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Original poster

Change of bathroom layout.

28 replies

charliechinuk · 14/12/2023 18:25

Hi

Hope you all are well?

I wonder if you could give me some advice. We are hoping to change the layout of our bathroom and install new bathroom suite. We are going to change the layout of the bathroom which involves moving the door from the left to the right.

Can anyone spot any problems with the new layout?

Thanks.

Change of bathroom layout.
Change of bathroom layout.
OP posts:
simolias · 14/12/2023 18:39

@charliechinuk I think the new layout looks much better. The main issue could be where the soil pipe stack is now and how you will connect the toilet to the soil pipe. Fall calculation for this is a minimum 1/40 ie 1cm drop for every 40cm of pipe to maximum of 1/110, that includes a soil pipe inside the house not just basin waste. Solids move slower than liquids and you want everything to move to the outside stack. As long as you have enough drop from the soil pipe inside it should all move nicely.

Freshair1 · 14/12/2023 19:02

I would move the toilet next to the window..put the sink next and then have the door open on minimal storage. Less clunky than opening the door on someone mid pluck/shave/mid-life breakdown.

Rollercoaster1920 · 14/12/2023 19:30

Moving the door opening is quite and expense. Is it really worth it?

Freshair1 · 14/12/2023 19:35

Rollercoaster1920 · 14/12/2023 19:30

Moving the door opening is quite and expense. Is it really worth it?

Good point. You could stick the tall storage behind the door where the bath is. So opening the door means you open onto a sink and toilet and nothing else. Cleaner in terms of visual clutter.

CatherinedeBourgh · 14/12/2023 21:42

I'd also put the toilet next to the window - closer to the current position and further from the door, so it will feel more spacious when walking in.

Moving the door is only a big expense if the wall is structural, otherwise it's not that big a job.

UsingChangeofName · 14/12/2023 22:04

Moving the door (which then means redecorating the hall / stairs landing - another big job) and moving the toilet (so moving the soil stack) seems a lot of work (disruption and cost) when you aren't really gaining anything.
I can see the point if you were trying to fit something extra in - a standalone shower or something - but you have ended up with the same things in the bathroom.
You could put storage between the current door and bath if you wish ?

Seaside3 · 14/12/2023 22:11

Can you not just have the door open to the left, as in against the wasted space on left? You could then put storage on right next to Bath. Also, wheres the radiator?

Personally I'm a fan of a bath under the window, but that's just me.

Geneticsbunny · 15/12/2023 08:16

If you have a busy bathroom where people are sink sharing to brush teeth then having the sink next to the door will be annoying. I have made that mistake.

Geneticsbunny · 15/12/2023 08:17

Tbh I think the current layout is much more practical apart from the obvious lack of storage.

KirstenBlest · 15/12/2023 08:34

Rehang the door so it's hinged on the left hand side. Have the tall storage on the wall facing the window.

Reallybadidea · 15/12/2023 08:39

If you are set on knocking walls around then you could put a turn in the stairs round to the left and extend the bathroom into the space this gives on the landing. You should be able to fit a separate shower in this way.

CatherinedeBourgh · 15/12/2023 08:41

Reallybadidea · 15/12/2023 08:39

If you are set on knocking walls around then you could put a turn in the stairs round to the left and extend the bathroom into the space this gives on the landing. You should be able to fit a separate shower in this way.

That's a good idea. Would you put the bath into the recess on the landing and the shower against the far wall?

Reallybadidea · 15/12/2023 08:59

CatherinedeBourgh · 15/12/2023 08:41

That's a good idea. Would you put the bath into the recess on the landing and the shower against the far wall?

Show quote history

Difficult to say without dimensions and knowing where the soil pipe is. I'd be more inclined to put the shower in the recess though.

WashItTomorrow · 15/12/2023 09:05

No, I think it’s worse. The toilet will be in the middle of the room to navigate around. We have the same layout. We turned the door around so it opens to the left, so when open it lies flat against the left wall.

Talipesmum · 15/12/2023 09:12

I can see the problem of the current door location - it gives you a view straight of the toilet and it doesn’t allow for much storage as there’s wasted space next to the bath.

How about something like this? Move the door (actually it could open either way, might be better opening to the left other than how I drew it), tall storage on the left as you come in, tall radiator next to it. Then loo and sink in similar places but more “built in” with concealed cistern and cupboard storage underneath as in your new plan.

You can have a mirror on the front of the cupboard at the top, or maybe have a lower radiator and a mirror over that.

