the window the shower could be wider and the shower door could open towards the bath to give better access to towels and to keep wet floor away from the bathroom entry door Or rotate the bath and make more space for the vanity