UPDATED with pics! Smaller master bathroom must haves?

[aspentosh]

We are having a contractor come out to give us a quote on our master bathroom renovation. Finally.

It's a small bathroom now, but we are taking over an adjoining vanity area to give us space for a double sink. Finished bathroom area will be roughly 9.5' long and just 5' deep. It's impossible to take a picture, but here is a try. I'm taking the picture from the small walk in closet:




Things we know:
Remove the makeup vanity area and take down the wall in between to enlarge the space and allow for double vanity
Remove tub and do a walk in, frameless glass shower
Add pocket door for bathroom entry 
Niche for shower- deciding on where, because DD's closet shares the shower wall and hers is in the middle set of studs
Add lots of lighting- both vanity and pot lights. Maybe a solar tube?
Move the closet wall TOWARDS the bathroom a few inches, so we can do a 60" closet system from IKEA or Container Store. It's like 1-2" too small for that now.

Outside of tile and stuff, what are the must haves you've thought of as you've done or designed or dreamt of your master bathroom? 

What do you do for shaving without a tub ridge? Do you have a shelf? Stool?
In floor heating? Worth it?
We'll likely just do hooks for our towels where we have them now (across from the toilet) unless someone tries to sell me on heated racks.
Small tower of towel storage next to the shower? Especially if we have a linen closet right outside our master bedroom.


I'll put some pics of our choices in the next post.   

[aspentosh]

First two are our vanity. It's a dark blue with gold hardware and a white quartz top. 



Inspiration picture is similar. Blue vanity, black faucets, gold oval mirror. We won't do any tile behind the sinks though. We are sick of tile 6' tall alllll over our bathroom.

[aspentosh]

Shower tile:
Penny tile is floor

This will be the bulk of the walls


Still deciding on an accent tile. Trying to decide between a blue to bring in the vanity color (without, hopefully, being matchy) or just going simple and doing a white tile. Open to ideas!

Floor tile, we are still deciding on. Going between these two, for now:

www.flooranddecor.com/porcelain-tile/frontier-white-wood-plank-porcelain-tile-100585306.html

www.flooranddecor.com/available-in-store-only/opal-gray-hexagon-porcelain-tile-100505387.html?externalVisit=true

I'm worried it'll be too much gray gray gray, but I also don't want something that is IN YOUR FACE. Wall color will be Sea Salt by SW. 

[numbers]

We did something similar with our 1960s master bathroom- combined two smaller rooms, added double vanity, pocket door, etc.

For shaving, have your contractor add a tiled bench on one side of the shower.



For the floor, what about a Carrera marble or similar look? With the navy vanity (love!) and gray tile, I'd go with a lighter floor color to make the space feel bigger.



We have a freestanding shelf like this for extra storage.

[simpsongal]

Have you considered a built in bench in the shower?
- I was going to put one of those recessed side cabinets in the side wall for extra storage near the vanity.
- A plug in the vanity or cabinet would be great for toothbrush/hair items)
- We installed a vent fan that also had bluetooth (I think it was like $80, standard size) - pretty cool though.
- I'm hoping to do a heated floor in our master, I think people on the boards resoundingly say that's a pro.
- It looks like you room for a swinging door rather than pocket (it could swing into the long, non vanity wall). We were going to do a pocket door in our latest bathroom but they don't offer as much privacy and they can be a little hard to closer. I also like hiding things behind an open bathroom door (e.g., robe/towel hooks). Just a thought there.
- I recall researching that sconces on the sides of mirrors is more natural or flattering than lighting from the top.

Lovely vanity! That space is going to be AMAZING once you take down that dividing wall!

[konapoppy]

We are starting our master bath in a few weeks. I am adding in heated flooring. We are also doing a rain shower for my husband.

The big thing is to order your materials pretty quickly if you haven’t already. Some of our items took 6-7 months to get in!

[aspentosh]

Bench in the shower is definitely an option. This is definitely a long term home for us- we've been here almost 9 years and plan to be here until retirement- so I do think about mobility issues or flexibility changes as we age. Bench makes sense for being able to shave but also sit if necessary.

