Master Bathroom
And then one day, during one of our local Home Show Expos, we saw 'the one' ... it was a galley-style bathroom. It was beautiful, compact, and super efficient. On one side, there was a large tiled shower and a linen closet. The other side contained the toilet closet, plus a double vanity.
Or was that swapped? Looking back, I'm not sure ... those were the four components, with two on each side. I'm flexible on the placement; I'm assuming that this would be a bit driven by plumbing logistics and cost.
At the end of the 'galley' was the entrance to the master closet(s). So, here are some of the ideas that can paint the picture of how we might turn this concept into reality.
Here is the opposite view of the same vanity. In this view, I noticed that there is one electrical outlet per side, and that it's actually built into the pier rather than into the tile backsplash. I like how that keeps the backsplash looking very streamlined. Here's a little detail, but an important one. I seem to be the only one in the house capable of folding towels neatly on towel bars. So, instead, I'd like to have a towel ring on the side of each pier; we can each have our own towel handy, without me being to worried about Scott hanging his up neatly. I'm not sure that I love the mirror treatment here, though I understand that it's likely divided so that they could use the three sconces; I've read that side lighting is more flattering than lighting from above.
Though I love the layout of the vanity above, I really am leaning toward a different finish. I like the rich wood in this example. I also like the furniture feel here to the cabinetry. I toured a lighting store a while back that included a type of motion-sensor night light that came on in the kickspace below the vanity ... gently lighting the floor area. I wonder if that would be ridiculously expensive. It was convenient and classy at the same time. I've also seen examples where any heating/cooling vents are directed through the baseboard of cabinetry, rather than being on the floor ... another small touch that adds polish.
Back to my concerns about the mirrors and lighting. I actually like the simpleness of this example. The sconces are more my style, and the individual framed mirrors are nice. But, in looking at the first picture listed above, I do have a concern about not continuing the crown molding up top ... the piers seem to blend with the overall look more because of the continuation of the molding. Perhaps there is a hybrid approach; maybe by lessening the distance between the end of the crown molding and the start of the mirror, and changing the style of the lighting. Or, perhaps it's more about extending the backsplash tile up around the mirrored space.
Bet you're wondering why I included a photo of a VERY plain toilet room. It's because I searched Houzz forever, but seemed to find lots of versions embellished with expensive tile or art niches. Seriously. This is not where i want to spend my money. I'd like an enclosed spot (again, sharing for the first time) with a door. Enough room to comfortably move in. Decent lighting. Continuation of the floor materials from the rest of the bathroom. The pretty blue-green color from the pillar in the photo above. A toilet paper holder. And that's all. Oh, and yes ... since we're preparing to live here well into geezerhood, make sure that you account for bracing for a grab bar. Don't actually INSTALL it yet, of course ... I just want to be able to do that down the road when we need it.
Though this appears to be a pantry space, I liked the doors ... they just provide a little special touch. Certainly not a necessity, but I wanted to file this away as an option.
I have reached an important conclusion. Everyone else looks better naked than me. Seriously. It's not that I'm against glass shower doors - far to the contrary - but after searching Houzz relentlessly, I can't seem to find the right mix of airiness and privacy. Contrary to what you see in this beautiful photo, I have no desire to be viewed from all angles while getting sudsy in the morning. Perhaps I'll just have to draw a picture of what I have in mind. I'd like to have a rectangular shower area. I'm envisioning that one side has the shower head. This side should be tiled (preferably both within the shower, and on the outside for visual interest) for privacy. On the opposite side of the shower, there should be a glass door. Unless I'm entering or exiting the shower, no one should have a clear shot of me. And, bonus points to my architect if he can avoid having me staring straight into my vanity mirrors when I get out of the shower ... I don't like to be startled first thing in the morning.
A few other shower requirements worth noting. I'd like to incorporate a built-in bench. I've read that the optimum height of a bench is between 17 and 19 inches. For now, this is probably just a handy convenience; a place to prop up my leg while shaving. But, as we get older, it seems to be a practical approach. I can only imagine how helpful this type of thing would be for my grandma. Right now, I'm leaning toward a bench that sits along the long side of the rectangle, closest the inner wall, as seen here. Seems like that would allow for the most flexibility. The other approach would be to place it against the far wall opposite the shower head.
While we're thinking on the topic of universal design, let's head back to my grandma for a minute. She has to step over 18 inches of tub to bathe. I'm inclined to picture me and my walker ... and we are not wanting a deep threshold. The idea of a zero threshold shower is very appealing. If that's not feasible, then I'd like the smallest possible lip so that I don't risk falling. (Notice that in all of the 'old person' conjecture, we're always worried about me and my walker? That's because my hubby is the coordinated sort ... and I am less than graceful. And that's being kind.)
And finally, on to the little details. I'd like to be sure that we have hooks for our towels, rather than towel bars. (See comment above about messy towel folders whose names shall remain anonymous.) I like the approach at right, where the towel hooks are attached directly to the tile. But, in our case, I'd like those hooks to be inside the shower cubby, just well out of the spray of the water.
I also really liked this smaller tile, either as a full treatment or an accent.
And one final note. Even if we don't choose radiant heat for the rest of the house, I do want it in the master bathroom. The idea of warm toes just makes me smile. I know you can't trust much of what you read online, but I did see an article comparing electric vs. hydronic radiant solutions. If confined to a small space (like a bathroom) rather than used throughout the whole home, it noted that you would likely "spend $400 to $800 to install an electric system for warming a small bathroom. An equivalent hydronic system would run $4,000 to $5,000." I'm mentally dividing the number of days I'll live there by $800 bucks ... yep, I'll pay a couple of pennies a day to keep my tootsies warm.
Blue walls with darker wood cabinets looks good with lighter countertops.
Is it easier to frame this type of niche than two separate ones? This is awesome.
Blue walls dark vanity natural colored tile
Lights
Herringbone tile
Floor
Floor
floor
Frosted?
I love this basic layout for the vanity. Each side has a tall pier for storage. I'd like outlets inside of these ... I picture using these for charging electric razors, electric toothbrushes, and all of the 'ugly' bathroom items that seem to clutter our vanities now. I especially like the two smaller drawers beneath each pier; perfect for holding my makeup. And, the mirrored front of the pier would be perfect for applying makeup. I also like the four shallow drawers that are immediately beneath each pier. It's so nice to have some smaller drawers to make things more accessible; I don't have that in our current master bath and really miss having a logical spot for things like toothbrushes and toothpaste. Really, it's the little things. This design is a little too spread out for me. The designer says that it's 108", but that it could be done in a smaller space if you didn't spread out the dual sinks quite so much. This will be the first time since marrying that Scott and I will be attempting to share a bathroom ... so we each need our individual space ... but this seems to waste quite a bit of room. The undermount sinks are great but perhaps a little wide, and the...
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