Understairs toilet in open plan layout

[agentscully]

I’d welcome your views on this.

A second toilet would be valuable in our house of 4 but the only place we can have one would be under the stairs.

This would open into our open plan living/kitchen/diner so not much privacy at all.

Having just had family/friends round over christmas i can’t imaging any one of them feeling comfortable going to the loo whilst we’re all hanging around the same area.

So, should i knock this idea on the head? Bearing in mind we can’t have one anywhere else.

Thanks for your help

It’s tricky - we put in the downstairs loo even though there’s only two of us most of the time and it really does make a difference in our comfort.

The loo under the stairs in the living room seems to work for Mrs Brown 😂

@Yellowjacketforwinter think i’ll have to google that.

Ours is under the stairs in the hallway and is mostly fine, but still feels unnecessarily close to the kitchen when the kids insist on using mid meal! Only one door between a living area and a toilet isn't pleasant in my view. That said if it was the only way to get an additional toilet I would probably do it, but would be sure to tell guests they are welcome to use the bathroom upstairs.

In the photo from ModernHouse, I could imagine keeping a 1.5m wide wall behind the sofa. With all the rest of the space open. Put a big piece of art on it and it will divide the space and give enough privacy for the loo to be useful.

We live in a fully open plan house like that and have gradually put in bookshelves and small walls to divide it into zones (an estate agent would say "broken plan" because that is much easier to live in than fully open plan.

I didn’t realise the law was different in Scotland. In England it has changed though.

How about flipping the living room layout and build a small wall - either L shaped with an end wall blocking off the kitchen, or just a straight wall in front of the toilet door. Then a TV could be mounted on this wall. It could also be a slatted timber wall or something, to allow light to penetrate, but still give privacy to those using the toilet.

@SweetBabyJebus a slatted wall could be interesting as we really want to keep the light in the hallway/ stairs.

You never truly appreciate a downstairs loo until you injure yourself enough that going up and down stairs takes too long. Or when your parents are too old.

But for me I love it cos that there are times your driving home and think oh man need the loo but you hold on almost gome and literally its out the car open the door and thank god loo is downstairs 🙏 🤣

Also if you spend most of your time downstairs who wants to be going up n down for loo.

I couldn't imagine moving to a house without one now.

I think its too open for my taste and the way sofa is kinda blocks the open feeling from.the viewpoint its taken. I like the poster who suggested a slatted wall of something and swap your lounge around or just a slatted wall

Also is you have a small wall and TV on it any sound from TV with be closer to the toilet to drown out any loud noises 😆

personally I’d have a hall way. It would make the toilet generally more useable, be warmer, less noisy, more private when people come to the door and safer in the event of a fire.

@Spectre8 good point!

Maybe a wall or partial wall is something we should think about.

@BungleandGeorge a hallway would definitely be more practical no doubt.
Its just not what we had in mind.

Maybe we need to have a bit of a rethink regarding layout.

I have an open plan diwnstairs

shower room is a door off bottom of stairs- not under stairs

most guest use this loo for a wee, it’s sound proof and 6ft by 6 ft so not small - never heard anyone doing anything

tbh it’s nice not having people go upstairs

ciuld you get the loo sound proofed?

Here are some images .. search for room divider or partition

You can make it look cool instead of it being a solid wall. If you want to swap sofa and TV round obviously make sure it can hold TV on it.

@ivykaty44 I’ll definitely look at getting it sound proofed but it is quite a tight space.

@Spectre8 thank you, i’ll definitely look into this more, i think it would go well style wise.

I agree with this.

Although also think you should do what suits you rather than what other people think might appeal when selling, if you are aiming to stay there a few years.

I mean, I am not a fan of open plan for several reasons, but I think a downstairs toilet is SUCH a plus point in a house. I wouldn't now buy a house without one, or without a space I could put one, without it being directly off a living space.

You have enough room there to have the one big open space if you think it will suit your family and have a hallway.

It would work ok aslong as when guests were over and needed the loo you would just direct them upstairs because otherwise they would have no
Privacy. Toilet could be used for the people that live there only perhaps.

In that scenario, I'd have to ban No 2s in the downstairs loo, even if the extractor fan is Rolls-Royce grade.

How about a glass brick wall to create a hall/divider. Does the screening job and preserves the light.

My initial thought was "eurgh, no", but having a DH who sits in the loo for half an hour at a time, it could be useful. I wouldn't be fully against it, so long as it had a decent door and ventilation.

I really like @SweetBabyJebus suggestion. If you have the back wall - the one that backs onto the kitchen - set back a bit, it gives you somewhere a bit hidden to hang coats and put shoes away. You van front this with slatted wooden doors to mirror the slatted wall into the living area

@UsingChangeofName I think we want to really have it how it suits us and (try) not to worry about the practicalities/ selling. But, yes, we probably could have both.

@GreenIsle guests definitely upstairs, ideally we’d have two loos upstairs and not one downstairs.

@LadyAstor no no. 2s allowed. I think the slatted wall would allow some light to still get through.

Thanks all for the comments/ suggestions. I’m going off to bed to dream of downstairs loos.

direct guests up to the first floor but immediate family can use for a quick pee (not a massive 💩as a general rule). future you will be v grateful when she is caught between a teen in the bath and a gippy tummy …