We have a Carrera marble tile in our powder room and love it. We wanted something bigger scale so I am wondering if we could find that large hex tile in a whiter/lighter color. My Pinterest board is filled with light and bright floor tiles, so noticing that pattern is important!

Charger in the vanity is a great idea.

Bluetooth in a combo recessed light/fan is another on our list of ideas!

We really love the pocket door because there is a door to our master right on the outside of the bathroom now. But it's definitely something to talk to our contractor about.

[aspentosh]

konapoppy, we will be doing rainshower-like. I have loooong hair that needs pressure and a lot of true rain shower heads aren't powerful enough. But we will for sure do oversized head (maybe two?) but with spray options.

And we already have: vanity, mirrors, faucets, vanity lights, penny tile and wall shower tile. Still would need to purchase towel hooks, shower fixtures, shower doors, wall accent tile, and floor tile as the biggest items. 

[simpsongal]

aspentosh, how exciting! If you have some time, I would just wander around floor and decor w/the tile you've purchased, maybe bring a sconce or other items too? and put other things next to it on the flatbed. That's honestly how I picked a lot of tile for our last reno I ended up purchasing a few different options and took a bunch back once I laid them out in my room. I bought a ton of a small hex for our floor, dry laid it in the space and decided on a different option. Sometimes you just need to see it in the space and all together (and I like that you have that option w/Floor & Decor, where other tiles places you special order tile and can't take it back )

For the fan, we didn't do the light in the fan. I don't love that look, it sort of reminds me of apartment buildings I lived in, but we did put adjustable waterproof recessed lights above the showers.

[redheadk]

You can have a small bar tiled in a corner of the shower. It's a foot rest for shaving.



I love that vanity! Have you had 2 sinks before in a small bathroom? We had 2 like that in our old house and, honestly, we both used DH's sink because mine was always full of my hair and makeup. We didn't have any drawers, though, only cabinets, so storage was just a pain to deal with in the morning. I know 2 sinks are popular but we really just needed the counter space. 

Depending on the cost of the wall, it might be cheaper to have your contractor just custom build a closet system for you. There's also the option of EasyClosets (custom designed based on your measurements). Just throwing that out there.

[Susie]

Apr 30, 2021 7:12:48 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

In floor heating? Worth it?

100% yes.  We put it in the full bath reno in the house we're selling, and it's wonderful.

[konapoppy]

Apr 30, 2021 8:27:39 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

konapoppy, we will be doing rainshower-like. I have loooong hair that needs pressure and a lot of true rain shower heads aren't powerful enough. But we will for sure do oversized head (maybe two?) but with spray options.

And we already have: vanity, mirrors, faucets, vanity lights, penny tile and wall shower tile. Still would need to purchase towel hooks, shower fixtures, shower doors, wall accent tile, and floor tile as the biggest items. 

The only one on your list that took some time was shower fixtures, but that is because we ordered carbon!

[aspentosh]

simpsongal, all of that tile is from Floor and Decor! Definitely makes life easier. I didn't find any accent tile I loved for the shower, but we've gone back and forth on floor tile so much (wood look planks, hex, long but not wood look, etc.) that we need to decide on that style first, IMO.

redheadk, I saw that corner bar thing and was intrigued! Our previous bathroom was bigger (separate shower and tub) but we definitely like having our own sinks. I am not much for makeup/hair stuff on a good day, so my needs a minimal. Good idea asking about custom closet. We are pretty handy and thought of building one ourselves (we built the other side for shoe storage and hanging stuff but want drawers). But sourcing out may make more sense.

[af1212]

I have nothing to add here but am drooling over all of your bathrooms. Where I live no one has a master bathroom and even having a second bathroom in the house is a “perk”.

Jealous!!

[aprilsails]

If heated flooring is out of your budget (it was for us) then do get a heated towel rack and install it right where you step out of the shower if you can. It was about $800 installed for us, whereas the heated flooring was over $4k. Also install it on a timer switch.

DH loves rain showers and I hate them. We have a rain shower head on a bulkhead in the ceiling and then a standard massage shower head on a shower bar so it can be raised and lowered to where DH or I or the kids need it. There is a wall mounted selector valve to go between them. We love the flexibility this provides, and it made the most sense for us.

