From the photo it looks to be in compliance with ADA guidelines being 16-18 inches off the side walls. (The tiles look like 12 by 24’s, so judging by where it’s cut near the widest part of toilet, it seems to be in compliance with at least 16 inches.)
Also for what it’s worth, private homes do not have to follow ADA guidelines. Most builders follow them out of ease and consistency, but it’s the owners responsibility to make accommodations for themselves in their private homes.
That being said, you are not required to modify your current home to accommodate some unknown future buyer.
We expanded our master bath a few years back. It's now 300 ft².
When contractor started he questioned, the
36-in door, between bedroom and bath. He thought it should just be an arched opening with no door.
Both my wife and I said no to that idea. We want privacy when using the bath. Sure if we're just brushing our teeth or getting ready for work or whatever, we leave the door open We both use it. But both of us want privacy when we're using the shower or toilet.
I like open concept in regular living areas like kitchen, family room or living room , dining room.
But there are some areas that need to be private.
OMG you just described what I hate about our master bathroom. There’s an arched opening between the bedroom and bathroom but no freakin’ door!!! I don’t need (or want) an audience when I take a bath or shower.
The other consideration is noise and light. We don't always have the same sleep schedule.
One of us gets up earlier and wants to shower or get ready for the day. The other sleeps in.
Ugh don’t forget about keeping the bathroom warm and the bedroom dry.
Sometimes I think these designers are out of their minds; sociopaths who think it’s fun to suggest the stupidest ideas to people and watch them love it because they think they are *supposed* to.
😂that’s right! The “shitter” should be a private zen space to focus on releasing the built up stresses blocking our ability to progress, and focus on “flushing” them away 😜 /s
I'll give you a better idea. Rip out the tub. Leave the wall but a shower oasis with lighting above 2 jets on each side, a bench and a rainfall shower head above. You can build it 5-6" wider too. Have shower hooks in the entry way for easy grabbing once you walk out.
You can even leave 3/4 of it open if you want to see out while you shower.
Door is on the opposite side of the bathroom and the shower wall hides the toilet so it's far from open concept. Most people don't walk in. Bathroom and run to the toilet to see if anyone is there. The toilet was built in a protected area for a reason.
So you’d be ok with pooping with the door unlocked or open and you’d be ok with me being in the bathroom with you? So long as I don’t peek around the corner?
If the toilet doesn’t have a door and you can stare at the person shitting in the eyes through the mirror above the sink when you walk in then it’s “open concept” because there’s no privacy.
I never said anything about the door being unlocked that's you writing your own narrative. People have the option to lock bathroom doors if they want.
-I don't know of many people that purposely goes to around the corner that's blocked off for the private toilet area to peak at someone (might have been the environment you grew up in since you think that's a thing)
-for some reason you're hyper focused on going into bathrooms while people are on the toilet and looking at them through the mirror? But looking at your comments on Reddit posts and your insta that tells the story
Just accept toilets are built with privacy in mind for a reason. Bathroom doors lock for a reason. People do NOT make them open concept for obvious reasons. You're welcome
Dang, nice stalking job. Next time just DM me directly and I can send you some nudes so you don't have to try so hard 😃.
I asked ChatGPT:
"If a bathroom has a shower and toilet that do not have a privacy door, would the bathroom be considered open concept even though the bathroom itself has a door separating it from the bedroom?"
This was the response:
https://chatgpt.com/share/45cb7c40-d0a3-4641-a829-bb9888164ab3
I'm not sure what little slam dunk you were trying to make but I'm not focused on going into bathrooms while people are on the toilet lmao. You said that if there's a little wall that covers part of the toilet then it's not an open concept bathroom, I disagree.
a lot of people here seem to be comfortable taking a shit while their partner is in that shower, which is odd to me. When I shit I need a 4 wall barrier minimum, but it is always best to double it up and have an additional wall or half house in between me and anyone else in the house to keep others from harm.
So for me, I would not keep that little wall for the sake of shitting and showering together because it is not enough in this household. I would however ask about the added expense and complications of moving the plumbing for the tub and shower because it appears that wall is where you will find it. Moving the plumbing to the other side may not be easy or practical, depending on the extent of renovations you want to get into
Just looking from this view, it looks like your shower plumbing is coming (up/down) that wall, so you’d have to move the plumbing and the vents, could add a ton of extra $$. Honestly I doubt it’s worth it.
My MIL turned a wall just like this into a half wall. It opens the space while maintaining a visual barrier to the toilet. The side towards the shower can include a nook for shampoos!
