Bathroom Remodel Questions

[trc4897]

Hey Everyone! I am in the planning stages of a bathroom remodel. To start i will give the basic layout of the bathroom (see below). A few things to note:

1. This is the main floor full bathroom (shared for the 3 bedrooms).
2. We have an odd sized standard sized vanity currently (42.5" wide)
3. Linen closet door opens into hallway
4. Bathroom door opens into bathroom (to the right and down)



We are planning to remodel the bathroom this winter, and have 3 layout options we are looking into:

1. Keep same layout as above. Would require finding another odd sized vanity (42.5" wide)
2. Take 6" of depth off of the current linen closet (would require moving a non load bearing wall) so that we can use a standard 48" wide vanity (layout below)
3. Remove the linen closet completely so we can use a larger 60" wide vanity. I could build semi recessed 6-6.5" deep "closets" in between some of the studs to add a spot to store towels, etc. (layout below)


To give some background, I have experience removing non load bearing walls as well as framing new walls. The linen closet is currently used to hold towels, cleaning supplies, and bed sheets for the 3 bedrooms. We could store the bed sheets in the bedroom closets if we were to remove/shrink the linen closet, but would need somewhere to store the towels, assuming the cleaning supplies could be stored in the larger vanity. I have a few questions about these options:

1. Which option seems the best to you?
2. For resale, do you think it is better to have a larger vanity (with double sinks) without a true linen closet, or a smaller vanity but have a linen closet?
3. Do you have any other layout ideas that may be better?

Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks for reading!

[Sibley]

Personally, I want adequate storage.

What happens if you go a little shorter on the vanity and leave extra room between it and toilet? Or is there a wall there?

[uniwelder]

What would maximize storage space?  Seems like your current setup gives you the most storage (floor to ceiling) for towels, sheets, supplies, etc, and anything else will require a bit of work and remove some of that space.  I would think it would be easiest to get a 36" wide vanity, put a 3" or 6" spacer on the left side, and make your top a custom size.  Not sure how much money you're looking to spend--- whether you want a piece of granite cut to fit, or otherwise do your own tiled top.

Looking at your drawing, you don't have the wall thickness accounted for at the closet.  If you put in a 48" wide vanity, does that mean your closet would only be 8" deep?

[trc4897]

Personally, I want adequate storage.

What happens if you go a little shorter on the vanity and leave extra room between it and toilet? Or is there a wall there?

Good idea! There is not a wall there

What would maximize storage space?  Seems like your current setup gives you the most storage (floor to ceiling) for towels, sheets, supplies, etc, and anything else will require a bit of work and remove some of that space.  I would think it would be easiest to get a 36" wide vanity, put a 3" or 6" spacer on the left side, and make your top a custom size.  Not sure how much money you're looking to spend--- whether you want a piece of granite cut to fit, or otherwise do your own tiled top.

Looking at your drawing, you don't have the wall thickness accounted for at the closet.  If you put in a 48" wide vanity, does that mean your closet would only be 8" deep?

Ahh good catch. Yeah that is right. 8" deep would be pretty small huh

[lthenderson]

I'm not sure why you think 42" isn't a standard vanity size. I just checked one site, Wayfair, and they have 430 to choose from. I personally wouldn't put a double vanity in a communal bathroom.

[trc4897]

I'm not sure why you think 42" isn't a standard vanity size. I just checked one site, Wayfair, and they have 430 to choose from. I personally wouldn't put a double vanity in a communal bathroom.

Interesting. I looked a while ago and thought I remembered finding very few in that size. I'll have to take another look, thanks!

I guess that eliminates option 2. So the question is now - is it better to keep things as is or remove the linen closet to fit a bigger vanity. Seems the consensus so far is keep the layout as is. Less work for me!

[ilsy]

In my opinion and experience remodeling tiny bathrooms build 100 years ago when they were still making small furniture, none of the proposed plans work. Bulky furniture will make a small place look much more tinier. So, I would not put the linen closet and would choose small vanity and leave some space between the wall and the vanity to make an illusion of space. Instead, I would go vertically as high as possible almost to the ceiling (a huge plus if your ceilings are tall, try to use that). I would put open shelves above the toilet and the vanity, since that space is already occupied on the bottom. I would also put an open shelve, maybe even those crates on the wall next to the vanity where you were planning to put a linen closet on the other side.

