Scary-to-Airy Bathroom
Original Bathroom: Not An Ideal Layout
This mostly-original, 1948 bathroom was very ready for a full renovation.
From what we could tell, it seemed to have received two updates prior to our redesign. One was OK but the other was definitely NOT OK!
First, someone had changed the original sink to a small pedestal sink—no big deal there.
And second, someone had installed an elongated bowl toilet 45 degrees from its original direction. We think it was installed this way because, if installed to properly line up with the sewage pipe, then it wouldn’t have fit—it would have run into the existing tub. The only problem with this decision is that in order to line the new toilet up with the sewage line, the back of the toilet sat 6” away from the wall which pushed it forward so that it then overlapped the footprint of the pedestal sink. So, if you sit on the toilet properly, you had to basically straddle the pedestal of the sink. The pedestal of the sink was literally between your knees! Really??? Yes, really!!! The only way to avoid this was to sit side-saddle. Not ideal!
before
View from the hall: space heater and linen closet
Shower-over-tub
Wood frame window in shower area
Reconfiguring the Bathroom
As the only bathroom in a three-bedroom home, the goal was to create a space that felt open and spacious. This required a full reconfiguration. In order to provide a more open footprint, the linen closet was eliminated. Even though it was nice to have the linen closet, being accessible from two sides meant there was a lot of framing within the closet—it wasn’t a very efficient use of space.
Once the linen closet was removed, the entire bathroom could be reconfigured to a more reasonable layout. Take a look at the very busy before layout vs. the more simplified after layout.
before floor plan
after floor plan
This new layout required a down-to-the-studs renovation. Plumbing and lighting had to be moved.
demo down to the studs
We replaced the window to a water-tolerant option since it was in the shower—no more rotting wood.
Yes, it is a bit unorthodox to have the window in the shower but, we chose to keep it in place as it provided a lot of nice sunlight. The bottom half is opaque for privacy. But, more importantly, we did not want to change the facade of the house from an exterior point-of-view.
With a limited budget, we kept the materials simple. An all-white palette helps the room feel spacious. We added a little pizzazz by wallpapering the ceiling. We wanted to have a fun chandelier in the space as well but, with the swing radius of the bathroom entry door and shower door, we couldn’t have a light fixture that hung down as low as our selected chandelier.
materials mood board
And here are the final results. We couldn’t be happier with how it all came out!
If you have a bathroom you need help reimagining, give us a call. We would be excited to help you out!