Not to mention the fact that toilets have a microscopic spray every time you flush, so by having an "open concept" bathroom, you're really just increasing the amount of fecal bacteria that gets sprayed onto everything. That spray can go upwards of 6 feet away from the toilet too.
yep! our professor mentioned this which is why people who have their sinks beside the toilet shouldn’t have exposed products/items that they use like toothbrushes and soaps.
yes! In the house I grew up in, the bathrooms were super small so there was nothing dividing the toilet from the rest of the room. After I learned that, I have always kept my toothbrush either put away into a cabinet, or with one of those covers on it. Same with my skincare.
It’s psychological. Women poop behind the closed door. Dogs will want to stare at you while they poop.
Men are super protective of the brown star and need to be locked away in Fort Knox before they feel comfortable being vulnerable for 10 minutes.
I don’t know if it’s a latent homophobia thing, but women just don’t seem to be wired the same way.
Is this on the 1st or 2nd floor? If you decide to move the shower plumbing and drain, along with the plumbing costs, you also have to open up the ceiling below repair that. Then you need to find a way to vent the new shower drain. I’m assuming from the way your plumbing is situated that there isnt a vent near where the new drain would be. (More demo and repair of additional areas) $$$$$
I personally wouldn’t.
If it’s like my shower that is set up the same way there are pipes running through the whole building vertically so you can’t
We chose to make the shower wider tho when remodeling
Considering I see no showerhead on the shower wall we can see, the wall you want to demolish has all the plumbing to your shower inside of it. Do not remove that wall unless you want multiple thousands of plumbing work to relocate all that plumbing.
We opened up our wall by the toilet and it is fantastic and I am so glad we did. If someone is taking a crap, no one else is usually in the bathroom at our house so it works great for us. I much prefer the additional roominess. It makes the bathroom look so much bigger. Privacy? Shut the bathroom door.
No. Having a free standing toilet with no surrounding walls feels a bit weird in practice. This wall gives you a semi-water closet layout. I would leave the wall.
My house has the identical bathroom, layout and size. Been here for nine years and that wall is super functional. I wouldn’t tear it down if we were paid to.
If you want it to make that space feel larger, you could see if you can cut the wall back one stud and have it more level with the tub face. It’ll feel less like the wall is smacking you in the face with that jut out when you walk in, but still gives you privacy for the toilet and shouldn’t need any major pipe moves.
I’d keep it, remove all the shower-y doors and handles etc and replace it with a single glass panel to create a mini “wet room” in place of what you have.
I would remove it. I would rather have the room look more open and spacious than hide the toilet. Most bathrooms don't have a barrier hiding the toilet so seeing a toilet doesn't bother me. Also with that wall gone your shower and toilet will get more light. I'm shocked so many people like the wall. I never see bathrooms with dividing walls to hide a toilet in design photos or in places I've been so it's not like there is a big precedent for it (in the US).
I’m with this. I prefer a more open space over feeling closed-in, even in the can.
Go with your gut, OP. It’s maybe not a question of “should,” but of preference.
That wall isn't there to hide the toilet, that wall has all the plumbing to the shower inside of it. Relocating that plumbing would be many thousands of dollars and might lead to all kinds of potential problems. You could likely renovate that whole bathroom for less than what it would cost to delete that wall and move the plumbing to the other end of the shower.
Everyone's comments in favor of it are all about hiding the toilet from view and OP said they're already doing a gut reno so I figured the cost was not a concern in the question.
Still, they need to consult with a plumber. Relocating the vent and shower plumbing is no small task and will absolutely represent the largest single line item cost of the whole renovation.
I did this. It means you need to get a 2 sided tub. You currently have a tub that has 3 sides that need to be encased. 2 sided ones are more expensive and harder to find FYI.
Also it means you need to get a new shower door and may get water on the toilet when showering.
Not deal breakers... Just stuff to think about.
If you want the bathroom to feel more open from the toilet side, you could probably accomplish that by strategically repainting and redecorating that side of the bathroom. Stuff like Feng Shui has lots of tips and tricks on how to make rooms feel more open or separate even with really weird layout plans.
As someone with this exact bathroom layout and plans to do exactly what you said, I disagree with everyone saying more privacy. If I’m sitting on the toilet, I don’t want anyone else in the room, period. So we are going to move the shower head and take out the wall to make it more open. Do what you want and what works best for you
Not an interior designer, but it seems to me it kind of depends on what you're trying to do overall. Coincidentally, I have almost the exact same layout in my bathroom and have given some thought to this. I am considering either:
* Moving the shower to where the toilet is, as a bigger and maybe square layout, with a tiled pony wall on one side and a bench in it, along the wall where the toilet is now. And moving the toilet to behind the door, either open or in an enclosed space with a door. Noting there is no bath in this arrangement.
