Small ensuite

[didireallysaythat]

What's the smallest (but not cramped) size for an ensuite (basin, loo, shower). We're planning one in a extension, the room will have a window which will probably end up in the shower. I am hoping to get a 700-800mm by 1000mm shower tray in, but to have it open so no claustrophic shower door.

The ensuite in my first flat was about 1.20m by 3. I measured it as it was small but comfortable and didn’t feel cramped.

Mine's about 2250 x 1150. There isn't room for two people to move about in it but there's plenty of room for a large shower tray (with a door, and no it doesn't make it feel claustrophobic).

Thank you.

The main reason for not wanting a shower door is we have hard water and the glass walls in the shower in the bathroom will never come clean now. This time we'll have 3 instead of 2 tiled walls and I was hoping to not need the fourth wall.

If you are in Scotland you need to follow the building regs to ensure adequate space to allow disability access in a bathroom. In England there are no such regs and you can go as small as you like. I'm not sure about Wales / NI.

Are you using a proper limescale remover? I’m in a hard water area and have never heard difficulties removing limescale. Quality shower screens/doors are also coated to be water repellant and are easy to maintain.

Ours is just over a metre wide, about 2.5m long - so shower at one end, wall hung basin (not too deep) in the middle, loo at the other end - the kind of classic "long & thin" layout. Door opens into the bedroom rather than into the ensuite. The shower (1m x 800mm I think) is built into the space if you see what I mean so 3 sides of the cubicle are walls (rather than glass) and we have a glass door at the front. I was worried it was going to feel small but it really doesn't.

If you’re not wanting to put a shower door on then a small bathroom probably isn’t the place to do that. Our en suite is 1200x3750 (shower tray 1200x900 at one end) and the splashes all over everything would be horrific without a shower door. We have water so hard it’s basically rocks but I clean it once a fortnight with a good cream cleaner and it’s fine. Our downstairs shower is horrendous but it is 10 years old and was never looked after until we moved in. Even that looks ok on once a week cream cleaner.

@JamMakingWannaBe

If you are in Scotland you need to follow the building regs to ensure adequate space to allow disability access in a bathroom. In England there are no such regs and you can go as small as you like. I'm not sure about Wales / NI.

OP is thinking about an additional bathroom. Not every bathroom within a dwelling needs to be accessible in Scottish regs. I assume the existing family bathroom is of adequate size.

There are lots of threads about this - some have pics.
We had ours done in loft and was 0.8mx2.4m.

We have the standard layout of door opening into bedroom opposite a tiny basin and the loo at one end (under eaves) and shower cubicle at other end, with 3 walls and then a door. Our shower is 800x800 and is absolutely fine. We have a bi-fold door.

The shower room is small but perfectly usable.

There is a bathroom man in Leeds who has a website called bathroom guru which is brilliant for minimum sizes for ensuites, downstairs loos etc and shows lots of projects he's done. Great for ideas.

I agree that shower without door doesn't work in that space with a long thin room. You'll need to use 3 walls for the shower, so can't then leave the section into the room totally open.

If someone can recommend a limescale cleaner that works (not viakel - it doesn't, not cilit bang - it doesn't) I'll happily review the shower door - maybe one door as far away from the shower head as possible. I'll find a picture of what I was thinking

I've discovered these integrated toilet and basin in one. If space allows, then a separate sink is likely more usable, but if you are really squished, its an option to consider:

www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/metro-combined-two-in-one-wash-basin-toilet-500mm-wide-x-300mm?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=21647&utm_campaign=BingShopping&msclkid=75727cf77c7e1fa5fb2623ee993fa7f5&utm_content=Cloakroom%20Toilets%20%5BHIGH%5D&gclid=CLb5hpWO5OoCFcFGGwodf1UKdA&gclsrc=ds

OP, if you don't have sufficient space to put in a decent sized en-suite, could you rethink the extension to use that space as a dressing room and perhaps fit a second family bathroom in somewhere instead?

Wet room is your friend.

No need for a shower cubicle or any glass.

The photo has glasses but you get the idea

This gives you the smallest dimensions for what you are after.

See photo

@borisjohnsonsstylist we're basically building a one room extension as fast as possible to cope with WFH. If we can get a ensuite in there is like to as then we'd be 5 bed, one bathroom, one ensuite - 5 bedrooms with "just" one bathroom doesn't sound as attractive on paper.

This is what I was thinking (not the colour) - but replace the glass with a stud wall as there will be light from a window

Similar plan

If the layout allows I'd put an extra deep stud wall in and put the loo on one side with a hidden cistern fitted in the wall with a recess on the inside of the shower for shampoo bottles etc iyswim?

@iknowimcoming - absolutely! Although we have window in the shower in the bathroom and we use the window sill for shampoos but whatever we do, I don't want bottles on the floor or one of those naff hanging things

@WombatChocolate

There are lots of threads about this - some have pics. We had ours done in loft and was 0.8mx2.4m.

We have the standard layout of door opening into bedroom opposite a tiny basin and the loo at one end (under eaves) and shower cubicle at other end, with 3 walls and then a door. Our shower is 800x800 and is absolutely fine. We have a bi-fold door.

The shower room is small but perfectly usable.

There is a bathroom man in Leeds who has a website called bathroom guru which is brilliant for minimum sizes for ensuites, downstairs loos etc and shows lots of projects he's done. Great for ideas.

I agree that shower without door doesn't work in that space with a long thin room. You'll need to use 3 walls for the shower, so can't then leave the section into the room totally open.

I know this is an old thread but do you have any photos of your ensuite? I've got some plans for an extension with an ensuite and sounds nearly the same as yours including the layout and dimensions! Would love to get a sense of how the space looks from photos