ᐅ Bathroom Design Options

Hello dear forum community,

I have been thinking for some time about how to best plan the future bathroom in our apartment. Currently, I am quite attached to the developer’s proposal. It includes a bathtub (180x80cm (71x31.5 inches)) and a shower (floor tiled) aligned in a row, with a towel rail, a 120cm (47 inch) washbasin with a vanity unit, a mirror cabinet, and a tall cabinet next to it on the opposite side.

Concept:

More detailed with dimensions

Disadvantage:
The plumber can only supply straight glass panels, which would be installed on the bathtub, so the shower depth is limited to the bathtub’s length (180x80cm (71x31.5 inches)). With a tiled ledge, the shower could be slightly extended, but the width is limited to less than 90cm (271.5cm minus 180cm minus plaster and tiles) anyway.

The plan shows a 90x90cm (35x35 inch) shower, but only the floor is tiled and its size could be individually adapted. Without a tiled ledge, it would only be 90x80cm (35x31.5 inches).

With a tiled ledge, possibly about 90x85cm (35x33 inches).

Alternatively, the bathtub could be omitted, which would of course allow for a very spacious walk-in shower, but my wife might not be happy with that.

After discussing with colleagues yesterday, I came across the following option:
Bathtub placed in front of the window (parapet height is 150cm (59 inches), the window itself is 120cm (47 inches) wide and 80cm (31.5 inches) high)

Advantage: The shower could be significantly larger (currently 100x100cm (39x39 inches) in the plan), which feels a bit too big, and the entrance area is quite crowded.
Disadvantage: Bathtub in front of the window and an unused corner at the top right. However, based on measurements and estimates, I believe it is possible to open the window (unfortunately hinged on the right) over the bathtub.

It might also be possible to insert a half-height drywall partition with glass panels on top to partially separate the shower area, but I feel this would reduce the sense of space even further.

Do you have any comments or suggestions for improvement?
Which option would you prefer?
I would really appreciate your feedback.

For reference, I have attached the shell construction dimensions once again.

I can’t solve it for you, but maybe I can offer a few ideas. In my opinion, a square glass shower should be 90x90cm (35x35 inches); any larger seems too big. For a walk-in shower, it should be about 140cm (55 inches) long, although 120cm (47 inches) can also work depending on shower habits. We use both sizes here, but 120cm is too short for me, so we added an extra 20cm (8 inches) glass panel. The next shower will definitely be half-height, built with Ytong blocks or similar, with the glass panel from the glazier installed flush on the outside, creating a shelf inside; the advantage is that you don’t always have to wipe down the large panel or bend over for ages (getting lazy with age). Also, the shower bar will be recessed into the wall.

I really dislike placing a shower wall on top of a bathtub. The bathtub under the window doesn’t look bad at all, and opening it isn’t a problem. The “dead corner” could be avoided or nicely designed with shelves or similar. Maybe even a large bathtub built in centrally with shelves on both sides or a heated towel rail. Just a rough idea...

By the way, where is the toilet located?

Thanks first for the quick response.
The toilet is in a separate room to the left of the bathroom. We briefly considered combining them, but having the toilet separate is quite convenient when guests come over. Somehow, the bathroom then feels like a more private space.
The idea of using Ytong blocks is good; I could possibly use them to slightly separate the shower area while also creating some storage space inside. The idea of placing the bathtub in the middle in front of the window is also good.

Unfortunately, the 3D planner doesn’t allow this quickly. One just has to imagine the partition next to it. Maybe the compartments could be made accessible from the front, for towels and such.

Shower:
Glass, as described by pagoni, applied on the outside of the Ytong. A hinged door at the front to enter the shower.

I actually quite like it.
Would the Ytong possibly make the bathroom feel too cramped?
There’s no real necessity to separate the shower like this, right?

So... these are mostly rough ideas from my side, or ones I’ve had myself. My idea was to position the Ytong wall lengthwise, about 120 or 140cm (47 or 55 inches) long along the window area, with glass on top and no door. As the door is shown in the picture now, it would conflict with the bathroom door. We have two versions here: one with 140cm (55 inches) and one with 120cm (47 inches), both possible without a door (I personally prefer without). The entrance to the shower would be around 60cm (24 inches), which is okay, especially since you would have clearance for your arm on the left side (bathtub). You’ll have to check the measurements yourself though. The built-in tub would basically mark the end of the shower area. The Ytong wall shouldn’t be too high, maybe about 100cm (39 inches); the glazier did a great job here for a fraction of the price of a shower cabin.

What I had before and also really liked is a kind of spiral design, also made of Ytong and glass set at a corner, which stabilizes the glass without braces.

If you find any of this interesting, I can send pictures; just to give you some ideas that you might adapt to your setup. I don’t like the installer’s idea though, it looks very much like a rental apartment from the 1980s... All three options were/are comfortable for me (each square in the plan represents 10cm (4 inches)). You could adjust the bathroom plan with the spiral design in size or rotate it. It’s perfectly fine if your bathroom door opens 90 degrees; Ytong with 7.5cm (3 inch) thickness is enough.

fritzi001 schrieb:

Plumber can only install straight glass walls

Which plumber exactly? Have you checked if you can find someone who can supply the glass wall according to your specifications?

I have a bathroom exactly like that. A bathtub next to the shower, with a half-height Ytong wall in between, topped with a glass panel. I know your issues very well.

One thing to keep in mind: Your plan only shows the structural dimensions. After plastering, you lose several centimeters! In my case, what was 2.88m (9 ft 5 in) became 2.83m (9 ft 3 in).

That’s a tight space for a 180cm (71 inches) tub and a 100cm (39 inches) shower tray. And the walls still weren’t completely straight. That’s a problem for the shower tray. That’s sometimes how it is with older buildings.

We solved it by recessing both the tub and the shower tray slightly into the wall, creating about 5cm (2 inches) of space between the two. Then we built up with 7.5cm (3 inches) Ytong blocks and also made slight grooves so the tub and tray are set slightly into the wall.

The glass shower screen is still missing—it has to be custom made by a glazier, which is expensive. Plumbers only offer ugly prefabricated systems that you can’t easily install directly on the wall.

Would it be an option for you to use a 1.70m (67 inches) bathtub?

fritzi001 schrieb:

Does the Ytong wall possibly make the bathroom feel too cramped? Is there really a need to separate the shower with it?

No, the wall works really well. I find it better than a glass panel directly on the tub. What’s often offered is a floor-to-ceiling glass panel that basically stands in front of the bathtub or partition wall.