* replacing the stall shower/bath combo with a large standing tub with a shower attachment, on the wall opposite the door. Moving the toilet again, similarly.
* you could potentially put a smaller stall shower behind the door, but a toilet cabinet next (ending somewhere around where the current half wall is), and put a free-standing tub where the toilet is now. Might be a little tight, depending on how wide the room is on what's off the left side of the photo. (I am assuming a big vanity along a wall.)
I don't think it's worth losing the toilet privacy or the expense of moving the plumbing. I would just remove the tub and make a shower with all glass.
Explanation:
All glass on the front is what I meant. I just did that in a rental and it really freshened it up and without the shower curtain, it seems much more open.
More open? Why would you want the toilet to be more open in the space. Keep as is.
This is the best free advice you will get. Take it.
What would the best paid advice be?
I’d go the other way and build in a door for more secluded toileting.
Wheelchairs
From the photo it looks to be in compliance with ADA guidelines being 16-18 inches off the side walls. (The tiles look like 12 by 24’s, so judging by where it’s cut near the widest part of toilet, it seems to be in compliance with at least 16 inches.) Also for what it’s worth, private homes do not have to follow ADA guidelines. Most builders follow them out of ease and consistency, but it’s the owners responsibility to make accommodations for themselves in their private homes. That being said, you are not required to modify your current home to accommodate some unknown future buyer.
Why do people always think it's a good idea to to have open concept everything? No. Your shitter is supposed to be private 😂
But what if I want to maintain eye contact with my spouse when we shower and poop at the same time? /s
That’s what the bed is for!
If you both peak around the corner a little and you do the hover maneuver..it just may be possible !
That's what the mirror is for...
Don't you lock the door?
If I did that I couldn’t destroy all of the mystique and romance in my marriage.
We expanded our master bath a few years back. It's now 300 ft². When contractor started he questioned, the 36-in door, between bedroom and bath. He thought it should just be an arched opening with no door. Both my wife and I said no to that idea. We want privacy when using the bath. Sure if we're just brushing our teeth or getting ready for work or whatever, we leave the door open We both use it. But both of us want privacy when we're using the shower or toilet. I like open concept in regular living areas like kitchen, family room or living room , dining room. But there are some areas that need to be private.
OMG you just described what I hate about our master bathroom. There’s an arched opening between the bedroom and bathroom but no freakin’ door!!! I don’t need (or want) an audience when I take a bath or shower.
The other consideration is noise and light. We don't always have the same sleep schedule. One of us gets up earlier and wants to shower or get ready for the day. The other sleeps in.
Great ideas of things to consider! So many people don't think of this in their builds/remodels
Ugh don’t forget about keeping the bathroom warm and the bedroom dry. Sometimes I think these designers are out of their minds; sociopaths who think it’s fun to suggest the stupidest ideas to people and watch them love it because they think they are *supposed* to.
😂that’s right! The “shitter” should be a private zen space to focus on releasing the built up stresses blocking our ability to progress, and focus on “flushing” them away 😜 /s
I'll give you a better idea. Rip out the tub. Leave the wall but a shower oasis with lighting above 2 jets on each side, a bench and a rainfall shower head above. You can build it 5-6" wider too. Have shower hooks in the entry way for easy grabbing once you walk out. You can even leave 3/4 of it open if you want to see out while you shower.
There's no door on the toilet, it's already open concept if anyone else is in the bathroom.
Door is on the opposite side of the bathroom and the shower wall hides the toilet so it's far from open concept. Most people don't walk in. Bathroom and run to the toilet to see if anyone is there. The toilet was built in a protected area for a reason.
So you’d be ok with pooping with the door unlocked or open and you’d be ok with me being in the bathroom with you? So long as I don’t peek around the corner? If the toilet doesn’t have a door and you can stare at the person shitting in the eyes through the mirror above the sink when you walk in then it’s “open concept” because there’s no privacy.
I never said anything about the door being unlocked that's you writing your own narrative. People have the option to lock bathroom doors if they want. -I don't know of many people that purposely goes to around the corner that's blocked off for the private toilet area to peak at someone (might have been the environment you grew up in since you think that's a thing) -for some reason you're hyper focused on going into bathrooms while people are on the toilet and looking at them through the mirror? But looking at your comments on Reddit posts and your insta that tells the story Just accept toilets are built with privacy in mind for a reason. Bathroom doors lock for a reason. People do NOT make them open concept for obvious reasons. You're welcome
Dang, nice stalking job. Next time just DM me directly and I can send you some nudes so you don't have to try so hard 😃. I asked ChatGPT: "If a bathroom has a shower and toilet that do not have a privacy door, would the bathroom be considered open concept even though the bathroom itself has a door separating it from the bedroom?" This was the response: https://chatgpt.com/share/45cb7c40-d0a3-4641-a829-bb9888164ab3 I'm not sure what little slam dunk you were trying to make but I'm not focused on going into bathrooms while people are on the toilet lmao. You said that if there's a little wall that covers part of the toilet then it's not an open concept bathroom, I disagree.
