Browse Forums Bathrooms and Laundry 1 May 21, 2012 9:06 am Hi All, We are adding an extension to our house and have hit a snag with deciding on a layout for our ensuite. We have a couple of options but have issues with all of them. I've attached a diagram of four options that we have. We have minor issues with all of them, but I just wanted to see what other people's thoughts are or whether anyone has any suggestions? The first diagram shows the dimensions of the room which is 3700 x 2330. At the moment either Option A or Option D are our favourites. Our main problem with Option A is that the ensuite will have a tiny window, plus I don't think I have ever seen a bath layout where the shower is beside the bath. With Option D our main concern is the length of bath that we can fit in. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 2May 21, 2012 9:22 am Hi Not sure if this is an option for you, but can you do without a separate room for the toilet? This would give you heaps more room to play with. I like A with the option of the bath against the wall. K Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 3May 21, 2012 9:27 am Thanks Kan, We really want a seperate room in the ensuite for the toilet. Our current ensuite just has the toilet next to the shower and it has always annoyed us a bit, so we decided if we built again we would put it in its own room. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 4May 21, 2012 11:03 am I am assuming your loo is a metre wide and your shower is a metre square. If you want to lay back in a nice relaxing bath I would recommend you make it at least 1675 long, so that eliminates B & D. With A the shower might be too close to the bath but I have noticed a trend lately of having the bath and shower behind a glass screen but don’t know if I am a fan as I don’t know how dirty the bath would get. You could do this with A but it would make the room seem smaller, the winner on The Block last night had it like this, hope this link works. http://homes.ninemsn.com.au/theblock/ga ... .slideshow My preference would be C but I would extend the shower 200 and move the CSD a bit to leave room for towel rails. Regards, Grumbles Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 5May 22, 2012 10:37 am grumblebum54 I am assuming your loo is a metre wide and your shower is a metre square. If you want to lay back in a nice relaxing bath I would recommend you make it at least 1675 long, so that eliminates B & D. Thanks Grumblebum, The toilet is just under a meter wide (900 wide the 90 wall) and we have allowed for a 900 x 900 shower, although a 1000 x 1000 would be better if we can fit that in. With B and D that leaves 1800 for the length of the bath. We could probably extend the room another 100. I'm not sure how big a bath we could fit into an area 1800 x 1000 when you allow for the tiles around an island bath. The bath that we like at the moment is an island bath that comes in both 1700 and 1530 lengths at 750 wide. grumblebum54 With A the shower might be too close to the bath but I have noticed a trend lately of having the bath and shower behind a glass screen but don’t know if I am a fan as I don’t know how dirty the bath would get. You could do this with A but it would make the room seem smaller, the winner on The Block last night had it like this, hope this link works. http://homes.ninemsn.com.au/theblock/ga ... .slideshow Thanks, I saw the bathroom on the Block on Sunday night and thought it looked ok at first but then I realised its sort of like a wet room, which I don't really get. I don't know how they would stop water getting everywhere over the bath every time they have a shower. We really want an proper enclosed shower. The gap between the bath and shower in Option A is only about 100 mm so I was thinking we might be able to get a half return shower screen and move the shower hard up against the bath, but the only half return shower screens I've ever seen seem to be on the end of the bath. grumblebum54 My preference would be C but I would extend the shower 200 and move the CSD a bit to leave room for towel rails. This was my preference at first but I was a bit worried about the gap between the shower and bath only being around 500 mm. I thought that might be too tight to be usable space for getting in and out of the bath. Which way would you extend the shower and move the CSD? Towards the vanity? The other thing I was worried about with that design was that the shower door would open against the wall which is where we would have our towel rail. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 6May 22, 2012 1:11 pm Have you thought about something like this? Place the toilet agianst the same wall that the entry will be and use a blade wall ( or CSD) and leave the balance of the space at the "foot" of the toilet to add to the shower-there would be a solid wall between shower & loo. Shower could then be 1500mm long, with a pivot door. Bath to butt up against shower with glass from above the tiled bath hob. Window above bath. Vanity could be 1200mm I think? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 7May 22, 2012 1:12 pm Use a CSD which would allow space for towel rail onthe wall near the vantity-easy access from both bath & shower. Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 8May 22, 2012 1:30 pm My current bathroom has the bath and shower as in option A as the room is teeny tiny. Literally, this is all that is in the room, we have a separate vanity and toilet. With the tiny space left I had the builder make the shelf which is normally covered with the kids toys, just looks nice here as this is one of the professional shots we had done to sell the place. It is a handy shelf. I also sit my cheese and crackers on there Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 9May 22, 2012 11:50 pm I like Dee's suggestion. Would allow you to have a high window along the shower (great spot for a shampoo shelf) and window over bath. Gives a very generous shower and a bit of privacy (since part of the shower is enclosed by the toilet wall. Have the bathroom entry door open away from the vanity and you give the shower/toilet a bit more privacy. Possible down side is that the toilet has no windows (that I can tell). That might be a deal breaker for some people (it wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me - I just don't like showers without windows, I can live with a toilet without a window). For the designs you put up, my pick would be C. Shower could be directed so that the shower rose is placed on the wall opposite the bath, pointing back to the bath. Perfect spot on the inside wall then to have a towel rail (door could be 800-850mm from bath corner with a 150-200mm fixed panel so it doesn't swing right back on to the wall or a towel rail). Good light into the bathroom and into the toilet. Could have a huge louvred window over the bath - great for privacy & ventilation but looks stunning too and lets in massive light (translucent glass). Placement of toilet is great to the vanity - people will wash hands on their walk out to the door, they won't have to cross the bathroom to do that. Gap between shower and bathtub could be used for a dirty clothes basket - perfect place when undressing for bath or shower. Don't like D because I don't like looking straight into a shower when I open a bathroom door. Also seems like the toilet is in a bit of a excessively long room (as is also the case with Option B). Option A just seems like it would look cramped and the different heights along the wall would be a bit offputting to me (design wise - low bath, high shower, then wall & door). 2010, June : Land bought (1700sqm, battleaxe block). That's it so far! We're in the design phase .... Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 10May 23, 2012 10:08 am Yes, you could extend the shower and move the CSD towards the vanity and if CSD not viable use a normal door then you have somewhere to hang robes. Do as Pete_n_Pet says "Perfect spot on the inside wall then to have a towel rail (door could be 800-850mm from bath corner with a 150-200mm fixed panel so it doesn't swing right back on to the wall or a towel rail)" or have the shower door on an angle. Also like Dees design as an alternative. Regards, Grumbles Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 11May 23, 2012 11:07 am Deemaree Have you thought about something like this? Place the toilet agianst the same wall that the entry will be and use a blade wall ( or CSD) and leave the balance of the space at the "foot" of the toilet to add to the shower-there would be a solid wall between shower & loo. Hi Dee, Thanks for your suggestion. I quite like your solution but my wife's main problem is that the toilet is on the internal bedroom wall which she doesn't like. I think at the moment we are leaning towards either A or C. The main things I like about those are that the toilet and vanity/basin are close to each other and close to the door. When I think about the current ensuite usage we probably use the toilet and/or basin 70% of the time and the shower the other 30% of the time. I'm guessing once we get this built it will be 65% toilet/basin, 30% shower and 5% bath. greenfish My current bathroom has the bath and shower as in option A as the room is teeny tiny. Hi Greenfish, Thanks for the photo, that is the setup that I haven't been able to find anywhere. Does the shelf wall next to the shower form part of the shower return or is it right next to the shower screen? Pete_n_Pet Would allow you to have a high window along the shower ... For the designs you put up, my pick would be C. Shower could be directed so that the shower rose is placed on the wall opposite the bath, pointing back to the bath. Perfect spot on the inside wall then to have a towel rail (door could be 800-850mm from bath corner with a 150-200mm fixed panel so it doesn't swing right back on to the wall or a towel rail). grumblebum54 Yes, you could extend the shower and move the CSD towards the vanity and if CSD not viable use a normal door then you have somewhere to hang robes. Do as Pete_n_Pet says "Perfect spot on the inside wall then to have a towel rail (door could be 800-850mm from bath corner with a 150-200mm fixed panel so it doesn't swing right back on to the wall or a towel rail)" or have the shower door on an angle. Hi Pete and Grumblebum, Thanks for your suggestions. I'm interested in the high window above the shower if we go with that plan. How much room do you need to fit such a window in. We only have 2400 ceilings so would that still allow room for such a window? Sorry if I'm a bit thick but I'm not quite understanding what you mean by the door being 800-850mm from the bath corner. I've sketched on a diagram what I think you mean but please correct me if I'm wrong. (I've extended it as per Grumblebum's suggestion, but is that the type of door you are talking about Pete?) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ With regard to the CSD, I personally don't like them, I'd rather have a hinged door, but I don't see how we could utilise one here without wasting space to allow it to swing right back on to the wall so I think we will end up with a CSD at least as the main door, but possibily also in the toilet. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 12May 23, 2012 12:14 pm In the above diagram ( c) turn the shower so it butts up against the bath ( using the extra 530mm)-will allow entry door to shower to swing into clear space in centre of bathroom. Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 13May 23, 2012 1:05 pm fozzy Hi Pete and Grumblebum, Thanks for your suggestions. I'm interested in the high window above the shower if we go with that plan. How much room do you need to fit such a window in. We only have 2400 ceilings so would that still allow room for such a window? Sorry if I'm a bit thick but I'm not quite understanding what you mean by the door being 800-850mm from the bath corner. I've sketched on a diagram what I think you mean but please correct me if I'm wrong. (I've extended it as per Grumblebum's suggestion, but is that the type of door you are talking about Pete?) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Yes, that's basically what I was thinking. Just think about which wall you are going to have the shower head on. If you position the shower door as illustrated, you probably don't want the shower head pointing straight at the shower door. You can do, but there will be some 'leakage' of the shower through the door gap when you are having a shower. I think the shower head would work best centred on the 'long' (1200mm) wall. You can have the taps/mixer positioned just inside closer to the door, so that you don't have to reach across the shower to turn on the water or adjust the water temp. I think 1100mm (instead of 1200mm) is more than enough for the width of the shower - that's wider than most hallways. If you can, you want a 750-800mm wide towel rail so that towels can hang flat/open without having to fold them in half lengthways to fit on the rail. Your towels will dry better if you do that. And I always go for a double towel rail. fozzy With regard to the CSD, I personally don't like them, I'd rather have a hinged door, but I don't see how we could utilise one here without wasting space to allow it to swing right back on to the wall so I think we will end up with a CSD at least as the main door, but possibily also in the toilet. I agree, I prefer hinged doors to cavity sliders, but each has pros and cons. I would definitely prefer a hinged door for a bathroom if possible - it gives great privacy/sound muffling that a cavity slider which is sometimes important in a bathroom (personal experience). It would be possible to have a hinged door, but with a discreet door stopper so that it can only swing back a certain distance towards the shower (and avoid banging on towel rail). My sister has done a similar thing in her bathroom to stop the door from swinging back on the bathtub and constantly banging on that - it works fine. However, in this bathroom, a cavity slider would definitely make the bathroom appear more spacious and more space-useable. You could install a cavity slider but have the door frame set up so that it's a rebated close finish, rather than the standard butt-flat close. (I hope that makes sense). I have seen this done and it looks good and performs well. Again, a cavity door on the toilet might be an idea, in terms of eliminating the door swing into the toilet room. 2010, June : Land bought (1700sqm, battleaxe block). That's it so far! We're in the design phase .... Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 14May 23, 2012 3:57 pm Have you thought of having the toilet door opening into the bathroom rather than the toilet. This can allow you to make the toilet smaller. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 15May 23, 2012 7:40 pm fozzy Hi Greenfish, Thanks for the photo, that is the setup that I haven't been able to find anywhere. Does the shelf wall next to the shower form part of the shower return or is it right next to the shower screen? Yeah the shelf is part of the return, so the glass starts at the shelf top. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 16May 24, 2012 8:28 am "A" and greenfish's photo helps a lot. Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 17May 24, 2012 8:32 am A is actually my preference too. Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 18May 24, 2012 8:47 am Out of the 4 designs 'A' would be my preference too... Have you considered not putting the bath in the ensuite?? Do you have a bath in the main bathroom? Ensuites generally have a toilet, shower and vanity. The ones that have baths in them are usually feature free standing baths or bigger spa baths.. Just a thought!! Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 19May 24, 2012 11:00 am Hi All, Thanks heaps for all the feedback. There is some useful information that has been very helpful. Deemaree In the above diagram ( c) turn the shower so it butts up against the bath ( using the extra 530mm)-will allow entry door to shower to swing into clear space in centre of bathroom. Thanks Dee, that makes sense. Pete_n_Pet Yes, that's basically what I was thinking. Just think about which wall you are going to have the shower head on. If you position the shower door as illustrated, you probably don't want the shower head pointing straight at the shower door. You can do, but there will be some 'leakage' of the shower through the door gap when you are having a shower. I think the shower head would work best centred on the 'long' (1200mm) wall. You can have the taps/mixer positioned just inside closer to the door, so that you don't have to reach across the shower to turn on the water or adjust the water temp. I think 1100mm (instead of 1200mm) is more than enough for the width of the shower - that's wider than most hallways. If you can, you want a 750-800mm wide towel rail so that towels can hang flat/open without having to fold them in half lengthways to fit on the rail. Your towels will dry better if you do that. And I always go for a double towel rail. Thanks, again great points Pete_n_Pet My sister has done a similar thing in her bathroom to stop the door from swinging back on the bathtub and constantly banging on that - it works fine. However, in this bathroom, a cavity slider would definitely make the bathroom appear more spacious and more space-useable. You could install a cavity slider but have the door frame set up so that it's a rebated close finish, rather than the standard butt-flat close. (I hope that makes sense). I have seen this done and it looks good and performs well. Thanks, I have seen that rebated door close in a few photos. It doesn't seem to be popular but it seems like a good idea. I'll look more into that. bashworth Have you thought of having the toilet door opening into the bathroom rather than the toilet. This can allow you to make the toilet smaller. I had thought of having the toilet door opening into the bathroom but I thought that would take up too much space. As much as I don't like cavity sliders I think we will have to use them for this ensuite. I spoke to our draftsman yesterday and he said we could reduce the length of the toilet from 1700 to either 1500 if we use a CSD or 1600 if we use a hinged door. Even at 1600 the hinged door looks like it might be a bit tight so 1500 with a CSD sounds good and gives us an extra 200 mm to play with greenfish Yeah the shelf is part of the return, so the glass starts at the shelf top. Thanks, that makes it clearer. It was exactly how I was thinking we could do it. rocketship Have you considered not putting the bath in the ensuite?? Do you have a bath in the main bathroom? Ensuites generally have a toilet, shower and vanity. The ones that have baths in them are usually feature free standing baths or bigger spa baths.. Just a thought!! Thanks Rocketship. we do have a bath in our main bathroom but that bathroom is probably even smaller than our new ensuite. I personally don't want a bath in the ensuite but my wife does so I thought we may as well while we are extending. The main bathroom is between the two kids bedrooms down the other end of the house and my wifes argument, which is valid, is that when she wants a bath she wants it to be relaxing, she doesn't want to trapse all through the house after her relaxing bath to get dressed. The other issue is that the main bath is short, less that 1500 which is fine for the kids, but doesn't equate to a relaxing bath for an adult. We had thought of a freestanding bath. I personally don't like the look of them, plus with the space we have it looks like it would have to go hard up against a wall which I would imagine could be a pain to clean. At this stage our favourite plans are either A or C, which it seems to be the concensus here also. I like option C and my wife likes option A so I'm not sure how it will play out. With the late run of votes for 'A' I'm not sure I stand much of a chance once my wife reads this. I just hope we make a decision soon so we can get on and finalise our plans Re: Help with choosing an ensuite design 20May 24, 2012 11:21 am If you do go with A and shorten the toilet, then I would use all the space between bath & toilet for a larger shower-fully tiled wall against the toilet wall-half glass from the hob of the bath up and pivoting door for shower. Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Thanks for the suggestion. The space between shower and sinks was too tight. I agree about the toilet location. So I have tried two other options: The lower one is… 3 6138 the step up is 30mm and wanting it to be flat . how much does the concrete have to be lowered .we plan on removing bath and lenghten shower and adding seat. the old bath… 0 11832 |