Change of bathroom layout.
Talipesmum · 15/12/2023 09:16

Or this - switch the door so it opens the other way, tall storage to the side of the bath?

Though that might make it hard to get to the taps.

Change of bathroom layout.
ReviewingTheSituation · 15/12/2023 09:22

I think the proposed layout is much worse than the current! Moving the toilet onto an internal wall doesn't make sense (unless, as a PP has said, you were doing so to gain room for a shower or something), moving the door is a palaver (means the impact is on spaces other than just the bathroom), and having the sink right inside the door like that is just odd.

I'd simply rehang the door, which will make the space feel bigger anyway, and put storage on the wall by the bath.

Or.... I'd save the door rehanging money (if your light switch is inside the bathroom you'd probably want to move it to be on the 'right' side of the door, which is likely to put costs up) and treat myself to something nice!

Original poster
charliechinuk · 15/12/2023 09:58

Thanks all. You have all helped. Really appreciate it. Will have a read to every reply later when I have a chance.

Thanks again.

OP posts:
ACurlyWurlyTail · 15/12/2023 10:27

I have this same layout. i moved the door hinges so it opened the other way (took me, with no ideas what i was doing about 2 hours and cost nothing as I reused stuff) bathroom imediately bigger and able to put storage next to the bath

ZenNudist · 15/12/2023 10:28

I think your new lay out is wose and the idea to rehang the door and storage next to Bath is a good one.

You could also swap the existing toilet and sink location so there is room for a shallow depth mirrored cabinet on the wall above the sink.

We recently put in a sink with 2 drawer storage underneath. That plus the mirror cabinets is all the storage we need. Tallboy or similar next to bath could be good for towels.

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 15/12/2023 11:04

If you're going to the expense (and mess) of moving a door, could you consider a sliding pocket door instead? Frees up loads of space, you may need to build a stud wall to conceal it depending on your existing wall. We've done this for all our tight spaces and it's worked really well

NotFastButFurious · 15/12/2023 14:02

I wouldn't go to the effort of moving doors and soil stacks and if you're the sort of household where more than one person at a time uses the bathroom, that sink looks awfully close to the opening door.
I would keep the current layout but build the toilet and sink into units with a counter top right across the top and then you'll get a cupboard under the sink and potentially one to the side. You can maybe also put a tall storage unit behind the door.

RussPAll · 15/12/2023 15:46

Oh dear, the suggested layout was my idea, and doesn’t seem to have gone down too well! 😅

A problem we’ve not mentioned - with the window in front of the sink, we’re really struggling without a mirror - it’s driving us a bit nuts. Also, the hallway isn’t currently decorated, so moving the door is atm quite easy for us.

If we move the sink and toilet further along to the outside wall, and move the tall unit to by the door, is the layout still really that bad? 😕

Rollercoaster1920 · 15/12/2023 16:54

I have a layout like your current one, and a family member has a layout like your suggestion. I do prefer the bath to one side and sink and toilet to the other, but the door needs to be in the middle of the room. Also their bathroom door opens outwards so the sink clash and door stops are not an issue.

Big pros of that layout are that the radiator and window are accessible, the sink can have a mirror (or even a slimline mirror / wall cabinet) above it.

I suspect a tall unit would be too much in that size bathroom whichever layout. Do get a sink with drawers under for storage, although a damp bathroom is limited in terms of how much you can store there.
I'd personally stick with a standard style loo for ease of maintenance and replacement. Concealed cistern style will make the room feel smaller and you might have to break into tiled boxing to fix any issues (expensive!) A standard but close-to-wall loo with a sink / vanity unit that is off the floor would be enough in that size room.

Do you actually have enough space to move the door over and comply with building regs for the top of the stairs / landing? I doubt an outward opening door would pass.
https://www.labc.co.uk/news/landing-dimensions-stairs-and-ramps-within-dwellings

Do consider where the doorstop goes. You don't want it where you step in and out of the bath or where you stand to brush your teeth! hat might mean it is best to have the shower on the internal wall rather than the external wall end of the bath,

Landing dimensions for stairs and ramps within dwellings | LABC

Building regulations require landings at the top and bottom of every stair or ramp flight. The length of the landing should be at least as long as the stair or ramp is wide. The width of a stair or ramp is defined as the clear width between the walls o...

https://www.labc.co.uk/news/landing-dimensions-stairs-and-ramps-within-dwellings

JamMakingWannaBe · 15/12/2023 17:04

If you are in Scotland, your proposed new layout won't meet Building Standards. There needs to be 1m in front of the toilet pan for disability access.

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