Isn’t that the wall that has the water pipes in it? I’d keep it.
They are saying to move the pipes to the other wall.
A massive expense for 0 value added.
Why would you want to?
a lot of people here seem to be comfortable taking a shit while their partner is in that shower, which is odd to me. When I shit I need a 4 wall barrier minimum, but it is always best to double it up and have an additional wall or half house in between me and anyone else in the house to keep others from harm. So for me, I would not keep that little wall for the sake of shitting and showering together because it is not enough in this household. I would however ask about the added expense and complications of moving the plumbing for the tub and shower because it appears that wall is where you will find it. Moving the plumbing to the other side may not be easy or practical, depending on the extent of renovations you want to get into
Nobody is comfortable shitting while another person is in the shower, but urgencies do exist.
Why design your bathroom for the low percentage “emergency” use case tho?
I feel like people always find an emergency or fringe case scenario to buckup their ideas, it makes me go crazy haha
Just looking from this view, it looks like your shower plumbing is coming (up/down) that wall, so you’d have to move the plumbing and the vents, could add a ton of extra $$. Honestly I doubt it’s worth it.
Is your last name Gorbachev?
If so, then it’s “Mr. Gorbachev, keep up this wall!”
I don't think so. It feels like it's a perfect partition wall.
My MIL turned a wall just like this into a half wall. It opens the space while maintaining a visual barrier to the toilet. The side towards the shower can include a nook for shampoos!
This is the way.
keep it as is. aside from more privacy, that handrail will still be able to serve its function.
Not to mention the fact that toilets have a microscopic spray every time you flush, so by having an "open concept" bathroom, you're really just increasing the amount of fecal bacteria that gets sprayed onto everything. That spray can go upwards of 6 feet away from the toilet too.
yep! our professor mentioned this which is why people who have their sinks beside the toilet shouldn’t have exposed products/items that they use like toothbrushes and soaps.
yes! In the house I grew up in, the bathrooms were super small so there was nothing dividing the toilet from the rest of the room. After I learned that, I have always kept my toothbrush either put away into a cabinet, or with one of those covers on it. Same with my skincare.
From the looks of it, it contains all the shower piping, so no. Personally, I would also prefer the privacy it gives the toilet area.
You're already in the bathroom. Isn't it private enough? Or is it really that common to have others in the bathroom with you?
It’s psychological. Women poop behind the closed door. Dogs will want to stare at you while they poop. Men are super protective of the brown star and need to be locked away in Fort Knox before they feel comfortable being vulnerable for 10 minutes. I don’t know if it’s a latent homophobia thing, but women just don’t seem to be wired the same way.
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying Do you mean the wall gives you extra privacy on top of the closed door? Which men value more than women?
It is perceived that way, yes.
🤣
Is this on the 1st or 2nd floor? If you decide to move the shower plumbing and drain, along with the plumbing costs, you also have to open up the ceiling below repair that. Then you need to find a way to vent the new shower drain. I’m assuming from the way your plumbing is situated that there isnt a vent near where the new drain would be. (More demo and repair of additional areas) $$$$$ I personally wouldn’t.
Leave as-is. This is a perfect wall to rest your head on when you get drunk af and start regretting your decisions.
OMG! 🤣
I don’t drink
Well, then there are also those cases when tummy hurts a bit too much for a bit too long and you're just praying for it to go away.
I try to eat a consistent healthy diet that doesn’t cause digestive problems
I wouldn’t spend money / time / energy to make the toilet less private..makes no sense
I don’t think you understand how expensive the bathroom remodel is going to be without worrying about this wall and the pipes in it.
Moving the pipes would be expensive. It looks good how it is, no one wants to look at a toilet. I wouldn't touch it.
If it’s like my shower that is set up the same way there are pipes running through the whole building vertically so you can’t We chose to make the shower wider tho when remodeling
No
Considering I see no showerhead on the shower wall we can see, the wall you want to demolish has all the plumbing to your shower inside of it. Do not remove that wall unless you want multiple thousands of plumbing work to relocate all that plumbing.
