ᐅ Minimum Distance Between a Vanity Unit and a Shower Enclosure

Hello,
we have decided to take on the challenge of redesigning our bathroom directly with a local craftsman, without involving a bathroom planner. He said, "Trust me, I’ll handle everything; it’s just a matter of removing the old bathroom and installing the new one." As I said, we want to redesign it, and now I’m trying to work out the detailed planning. (His initial rough plan on paper already proved to be impractical, as there was too little space between the washbasin and the shower.)
The bathroom measures 3.6 x 1.8 meters (12 x 6 feet) = 6.8 square meters (73 square feet). I will attach the current plan I made myself later if needed.
Along one long wall, we want to line up the toilet, bidet, washbasin, and shower enclosure.

I read on Geberit’s website that there should be at least 20 cm (8 inches) of space between the washbasin and the shower. That seems very little to me, and unfortunately, I don’t have any real-world comparisons. To me, at least 35 cm (14 inches) seems necessary, as you also need to be able to clean the shower cabin wall (glass) from the outside, and the washbasin height varies between 45 - 60 cm (18 - 24 inches) depending on the model. Above this, there will also be a mirror cabinet of the same width.

Could someone possibly help me? What is the minimum distance, and from what distance is the space considered “comfortable”?

Thank you very much!

ChriHer schrieb:

I will attach the current plan I created later if needed.

Why wait until later if it is needed right away?

ChriHer schrieb:

Because you also need to clean the shower screen (glass) from the outside sometimes.

There are shower enclosures that can be folded in.

ChriHer schrieb:

Can someone help me? What is the minimum clearance, and at what point is it considered "comfortable"?

It depends on the shower enclosure… there are many different entry experiences.

Then show your dimensioned plan and where you are considering placing things.

ypg schrieb:

why wait until later if it’s needed immediately?

there are shower enclosures that can be folded away.

it depends on the shower enclosure… there are many different types of entry experiences.

then show your dimensioned plan and where you imagine placing what.

Thank you for your feedback! I wasn’t able to upload the plan earlier because I was not at my home computer. Here it is.
With a 70cm (28 inches) washbasin and a semicircular 90cm (35 inches) enclosure as in the plan, I should be on the safe side; with an 80cm (31 inches) washbasin, the remaining distance would only be 35cm (14 inches) according to the current layout. However, I am currently leaning more towards a square 90cm (35 inches) enclosure.

At first, we planned the shower "bottom right." See the very bottom "...Dusche-rechts-unten.jpg." But the passage to the window might be a bit narrow there, and we wouldn’t be able to place tall cabinets "under the window" at the top right. I’m attaching a visualization of this option as well. Unfortunately, my partner only discussed everything verbally with the local plumbing store, and we — somewhat naively — no longer know the exact distances and shower dimensions that were agreed on. (A follow-up email inquiry remains unanswered.) A semicircular 90x90cm (35x35 inches) shower enclosure might work in that configuration. Because of the additional slope, the shower tray would, of course, have to be a bit higher than in front of the window, and the drain pipe would need to be extended accordingly. (In front of the window with the channel as drawn, it fits the current drain pipe position.)

The infrared heater should be ceiling-mounted. Everything marked in red, except for the still unanswered question to the contractor regarding the “installation shaft for the wall-hung toilet...,” relates to the electrical system.

Thank you!

Maybe you’ll get a better sense by not using a spreadsheet program, but a simple graphic or space planning tool... or even a hand drawing on graph or millimeter paper. For now, leave out lamps and accessories like towel holders. These can also be placed on the long wall later. Ceiling lights just cause confusion.

ChriHer schrieb:

I read from Geberit that there should be at least 20cm (8 inches) of space between the washbasin and the shower.
...
What is the minimum distance, and from which point is it considered “comfortable”?

There is no universally applicable minimum distance. Think of small hotel bathrooms where often there is no gap at all, and consider that daily cleaning takes time and money. It usually won’t be that impractical if the layout is done thoughtfully.