In my opinion, for resale (well, I don't sell, but rent), but still need to have good traffic because I rent for a much higher price for the area. Anyways, anything custom would give you the big return for the buck. Make the cabinets or open shelves as custom and as modern or whatever trendy in your area as possible. But taking them all the way to the ceiling would make them look custom. Make sure your hardware and fixtures match and are modern. Either go all the way modern, or rustic. Make sure you don't have too many colors going on, choose 2-3 max, like dark tile floors, dark faucets and hardware, maybe dark crates and then the furniture, trim and ceiling- white, and off white, light beige-grey-grey walls (make it match the wall tile).

[uniwelder]

So, I would not put the linen closet and would choose small vanity and leave some space between the wall and the vanity to make an illusion of space. Instead, I would go vertically as high as possible almost to the ceiling (a huge plus if your ceilings are tall, try to use that). I would put open shelves above the toilet and the vanity, since that space is already occupied on the bottom. I would also put an open shelve, maybe even those crates on the wall next to the vanity where you were planning to put a linen closet on the other side.

The linen closet isn't really in the plans per se, its already existing.  Not sure if that changes your mind on what you think should be done.

[zolotiyeruki]

I'll add a vote for "keep the layout the same."  That space is too small for a double sink, and I'd take a linen closet over a longer counter any day.  Unless you have multiple people trying to use the bathroom simultaneously, a bigger vanity doesn't give you much marginal utility.

[ilsy]

So, I would not put the linen closet and would choose small vanity and leave some space between the wall and the vanity to make an illusion of space. Instead, I would go vertically as high as possible almost to the ceiling (a huge plus if your ceilings are tall, try to use that). I would put open shelves above the toilet and the vanity, since that space is already occupied on the bottom. I would also put an open shelve, maybe even those crates on the wall next to the vanity where you were planning to put a linen closet on the other side.

The linen closet isn't really in the plans per se, its already existing.  Not sure if that changes your mind on what you think should be done.

yep, I see that. If there are no other linen closets, I would leave it. So, my answer changes a bit. Just add custom open shelves above the toilet and vanity all the way to the ceiling (if the space is tiny, make the eyes go up). And that's it. If you could make open shelves in the vanity, like the lower part - that would also make it feel a bit more spacious. The big vanity will not add value to the bathroom as everything would look crowded.
If there is another linen closet close by (or something that could serve as one), I would actually remove this one to make the bathroom feel more spacious.
Seeing it in person would help. But if the morrow above the vanity is just a builders grade, I would replace with something custom, like build in narrower shelves around the mirror.

[Papa bear]

Is this the only bathroom in the house? You have the space for a tub, and it is very common, maybe even expected, that a 1br place has a tub, not a shower. 


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[lthenderson]

One of the easiest things you can do to make a bathroom feel more spacious is replace the opaque shower door with a clear glass one. Just have that extra depth in your field of view does wonders. Of course that leads to a custom tile job above the tub which leads to yet more "improvements".

[NaN]

I would recommend looking at these vanities and cabinets.

Vanity/cabinet: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/godmorgon-odensvik-sink-cabinet-with-2-drawers-white-dalskaer-faucet-s79292996/
High Cabinet: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/godmorgon-high-cabinet-brown-stained-ash-effect-40457851/

Combined is 56.25" wide next to each other. Your current dimensions allow for that. Plus, the hanging closet is only 12" deep, so that helps make seem a little more spacious. You can put the high cabinet right against the wall and it will still open.

We have older versions of these lines and love them, and that is in a bathroom about the same layout/dimensions. They provide way more storage than we need. First, having them hang (building the right support between the studs) also opens up the bathroom. I saw these hanging cabinets a lot in European bathrooms that were small. I will never go back to not hanging a cabinet/vanity. Being tall and having big feet I also love not banging my feet into the toe kick that is never big enough. Second, overall we have about a foot extra width in our bathroom, so we have a few inch gap between the high cabinet and the wall with the entry door and a few inches between the sink and cabinet. Even with your dimensions you have 4" extra, so you are fine. Lastly, the plumbing on the Ikea units can always be tricky, but it is doable. You have to use the specific drains from Ikea that are low profile so you can have a drawer under the sink. This clever part amazes me. The typical giant space under typical sinks is such a waste. It pushes the 10" part with the trap back next to the wall.

[J Boogie]

One of the easiest things you can do to make a bathroom feel more spacious is replace the opaque shower door with a clear glass one. Just have that extra depth in your field of view does wonders. Of course that leads to a custom tile job above the tub which leads to yet more "improvements".

This is a cool idea, if you want you can use a glass door that has an obscured/opaque strip from the thighs to the chest.