Browse Forums Building A New House Re: My floor plans 21Aug 23, 2008 9:56 am I agree with Helyn that most of the house plans with 3 way bathrooms only have vanity outside toilet, but I din't like this idea....
When we were doing our plans I was pregnant & already had 2 boys & thought that if I had a girl, she might want some privacy?? Especially in teenage years, makeup etc..... We added a small vanity in the bathroom, maybe overkill, but really wanted the vanity outside toilet as well so that everyone doesn't have to go into bathroom to wash hands. Still haven't decided wether the kids will wash teeth at the bigger vanity outside toilet or in the bathroom... better hurry up & decide - were moving in next week! Re: My floor plans 22Aug 23, 2008 10:37 am Jo, I'm not at all offended and I know you are in Vic but wasn't sure about Lyn.
Yes, I know we're all just discussing our preferences and experiences, I thought that's what I was doing too (Cabinfever mentioned re-sale value so that's what that comment of mine was referring to) And I meant I assumed what I had seen was common everywhere, wasn't a comment about you. Not sure why you think I was offended, sorry if my post conveyed that impression. Re: My floor plans 23Aug 23, 2008 10:49 am Helyn Interesting how something you assume is common everywhere is in fact a localised idea . This was intended as the 'general person' you. Correct English: interesting how one assumes..... sorry for any misunderstanding. Re: My floor plans 24Aug 23, 2008 2:19 pm Hmmm... yes, I am in Victoria too... which probably explains quite a few things!
Our house just has the old standard toilet next to the bathroom, but if we built the same house again I would probably put in the extra 'powder room' type vanity. Wish I had posted our plans in the forum before we built! The whole regional thing is interesting. From memory our house in South Australia just had a standard bathroom (with vanity) and separate toilet ... but that was Mount Gambier so maybe not far enough west? My husband says that one of their houses in Perth had a three-way bathroom, but it did have a door (he doesn't like the idea of shaving in a host's hallway either!). Thanks Paula, now I feel lazy for not putting my toothbrush away every time I brush my teeth! Isn't it meant to dry in the open air? Re: My floor plans 25Aug 23, 2008 2:30 pm Interestingly, my parents built their house in the 1970's with the back door opening straight into the laundry (on a farm, so EVERYONE used this door - except non-farming strangers who came to the front), and the single toilet accessed through the laundry. Thinking back, it was quite strange that we would usually all walk the extra 10 metres or so through the laundry and down the hallway to wash our hands in the bathroom rather than just using the laundry tub. Sort of reminiscent of the old outdoor dunny.
Sorry to get completely off track! Re: My floor plans 26Aug 23, 2008 2:48 pm The "main" bathroom area bothers me because:
1) The bath & shower area is so incredibly tiny. Given that the rest of the house is so spacious this seems even more weird. There's no storage space, nowhere to put clothes and such, and what about a mirror ? 2) People using the vanity have no privacy. 3) You have to use the toilet doorknob before washing your hands. The toilet is too close to the vanity area re privacy & odour, and the toilet cubicle is so cramped that a fat person wouldn't even be able to get in and shut the door without standing on the toilet. 4) The bath is tiny. The shower is tiny. 5) Compare the main bathroom with the size and fittings of the en suite. To me this seems like a case of "royalty versus the peasants". It's a bad "vibe" to design into the house. Seriously. At the very least I'd: - expand the toilet area and add a basin - add at least another 1.5m to the width of the bathroom by slicing space off the laundry and master WIR - put in a decent bath - put a sliding door across the main bathroom area Also consider that although this arrangement may enable people to use the toilet while someone else is having a shower, it has a flipside.... Someone might be doing their makeup / shaving / whatever at the basin when someone else comes in for major operations in the toilet. Hmmm. And then when the person comes out of the toilet they will have to barge in and takeover the basin so they can wash their hands. A double-sink would partly solve this issue, but again the space is so tiny there's no room to put one in. This design fails on many levels. