If you are honest, you would probably
rather die than allow a guest to use your children's bathroom. Or think of how
your mornings would be revolutionized if only the vanity in your teenagers'
bathroom was separate from the shower. No more fighting over bathroom time! It's
amazing the difference a well-placed, well-designed bathroom can make.
Fortunately, when you are considering a bath in your home remodel, there are
several options available to meet your family's needs.
A
well-designed family bath goes a long way toward helping your home
function better for your family. Nice finishes and fixtures can add an
extra splash to a very practical room. Many feature two
sinks.
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Powder room: "Powder room" is a fancy
name for a guest bathroom. Also called a half bath, this tiny bathroom has just
a sink and a toilet and needs at least 16 square feet of space. Its primary
function is for short-term guests; therefore a powder room is generally located
near the front entry or another public area. A powder room can be elaborately
decorated, serving both a functional and decorative purpose in your home.
Family half-bath: Some floor plans will include a half bath near the garage
entry, possibly in conjunction with a laundry or mud room. These tend to be more
practical. This half bath provides a place to clean up from outside work or play
before entering the main part of the home. Only larger homes tend to have both a
family half bath and a powder room, so generally this bath would also serve
guests, and it tends to be less formal.
Family bathroom: Assuming you have a master bathroom for the use of the
parents (which we discussed in an earlier column), a family bathroom is for
other family members. The family bath may include one or two sinks and a
bathtub, shower, or bathtub/shower combination. Separating the sinks from the
toilet and shower allows more than one person to use the room at the same time.
This type of bath requires at least 40 square feet.
A "Jack and Jill" bathroom: This type of bathroom is located between two
bedrooms. Each bedroom has an ante-room with a sink, and both ante-rooms share a
center room where the toilet and bathing facilities are located.
A
powder room can include rich materials and luxurious accents like a
granite counter and a decorative mirror. It is a functional way to keep
public and private spaces in your home
separate.
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Guest bathroom: If a bath is
associated with a guest bedroom, a half bath is not sufficient. You will need at
least a three-quarter bath (sink, toilet, and shower) or a full bath (sink,
toilet, bathtub/shower) connected to the guest bedroom or in close
proximity.
Expect your budget to be about $8,000 to $12,000 for replacing a bathroom in
its current location. A powder room would be proportionally less, while
installing a new bathroom or relocating an existing one would be more due to
additional framing, plumbing, and electrical costs.
And a final note: When designing a bathroom, visual and acoustical privacy
needs to be taken into account. If you can see the toilet from the living room
or front entry, go back to the drawing board and try again!
Architects
Ann Robinson, AIA, and Annie Vernon, AIA, welcome your design
questions at Ask@RenovationDesignGroup.com.
Robinson and Vernon are founding principals of Renovation
Design Group, a local architectural firm specializing in residential
remodeling design.
To register for "Designing a Remodel with Character &
Class," call 533-5331 or click
here for details.
© 2005 Deseret News
Publishing Company