Even if it creates a long corridor, I quite like galja’s version. To address the cleaning issue, I would construct the partition to the shower enclosure up to the height of the washbasin with a solid wall, and above that install glass up to a height of 2.2m (7 ft 3 in). I would also fix the washbasin firmly in place and use a countertop basin on top (this is common in many modern hotels). To manage moisture in the bathroom, the shower wall can hinder cross-ventilation somewhat, so consider installing an extractor if the infrastructure allows. Try standing directly under an infrared heating panel to see how comfortable it feels for you. Some people love it, others don’t. Let that guide where you position it. By the way, infrared heaters also come in large mirror formats (which have worked very well in our children’s bathrooms). With the small window and shower enclosure, you will always need artificial lighting. Ceiling-mounted flat LED panels with daylight quality can help achieve pleasant yet functional illumination. You could create something special from the long free wall – turning the “bug” into a “feature.” Definitely avoid tiling the wall all the way to the ceiling, as this will make the room acoustically unpleasant.

hampshire schrieb:

There is no universally valid minimum distance. Think of tight hotel bathrooms, where often there is no space at all, and remember that cleaning costs money every day. It probably won’t be that impractical if designed with some thought.

Even if it creates a long hallway, I quite like galja’s version. To address the cleaning issue, I would build the partition to the shower cabin up to the washbasin height with a wall, and then continue with glass up to a height of 2.2 m (7 feet 3 inches).
I would also install the washbasin fixed and place a countertop basin on top (as you can see in many modern hotels). Since the shower wall somewhat hinders cross-ventilation to remove moisture from the bathroom, you could add an exhaust fan if the infrastructure allows. Try out how comfortable it feels standing directly under an infrared panel. Some people love it, others don’t. Let that guide where you position it. By the way, infrared heaters are also available as large mirror panels (which have worked very well in our children’s bathrooms). With the small window and shower cabin, you will always need artificial lighting. Flat LED panels with daylight quality on the ceiling can help create pleasant yet functional illumination. You can make something special out of the long free wall – turning the “bug” into a “feature.” Definitely do not tile up to the ceiling, as that would make the room acoustically very unpleasant.

I currently have a very small bathroom myself, and we want to avoid that cramped hotel-like feeling as much as possible. But it’s true that you can get used to a lot. I wasn’t aware that even the 20 cm (8 inches) minimum distance is sometimes undershot—it’s been a long time since I stayed in hotels.

Yes, we are also leaning strongly towards the “everything aligned on the left” version = “Galja” attachment.

Am I correct in understanding that if you build the shower wall up to washbasin height, you would leave the entrance “below” open, since otherwise access would only be a maximum of about 45 cm (18 inches) wide? Then the shower would probably need to be enlarged to about 120 cm (47 inches, built) by 90 cm (35 inches), otherwise there will surely be flooding. Also, we should definitely avoid reinstalling the previously concreted-in central floor drain in the bathroom because of odor issues – the house has no modern system to prevent odors like today’s standard, and retrofitting would be complicated and likely risky or have side effects.

I want to avoid adding an extra exhaust fan for now; it would then have to be installed on the “upper” wall, for example above the bidet.

Thanks for the note regarding infrared heating from above. Since there is no central heating, we have to heat electrically somehow. My initial idea was a suitable 1000-watt towel heater “down” on the left next to the left power socket. Then I came across some infrared heater suppliers whose local representatives recommended a panel on the ceiling as the best solution, even better than the infrared mirror. Worth trying out locally.

Are you referring to a suspended ceiling when you mention lighting? Isn’t that a prime cause for mold? Our builder insists on installing a suspended ceiling “up to the highest tile,” which would be about 20 cm (8 inches) with tile height of 20 cm (8 inches) and ceiling height of 260 cm (8 feet 6 inches). But that would make the window visually touch the ceiling, which would reinforce the narrow corridor impression. Galja definitely does not want that.

The old bathroom was tiled almost to the ceiling (240 cm / 7 feet 10 inches) and it did not echo. Your idea to tile the “lower” wall opposite the sanitary fixtures to a lower height, perhaps stepped somehow, is something I need to think about. Currently, a continuous border like in the visualization and the same tile height everywhere is planned.