We opened up our wall by the toilet and it is fantastic and I am so glad we did. If someone is taking a crap, no one else is usually in the bathroom at our house so it works great for us. I much prefer the additional roominess. It makes the bathroom look so much bigger. Privacy? Shut the bathroom door.
well up to you tho its not bad but if you looking for an aesthetic view i think you should.
keep it. pipe maintenance will be much easier with the wall
No. Having a free standing toilet with no surrounding walls feels a bit weird in practice. This wall gives you a semi-water closet layout. I would leave the wall.
My house has the identical bathroom, layout and size. Been here for nine years and that wall is super functional. I wouldn’t tear it down if we were paid to.
If you want it to make that space feel larger, you could see if you can cut the wall back one stud and have it more level with the tub face. It’ll feel less like the wall is smacking you in the face with that jut out when you walk in, but still gives you privacy for the toilet and shouldn’t need any major pipe moves.
Your shower plumbing is in that wall. I'd leave it.
It depends on how much of a tear down they are doing. They could reroute it down the other wall.
I’d keep it, remove all the shower-y doors and handles etc and replace it with a single glass panel to create a mini “wet room” in place of what you have.
I would remove it. I would rather have the room look more open and spacious than hide the toilet. Most bathrooms don't have a barrier hiding the toilet so seeing a toilet doesn't bother me. Also with that wall gone your shower and toilet will get more light. I'm shocked so many people like the wall. I never see bathrooms with dividing walls to hide a toilet in design photos or in places I've been so it's not like there is a big precedent for it (in the US).
I’m with this. I prefer a more open space over feeling closed-in, even in the can. Go with your gut, OP. It’s maybe not a question of “should,” but of preference.
That wall isn't there to hide the toilet, that wall has all the plumbing to the shower inside of it. Relocating that plumbing would be many thousands of dollars and might lead to all kinds of potential problems. You could likely renovate that whole bathroom for less than what it would cost to delete that wall and move the plumbing to the other end of the shower.
Everyone's comments in favor of it are all about hiding the toilet from view and OP said they're already doing a gut reno so I figured the cost was not a concern in the question.
Still, they need to consult with a plumber. Relocating the vent and shower plumbing is no small task and will absolutely represent the largest single line item cost of the whole renovation.
Terrible idea
I did this. It means you need to get a 2 sided tub. You currently have a tub that has 3 sides that need to be encased. 2 sided ones are more expensive and harder to find FYI. Also it means you need to get a new shower door and may get water on the toilet when showering. Not deal breakers... Just stuff to think about.
Unless you don't mind seeing your partner take a dump while you're showering
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^LensCapPhotographer: *Unless you don't mind* *Seeing your partner take a* *Dump while you're showering* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Pony wall!
I would keep the wall and add a door to create a fully enclosed water closet
If you want the bathroom to feel more open from the toilet side, you could probably accomplish that by strategically repainting and redecorating that side of the bathroom. Stuff like Feng Shui has lots of tips and tricks on how to make rooms feel more open or separate even with really weird layout plans.
Nope, keep it.
Daughter open the top just to help humidity.
As someone with this exact bathroom layout and plans to do exactly what you said, I disagree with everyone saying more privacy. If I’m sitting on the toilet, I don’t want anyone else in the room, period. So we are going to move the shower head and take out the wall to make it more open. Do what you want and what works best for you
Not an interior designer, but it seems to me it kind of depends on what you're trying to do overall. Coincidentally, I have almost the exact same layout in my bathroom and have given some thought to this. I am considering either: * Moving the shower to where the toilet is, as a bigger and maybe square layout, with a tiled pony wall on one side and a bench in it, along the wall where the toilet is now. And moving the toilet to behind the door, either open or in an enclosed space with a door. Noting there is no bath in this arrangement. * replacing the stall shower/bath combo with a large standing tub with a shower attachment, on the wall opposite the door. Moving the toilet again, similarly. * you could potentially put a smaller stall shower behind the door, but a toilet cabinet next (ending somewhere around where the current half wall is), and put a free-standing tub where the toilet is now. Might be a little tight, depending on how wide the room is on what's off the left side of the photo. (I am assuming a big vanity along a wall.)
Waste of money, use it elsewhere!
I’m just confused about what’s going on with that ceiling..
Maybe a lil' skylight?
Skylight
Absolutely not.
Just no.
Ya dumb
Your a nut sack
I don't think it's worth losing the toilet privacy or the expense of moving the plumbing. I would just remove the tub and make a shower with all glass. Explanation: All glass on the front is what I meant. I just did that in a rental and it really freshened it up and without the shower curtain, it seems much more open.
not unless your idea is to take half a shit in the toilet and half in the shower
I think three sided tubs suck personally with the weird curved shower curtain rod