[ssmjlm]

Our old shower and our current shower both have corner benches. It works well without taking up a lot of space.

[k3am]

Things I love about our bathroom...

Heated floors. Worth the splurge. And I live in CA, where cold isn't exactly a problem. (I was originally against it because of this reason, and negotiated with DH.. I'll let you have the heated floors if I get to pick the floors and vanity)

Bidet. Ours is just an add on to our existing toilet that we had before our reno, and another thing I never thought I wanted that I don't want to live without now.

Separate shower for hair washing on an slide bar. DH really wanted a rain shower, I really didn't. So I have a normal shower, DH has his rain shower, we can run one or both at the same time (this part is.. not up to CA code, we had to remove a pin after we passed inspection. Having both showers running at the same time isn't against code, but for some reason, using one controller is?)

We have a huge ledge for all our shampoos and what not that runs the width of the shower and is tall enough for Costco sized bottles. It seemed excessive at the time, but I really like it.

[sandandsea]

We added corner shelves in our walk in shower. They are small but totally practical and worth it.

Towel storage and toiletry storage. I wanted to be able to keep the counters clear so made sure we had enough built in storage.

We also have small knobs on our shower door that work well for opening it but also holding towels so they’re ready when you’re wet and you don’t have to get the floor wet.

Make sure you think about outlets and placement as well as a towel holder for a hand towel.

We skipped the floor heating because we honestly aren’t in there that long anyway and have a rug in front of the shower and sink.

[aspentosh]

Thank you so much everyone! Loving all these responses.

Didn't even think about a corner bench or a ledge for shaving. We don't really want to enlarge our shower and it wouldn't be able to be too much bigger because of the window. So a corner bench or ledge may be a good in between option.

We're trying to be plastic free in the bathroom, so no bottles for anything except for H's body wash. I would *love* to put the niche on the wall opposite the shower heads, but it's an exterior wall and H is poo-pooing that for insulation reasons. Bah to him, lol. We've thought about a really tall (almost floor to ceiling) accent strip and that is where we put some shelves. Still deciding because #OptionOverload.

As in real life, heated floors are a total love or a non-necessity. I figured we could get a quote to see what that would cost.

Rain shower on the ceiling with handheld is a good option. Hmmm...

[konapoppy]

What is your shampoo solution that is plastic free? I am curious!

[aspentosh]

New question lol.

We want to do a frameless glass shower enclosure- one panel that doesn't move, and a door that opens. Obviously the panel that doesn't move will be on the right, next to the toilet. The door opening will be on the left.

My questions:
1- would you do a half wall near the toilet so there is some... privacy? from the shower area. Or just glass from floor to top?


2- Originally I assumed we would have our door open from left to right (so swing towards the toilet). This would be ideal because we would put towel hooks on that wall and they would be easy to reach from INSIDE the shower. But I see so many people that have the door swing to the wall. Is that just personal preference or is it stupid to have it opening towards something not flat? 

[aspentosh]

Apr 30, 2021 12:22:40 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

What is your shampoo solution that is plastic free? I am curious!

I use Hello HiBar (https://hellohibar.com). Have been for about a year (only on my second bar with 3-4x a week showers most of the time) and really like it. I have very fine, somewhat frizzy and wavy hair and it's been much healthier than any other option. I use Maintain!

[sicilygirl]

Apr 30, 2021 12:33:16 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

New question lol.

We want to do a frameless glass shower enclosure- one panel that doesn't move, and a door that opens. Obviously the panel that doesn't move will be on the right, next to the toilet. The door opening will be on the left.

My questions:
1- would you do a half wall near the toilet so there is some... privacy? from the shower area. Or just glass from floor to top?
View Attachment

2- Originally I assumed we would have our door open from left to right (so swing towards the toilet). This would be ideal because we would put towel hooks on that wall and they would be easy to reach from INSIDE the shower. But I see so many people that have the door swing to the wall. Is that just personal preference or is it stupid to have it opening towards something not flat? 

View Attachment

I would definitely do the half wall next to the toilet.  That's what we have, and I think it would feel weird without it?

