Minimal Full Bathroom

GasSavers_maximilian · 08-24-2009, 05:49 PM

I'm working on the design of my next house and have come up with what I think is the minimal full bathroom that can nest efficiently for adjacent units (keeps all the plumbing together). You could always make it bigger of course, but I don't see it going much smaller. Trying to do the same for a stall shower, but it creates dead spaces I haven't figured a good use for yet.

theholycow · 08-24-2009, 05:58 PM

Flip the tubs around. That will reduce the hot water plumbing, you can tee off right near the sinks. There's plenty of room for entering past the tub faucet even when you have to go around the toilet. It could possibly get tight with a two-piece sliding shower door, I guess...

Why minimalism with bathrooms? That's an important room, IMO!

GasSavers_maximilian · 08-24-2009, 06:04 PM

I agree about flipping the tubs. I was thinking about clearance as you say, but you're right. I am designing with minimalism in all regards. Less to build, less to heat/cool, less to clean, lower property taxes. It may be a design exercise more than anything, but I may want to go that route. Working on a combination coffee table/dining room table/computer table to go along with a combo Murphy bed/sofa (those exist already). The kitchen is the tough part, since I want the units to be separate so I can't combine anything (in theory I could use one compressor for both freezers, but that's unlikely to be worth the effort).

GasSavers_Pete · 08-24-2009, 08:58 PM

A good design and I also was going to suggest you change the bath taps (faucets) to the other end.
By the way there is on the market a "handbasin over the toilet cistern" set up which does double duty and allows a water saver function too.

One final thought is to have a common "tap and outlet" to serve both the bath and the hand basin. Save the costs of one set and is just as convenient as having a set for each. You may have to redesign the layout to get it all to work though.

Have a look at the bathroom set ups in RV's , motorhomes , etc. Also some of the stuff out of Japan (small bath (and other) room specialists for generations) might be worth look.
If you can , get a look at the equipment used in aircraft and submarines as well. Really small spaces but some good ideas for utilising what little space there is.

Pete.

GasSavers_maximilian · 08-25-2009, 02:34 AM

Great suggestions! I wish resale value wasn't part of the equation. Makes me compromise on a lot of stuff.

**Jay2TheRescue** · 08-25-2009, 03:41 AM

Speaking of resale value... whenever I think of combined toilets & sinks I can't get the image of a prison toilet out of my mind... That may effect resale value.

http://www.litesourceaustralia.com/w..._and_Pans.html

GasSavers_maximilian · 08-25-2009, 06:04 AM

Bet those SS units aren't cheap!

dkjones96 · 08-25-2009, 06:33 AM

Don't forget the instant water heaters! Cold only to the bathroom(s) and kitchen/washroom saves you half the work of plumbing. However, unless you use low-flow heads your typical small instant heater won't be able to keep up with both showers at once.

I would personally just make it a shared bathroom with an instant heater and no tub if it isn't a master bathroom. You'd be surprised how little most people care about a non-master full bath instead of a 3/4 bath when it comes to buying a house. You'd also be surprised how many people like the master bath to have a regular tub AND a shower. People don't take as much time out of their days for baths anymore and a shower is easier to keep up. I wish my apartment had one!

Plus, there is NO extra room in that bathroom. If you go that route you'll have a problem selling to any heavy set people i.e. half the world population. I am by no stretch of the imagination someone you would call fat and I have a toilet setup similar to that in my apartment and I hate it.

Oh yeah, back to the washroom thing, if you are putting a washroom in the house, toss a small shower stall and wash basin in there. A LOT of people don't look for that but once they see it they love it because you have a place to wash the dogs/cats without getting water all over the good bathrooms!

GasSavers_RoadWarrior · 08-25-2009, 07:15 AM

My Grandparents had a simple setup... cold water in the kitchen...

That was it. Grandma had to fill the "Gas copper" with a bucket for hot water...

Actually by the time I was old enough to remember very clearly they had a plumbed in bathroom and water heaters.