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: My floor plans 27Aug 23, 2008 3:18 pm Cabinfever The "main" bathroom area bothers me because: 3) You have to use the toilet doorknob before washing your hands. The toilet is too close to the vanity area re privacy & odour, and the toilet cubicle is so cramped that a fat person wouldn't even be able to get in and shut the door without standing on the toilet. This thread should be renamed "The Great Toilet Controversy!" Great - I've just spent half an hour checking out South Australian building designs, now I REALLY have to see a standard Tasmanian design! Does every Tasmanian bathroom have a washbasin in the toilet? The toilets both look like a fairly standard size (check out any M3tricon or Porter Davis design). The shower also looks like a 900x900 - we have one of them and it is fine. For me the issue with the shower is the size combined with the walls on three sides - my brother's is like that ... claustrophobic. As earlier posters have commented though - this IS a standard South Australian bathroom design. Weird hey? I don't think the laundry should be narrower - the image of the tub makes it look really wide, but remember that large washing machines are deeper than standard tubs. Larger blocks need larger laundries ... more dirty gardening clothes! Re: My floor plans 28Aug 23, 2008 4:23 pm Option # 2
- Combine all the bathroom cubicles into one room. Now you've got a nice big luxurious *main* bathroom again instead of three semi-functional fragments. There's room for a decent shower, bath, cupboard and vanity. (And get rid of the laundry cupboard so there's a nice even rectangular space). - But there's no second toilet for emergencies ? So, how about slicing the bottom off the enormous main bedroom WIR and putting a toilet in there off the laundry ? Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: My floor plans 29Aug 23, 2008 6:14 pm Quote: My husband says that one of their houses in Perth had a three-way bathroom, but it did have a door (he doesn't like the idea of shaving in a host's hallway either!). This extra door is a good idea in theory but my parents have done this and what happens in practice is that no-one will go into the entire bathroom area if someone else is behind the door as they don't know what is happening and don't want to open door in case. In case of what we're not sure, as toilet and bathroom both have their own doors inside the main door but in practice that is what happens. They now feel it would of been better to make it one large bathroom with everything in it as that's what it ends up being used as anyway. So I guess the thing is to decide whether you like a standard 'open vanity' 3 way bathroom (well., standard in SA anyway )- if so, fine, do it - if not, do something completely different - it seems an all or nothing concept in real life. PS: Metter, would you like us to move on to disecting another area of your house yet?? Re: My floor plans 30Aug 23, 2008 6:46 pm I am impressed with all the comments. Many thanks.
Yes the ensuite is hugh (it is for me after all). We have made the shower cubicle 1.2 meters in the main bathroom rather than the 1 meter it was (by moving the fitted cupboard in the laundery further into the laundy). We hve also increased the width of the vanity to 1.5 meters from 1.2 and decreased the size of the fitted linen. As to the size of the 3 way, that is normal here in SA. The size is the same as most large houses. Thanks again. Re: My floor plans 31Aug 23, 2008 9:41 pm With respect, I think this "tiny 3 way" idea will suffer the same fate as orange flares, pet rocks and fake brick cladding. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: My floor plans 32Aug 24, 2008 9:50 am I'm of the same opion re the 3 way bathroom.
Particularly on a large block and large house, it will impact on the feel of the house. While youa re there and when you want to sell it. re the main bedroom - WIR and ensuite, I'd put a sliding door onto both of those (WIR & Ensuite) Nothing worse than being smacked in the head by door as you are trying to find a coat to wear Same applies to the ensuite, you step out wet and ready for the towel and your other half races in and the door smacks yo uon the head again. Sliders would go very nicely in both those spots. Steve CDC Housing Code 3 When to apply Floor Area external face of wall vs Gross Floor Area internal face of wall. Reading thru CDC Housing Code 3, lets take a lot 915sqm.… 0 16561 isn't a garage level with the rest of the house a given? pretty sure they 'came around' long time ago. if you have a flat block, the garage is usually level with the rest… 1 17525 Really tight at the top of the stairs- how to get furniture into those rooms? Study books - does anyone really use them these days? Large storage closet would be more functional. 2 6885 |