You Can Create Your Own Bathroom Design

By Author: Steve Aniston
Total Articles: 4
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Are there too many people eager to use your bathroom? Do you find yourself mixed with your family while brushing your teeth? If it is so, it can be time to make your bathroom more functional by rearranging the space. A normal size bathroom is 35 to 80 square feet. A standard master bath is 100 square feet or more. Though it may be small compared to other rooms in the house, this typical space can really offer many possibilities when you combine your personal preferences and style with how you want to use the bathroom. Starting to create a new room plan, ask yourself a big-picture In a perfect world, what would your bathroom look like? In the past, answers have been like the outside brought indoors or like a cottage on the lake. Hidden in both of those answers was a key to a successful room plan - the concept of space. You can use your bathroom to create an open, shared space or a private, cozy space. The difference is how traffic patterns and designs can work together to end up in a completely different room. When you're reassessing your bathroom's possibilities, you can ask yourself the following questions to create a design ...
... that is the most functional for you.

How many people will use this bathroom? Will they use it at the same time?
Reassess the essentials. Do you need double sinks or a bidet in the guest bath?

Take out fixtures that do not meet your functionality. If you are adding fixtures, look for adjoining space to add to your bathroom. Closets and fifth bedrooms are great options for more space.

Another great idea to improve the situation with the traffic in the bathroom is to add a sink to another room. American Standard came up with the clever idea of adding a round countertop sink in a glass makeup table in the bedroom. This not only saves space in the bathroom, but it also allows for more privacy by dividing the areas into two rooms. The single-mount faucet is a simple, sleek option that blends with updated traditional and modern styles.

How much privacy do you want to have?
Should the toilet be in a separate room?

Popular in the '80s and '90s, separate water closets have become traditional in new home design. Many bathroom designs put the toilet into a corner or separate space, far from the bathroom's entrance. If space is still an issue, a half wall or glassed partition can give the feel of more privacy without gobbling up square footage.

What is your bathing routine?

Do you need a shower or a tub or both? If there are several bathrooms in your home, there may be the opportunity to simplify function in one or more to open up space. One of my clients wanted a double steam shower instead of a tub for the main bath. This decision created space that he wouldn't have used with a tub. This client then installed another tub in one of the guest baths for reasonable space savings and resale value. - TLC Remodeling