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Design DilemmaBathrooms
pennyround

making the most of a 5x7 bathroom layout?

Anna M
3 years ago

Trying to make the most of a small but important bathroom. The layout I came up with is tight. And parts of it may be illegal 😬


Would love any and all feedback you have to offer.


5’-7”W x 7’-4”L x 7’-9”H

existing bathroom will be gutted

crawl space below, plumbing up thru floor

β€œwest” & β€œnorth” walls in sketch are exterior


*toilet area in layout = 24” from β€œsouth” wall to shower half-wall 😳


*apologies for the messy elevation sketch - my attempt to see if a small (ie, the smallest) half-wall neo angle shower will work


*image is example of half-wall neo angle shower








Featured Answer
  • felizlady
    3 years ago

    There may be a regulation requiring a certain amount of space on either side of the toilet.
    You may have to adjust the location of the shower wall next to the toilet. Other than that possibility, the bathroom looks functional. Is the shower door wide enough? You should do the bathroom with permits and inspections by the local authority. The vanity should include storage. The mirror should be the front of a medicine cabinet.

    Comments (24)

    • armchairshopper
      3 years ago

      Excellent job!

      Anna M thanked armchairshopper
    • Jennifer Wolf
      3 years ago

      We just did a bathroom about that size. Sorry for the incomplete pics, still doing final touches like medicine cabinet and grab bars :) Our original plan was a corner shower, but I love that we changed it! wall mount toilet saves some space in front, and curbfree/doorless shower makes it feel more open.

    • PRO
      HALLETT & Co.
      3 years ago

      Firstly, kudos for a great measured drawing and a pretty elevation that illustrates your goals. Unfortunately what you are proposing is not legal or comfortable. The minimum legal space for a toilet is 30”. Same for a sink. Yes the sink and toilet themselves are smaller than 30” but the center of a toilet and the center of a sink both have to be 15” from an obstruction. In this case, toilet and sink against the left hand 5’ wall (windows?) and a shower against the entire opposite wall, or the classic sink, toilet, tub along the long wall. A 30” tub and cheating the clearances a bit will probably get it past the inspector.

      Anna M thanked HALLETT & Co.
    • Valinta
      3 years ago

      I strongly recommend you make sure your plan will pass inspection! A lot of money and at risk if something has to be re-done. Have contractor pull a building permit.

      Anna M thanked Valinta
    • auntthelma
      3 years ago

      Consider the design without the half walls. We have several very small bathrooms. This prefab corner shower is in two of them.



      Anna M thanked auntthelma
    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      Can the door to the room be located anywhere along that wall?

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      If you shift the door to the right and have a small sink where you show the toilet - the toilet could go to where the door is now. Opposite the toilet (where the sink is now) could be a shallow counter with storage below. That would give you space to spread out stuff and you could have a mirror above this shallow counter so theoretically 2 people could get ready in there at the same time. Really custom cabinetry is the best route to go for this space. Also keep the swing door as the back of it would be the only place for hooks. Also, completely tiling the small sink space would
      be a must. Also, do your shower niches in those pony walls so the β€˜visual’ of the shower is uncluttered. Nice drawing skills! Good luck to you!

      Anna M thanked thinkdesignlive
    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      Lastly, look at detailed shower designs as your pony walls could be angled so the glass meets a straight edge and your door opening to the shower is maximized. You are making a cramped opening the way it’s detailed now. I’ll find an image of what I’m talking about.

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      https://www.houzz.com/photos/clear-ridge-classic-master-suite-transitional-bathroom-dallas-phvw-vp~133544472

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      I know I said β€˜lastly’ and yet I find myself with another one:)....don’t feel you have to make those pony walls as high as you are showing. I’d argue for low - just above counter height. That will make the space feel more open both inside and outside the shower. The higher walls that align with your window sill will create a bullpen feel.

    • Anna M
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      Thinkdesignlive, that door, ugh! I was trying to avoid moving it, but it could potentially move to the β€œeast”/right.

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      Yes if you can you should.

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      So I guess the next bit is talking budget. These tricky small bathrooms (if done correctly) will cost just as much if not more than the big baths. You can only have one tradesperson in there at a time so schedule is also usually longer. Just plan plan plan and have a healthy budget and a lot of patience and this can be a killer bath.

    • Anna M
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      Thinkdesignlive, thank you!! Great feedback, lots of good stuff to explore. Will try some new sketches based on those ideas πŸ‘πŸ‘

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      With a small scale vanity you really want to maximize storage and function so hopefully you can go the custom route:

      Small Bathroom remodel Β· More Info

      Versus a standard cabinet (I'd hate to clean around this by the glass and side wall):

      Contemporary Rose Gardens Remodel Β· More Info

      Also, the narrow cabinet could be a bench with linen above or a counter with a mirror / or recessed mirrored medicine cabinet above - try to capture every inch of space):

      EMERSON SMALL BATH Β· More Info


      Anna M thanked thinkdesignlive
    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      Example of niches in pony wall:

      And example of maximizing space above a small vanity:


      Anna M thanked thinkdesignlive
    • katinparadise
      3 years ago

      following

    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      What does the existing layout look like and what are your main goals? The 2 quick concepts I came up with both involve moving the door. Tub option means a window appropriate for a tub/shower but you could go with a freestanding vanity. The shower option relies on custom cabinetry but a regular window (and showing an out swing door on that one to increase the feeling of space). Each one has pros and cons and cost ramifications....

      Anna M thanked thinkdesignlive
    • thinkdesignlive
      3 years ago

      Nicer looking tub/shower configurations....just depends on what your goals are.


    • Anna M
      Original Author
      3 years ago

      thinkdesignlive, THANK YOU! I haven’t abandoned this thread, it’s just the world is crazy right now, amiright?!



    • Kathleen
      3 years ago

      following

    • Todd Black
      3 years ago

      Hi, Anna M!

      I hope it can help you - I'm writing for a blog about bathroom stuff. Maybe you can find an article on this topic, which will help you solve your issue.


      By the way, thinkdesignlive wrote really decent remarks, I'm up for everything this person said.


      Regards,

      Todd

    • PRO
      Altair
      3 years ago

      I think you got the layout and space as best as you can.. by the way, love the idea of the brass fixtures!

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