Toilet facing kitchen island help!

[TheJunctionBaby]

we are having an extension done and part of it is to build a small shower room into our current utility space. We are in a tiny cottage and really need the extra toilet and showering facilities, and this is literally the only place we can fit one.

The problem is that the way it has been designed, the toilet will face the kitchen island when the door is open, which is where the hob will be... I'm starting to panic that this is a really awful idea but our build is starting in 6 weeks!

I've attached the current layout... can anyone think of a better arrangement in this tiny space? We thought about swapping the position of the toilet and shower over, but this means the shower will stick out leaving an awkward, tight space in the upper right corner. We ideally wanted as big a shower as possible as our upstairs one is tiny.

My brain is exhausted trying to figure this out 😭

Can anyone suggest anything??

Ps. The sink will unlikely be where it is in the plan as it sticks out too much into the doorway

TIA!

If there's no hallway, I'd lose the pantry, having that space as a small boot room/coat cupboard, with the door to the shower room off of it.

Do you need a pantry if your kitchen is installed with plenty of cupboards?

Move the FF (red) and replace where FF with double pantry cabinet. Move the shower ( green) .
Leave the loo. Move the basin (blue) and move the door to the original opening (orange)

Lazy Architect.

A nice solid door with an autoclose?

I visited a friend’s flat once. And only once. It had a really weird layout, I think the flat was part of an old house which had originally not had a bathroom or toilet downstairs, so the bathroom had been squeezed in later at the end of the kitchen. It contained the only toilet in the flat.

Anyway, the bathroom position was unavoidable. The really, really terrible thing was that the toilet was positioned facing the door, and then the bathroom door was a frosted glass door. So no way of sitting on the toilet without your silhouette being visible to anyone in the kitchen. I have no idea why anyone thought this was a good idea.

Sorry pic didn't load

put the loo where the shower is, and have the rest of the space as a big shower / wetroom.

Would this work?

If you lose the pantry and shift the wall between the kitchen and bathroom to the right, it will make the bathroom longer and narrower so might give you options for layout that stops the toilet from being visible.

It's possible to get tall units that are 30cm deep to provide pantry storage (I know that DIY kitchens have them). If you have a row of those in the kitchen against that wall between kitchen and bathroom, you wouldn't need to move the wall far. I hope that makes sense.

My architect has just come back with this... so it will open now towards the bifolds to the garden, and the toilet won't be facing out. What do you think?? We aren't planning on moving anywhere for the forseeable as we have already moved so much, including countries, so we are settling in for the long haul bar any unforseen circumstances.... but still don't want to make the house hard to sell should we need to. Would this still put you off completely as a potential buyer?

Much better idea!

Waitrosetrolleydolly - you called it!

hadn't thought of that @FuglyHouse I've been so excited to have an actual pantry... as a larger family storage is paramount so I kind of ring-fenced my precious walk in. The only worry with your suggestion is that we are trying not to overwhelm the kitchen with cabinets as it isn't very big and we are so fed up of being cramped that we really want to keep things as visually and physically open as possible...

Really bad editing, but combined pantry and bottom half shower room to become shower room S. Top half shower room becomes pantry P (though personally I think the pantry is a waste of space!). Extend hallway a little so access to S is existing pantry door, and access to kitchen is where I've attempted to draw a doorway but drawn a flat semi circle.

Sorry didn't attach!

Ahh sorry, I missed your post @waitrosetrollydolly whilst I was trying to edit mine...

In the architects defence, he had originally put in a smaller shower with the toilet next to it and a wall between the two so it wasn't facing the door. It was us who decided we wanted a bigger shower so moved the toilet It never really sat well with me but I have a husband who doesnt like changes. He gets his head around an idea and then gets frustrated with me changing things up again... he was happy with the toilet where it was if it meant a bigger shower as he is tall (as is our son who is over 6') and our current shower is a tight squeeze for them

Arrggh @titchy I think that is my favourite yet! I feel sorry for my architect if I go back to him again 🙈

I'm no good at this sort of thing. I can't read plans but what about under the stairs for the loo? I really wouldn't do this toilet in the kitchen thing if it were me.

Could you swap the shower room and pantry rooms over then have the door into the shower room from the hallway or as @titchy has drawn above? I really wouldn't want a toilet directly off my kitchen even if people were strict about closing the door!

Sorry - my eyes aren't great but I would compromise pantry every day of the week not to have bathroom door opening on to kitchen - you can store e.g. kitchen rolls / bleach in a loo ( if storage is your problem. )

Oh & by the way @TheJunctionBaby if @titchy 's idea - she has nailed it - so much better to go back a few time now than live with it and think - this really does not work

I think the moving of the door likes he’s suggested now looses you the least space and it will just look like a wall there. So the best idea

Titchys would be good I think if you had more space.

@TheJunctionBaby

My architect has just come back with this... so it will open now towards the bifolds to the garden, and the toilet won't be facing out. What do you think?? We aren't planning on moving anywhere for the forseeable as we have already moved so much, including countries, so we are settling in for the long haul bar any unforseen circumstances.... but still don't want to make the house hard to sell should we need to. Would this still put you off completely as a potential buyer?

Much much better!

@lottle this is what is on the other side of the pantry wall. Our stairs turn at the midpoint and go up over our living room. That little door is our under stair space. Also, we actually only have 10 steps so there just isn't the space or height to go in under the stairs. The door to the kitchen is already too low for the husband and son and they have to duck to get through.

I like Titchy's idea but the husband won't go for it. He just wants open spaces and the addition of extra walls to an already small space is something he's definitely against.

As for the pantry, I'm an avid foodie and do lots of preserving and fermenting and have lots of appliances and gadgets that need a place. We aren't having any wall cabinets to keep the sense of space, so the pantry is a must really.

to add, our ceilings are quite low, so wall cabinets will just make it feel a bit oppressive really. We are working with a very challenging home! Very few straight walls, low ceilings, practically zero storage, awkward spaces and, as it's mid terrace, we can only go longer not wider in any way.

Being someone who has a toilet that is in the corner of the kitchen, don’t do it!
We bought the house without giving it consideration and it’s horrid, you can hear everything, smell everything even with the door shut.
We’re currently in the process of moving over half the downstairs of our house round to change it at a considerable cost

I think Titchy's idea is best. You should work on your DH, maybe tell him you don't want guests to hear him wee when you are having dinner.

@TheJunctionBaby - I think you have just answered your own question there - do you prioritise a pantry over - more kitchen cupboards, over a loo / shower room which opens straight on to your kitchen - I would rather find other places to store my preserves.

I know how you feel - I live in a tiny house - but I cannot have everything - so there are compromises rather than thinking you can have everything

My last piece of advice - is think what will happen day to day with your family. Get that sorted properly & then work out the nicer things which do not happen day to day. So whether that be loo opening in to the kitchen or compromising pantry for cupboards - I do not know - but as ( was it Le Corbusier ) a house is essentially a machine for living in.

I had lots of lovely ideas in my little house - guess what I do not have a lovely console table in little lobby with lovely lamps - I have shoe racks and coat pegs - not what I thought - but it works day to day.

just my two pennyworth

Again I wish you well & hope you find the best solution for you