Our shower (which is similar to what you're describing) does not open against a flat wall, but it does swing both in and out.  I like that it swings inward because I can leave it open to help it dry out inside after a shower without the door taking up floor space.  And then can obviously open outward for easy access in and out of the shower.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I would not do the half wall.

And I'm trying to picture how you would have a door swing to the toilet instead of the wall. Would the hinges for the door be in the middle? I feel like that might not work...

[dr.girlfriend]

Here's our bathroom -- it's basically my dream!





Here's some of the things I love:

- We did a sun tunnel right in the middle so it gets a lot of natural light
- I did dimmers on the lights by the vanity so I can have mood lighting when I take a bath
- The wall between the toilet and vanity has an inset medicine cabinet with outlets for our rechargeable toothbrushes on the vanity side, but on the bottom on the toilet side there are recessed shelves for extra toilet paper and ... other things you might want access to without getting up
- We have the thermostatic shower -- I LOVE that the temperature is already set right, and I just have to turn it on and then jump in.  We also have a tankless water heater so no end to the hot water
- We have the wall-mounted shower head but also the handheld on the bar -- I think it's worth having even just to make it easier to rinse down the shower walls.  Clear walls show every splash of shampoo, etc.
- The rug is from Ruggable, so we can pull it off the base and throw it in the wash if needed
- They used some kind of metal strip to edge the tile around the shower (there's a special name for it that I'm not remembering?  Schluter something?).  After our shower was done I found out on here you can use that instead of pencil edging on the recessed shower shelf, and I wished I did that instead because it's got a very clean look

[aprilsails]

Keeping that half wall is an easy way to get a shelf into your shower. We have a small wall between our shower enclosure and bathtub, and the contractor offset the glass to make a shelf and put a plain white Corian cap on it:



Also they can definitely put the hinge in the middle of the glass panel so that the door swings towards the wall. We have it done that way with a 6” panel of glass on the wall side so that we have space for our towel heater and towels mounted right there. I can basically open the shower door a tiny bit, snag a hot towel, dry off, and then step out. We keep the door swung to the inside when we’re done so it is out of the way (we have a cat that loves to lick all the water off the bottom of the shower so we generally leave it open for him).

[aspentosh]

So many options and things to think about. 

Our neighbor with the same layout just had her bathroom done. They didn't expand theirs to include the makeup area, but looking at the glass enclosure I don't think it would be horrible to forego the half wall. And she did a little corner shaving shelf, which I don't love that style, but it works. 



I feel like I'm leaning to a super small ledge- similar to this maybe?- and only 6-8" deep. I know it's not enough to sit on but our shower isn't huge and I don't want to make it feel smaller because of a bench.


But then I see aprilsails or this and think BUT STORAGE! 


And dr.girlfriend, I have your bathroom post saved as inspo because I love it so much. And I see you have a lot of gray and it makes me feel better. Going to look into thermostatic.

Also, I think H is now on board with rain shower head and handheld with bar. Yay! 

[aspentosh]

We've also thought about something like this along the exterior wall instead of niches. Just a shallow shelf to hold all our stuff. Not sure if that looks like a cop out or just something different.

[hbomdiggity]

I’d do the half wall and put a bench on that end and niche inside the half wall.

[Pilsy]

I love so much of what's in here.

I have to ask those who have the niches, are they a pain to clean? We went with wire shelves/baskets in our renovated bathrooms, because I have a thing about (even the possibility of) sitting water. We have three of these in one corner, each a foot or so higher than the last.


Oh, also, I recommend towel hooks. We have both, and I find we're always going for the hooks instead of the bars - to the point that I'm not allowed to use a hook now, because the hook gets overloaded, and I'm the only one who'll reliably remember to use the bar. The kids can't even get their towels on bars, but the older one can reach and use a hook now, so at least she can be responsible for putting away her own towel. Theoretically, hooks aren't as good for drying, but in practice, they've been fine. 

I really wish we had outlets inside our vanities so we could charge toothbrushes out of sight. Also, I love the mirrors I choose for both double vanities, because they're pretty, but each sink has its own mirror, and I sometimes wish we'd just looked harder for big mirrors to span the length of a single vanity. As the girls get older and want to stand in front of a mirror to comb hair or whatever, I realize how much I miss being able to use the space between the two sinks for the same purpose.