Where to put downstairs bathroom?

[cluelessaboutinteriors]

Hi, can anyone help me with some initial thoughts on where we could site a downstairs bathroom? I do also plan to speak to architects but that could take some time to sort out. I think the least complicated point would be to take a section out of the kitchen where it connects to the living room. That will be directly under the current bathroom and can use the same pipe work. I don’t think we can use our under stairs cupboard because it opens onto the living room.

The other option is the far end of the kitchen, which isn’t used as a diner (as indicated on the floor plan). It’s wasted space at the moment, just used as storage for bikes, scooters and other random bits and looks a mess most of the time. The study is used as a study and I don’t think we would want to re-site our workspace.

I do think the best use of the space would be to do a side return extension, put a stud wall in the dining room to create a corridor from the front door to the kitchen and essentially rearrange the whole of the downstairs, however we are likely moving on 2-3 years and I don’t think it’s worth the hassle and expense for us.

Also, the study doesn’t have any existing pipe work, it’s always been used as a study or bedroom

I would cut about 1m off the kitchen. on the left, you can have a big utility cupboard (U) with washer & dryer stacked up. on the right, you have a door to the new loo under the stairs (W) but with a bit of extra space so it is not to squashed. Doors to both of these would come off the new little passage, which could also have a door to the living room and a pocket door (P) to the kitchen. that way, you can close either door when you want to shut of the noise of laundry or the loo from the room you are using. But you can have both doors open as needed too.

you won't lose much kitchen space because you are getting the laundry out of the kitchen which is always an improvement.

Wow @parietal are you an architect tat suggestion sounds good too, although we don’t currently use a dryer but we could have the washing machine and shelves to store laundry related things

@cluelessaboutinteriors

Wow *@parietal* are you an architect tat suggestion sounds good too, although we don’t currently use a dryer but we could have the washing machine and shelves to store laundry related things

We wanted to put in a downstairs loo in a previous house under the stairs but we ran into trouble due to the pipe work. We also looked at a house with an internal bathroom upstairs and they had to have a manhole cover in their new kitchen because you have to have an inspection hole where there is a join to the sewer.

I think you will run into trouble with a loo under your stairs as the soil pipe can't run horizontally under the whole house to the outside - you are best off finding a solution that puts it directly under the upstairs bathroom to link up or at least on the outside wall so you have clear access to the sewer.

I mean you could add in a macerator loo with piping under the house but I don't hear good things about them ....

Oh no I definitely don’t want a macerator, the very idea makes me feel sick 🤢

If you stick to my floor plan, you could put the loo in the utility instead where it will be directly under the existing loo. And then have a bigger utility & store in the half that is under the stairs.

(I'm not an architect but I love rearranging floor plans)

Will there be enough space to put the loo on the left hand side in your plan @parietal? Do you think we can fit a sink in the space too? The washing machine is currently on the left side of the kitchen, I wonder if the plumbing will work to switch it to the right side. Can an architect help me with working out these details?

You can get toilets with integrated wash basins for small cloakrooms. Example So you wouldn't need additional basin space.

It would be clutching with just 1m depth - the door would need to open out and you'd only have about 40cm from door to the edge of the toilet bowl. Would that be enough room?

Personally I prefer parietals initial idea of toilet on the right hand side. I appreciate that the idea of a macerator is off putting but you would have a much better sized cloakroom.