HGTV musings

[EMom]

The bathroom isn't in a separate closet--there's just a small room for the toilet inside the master bath.

We moved out of state about a year ago, and we were surprised to see that a lot of the master baths here have the toilet right in the open part of the bathroom. It's very odd when you're not used to seeing it that way. The house we got has the toilet almost in its own water closet, but there's no door. The doorway is open, and it's a bit too small to actually install a door there (we asked our contractor). You can't see in when you enter the bathroom, though, so we're okay with it.

That's it. A separate room, usually at one end of the bathroom. Ours is small, only about 3 feet wide by 6 feet long. With 10 foot ceilings, it's not claustrophobic to have a toilet in a 3 x 6 room. Aside from a cabinet above the toilet, the only thing in there is the toilet. That means the bathroom itself can be used for all the other bathroom stuff if someone has to have a wee while you're showering, taking a bath, applying makeup or getting dressed. If the toilet is out in the bathroom, the entire bathroom IS the toilet.

Unless it is a very inexpensive house or older than 25-30 years, you will rarely see a toilet as part of the master bathroom here. It will have its own little room connected to the bathroom. That's TX. I don't know about other states.

 

[tvguy]

That's it. A separate room, usually at one end of the bathroom. Ours is small, only about 3 feet wide by 6 feet long. With 10 foot ceilings, it's not claustrophobic to have a toilet in a 3 x 6 room. Aside from a cabinet above the toilet, the only thing in there is the toilet. That means the bathroom itself can be used for all the other bathroom stuff if someone has to have a wee while you're showering, taking a bath, applying makeup or getting dressed. If the toilet is out in the bathroom, the entire bathroom IS the toilet.

Unless it is a very inexpensive house or older than 25-30 years, you will rarely see a toilet as part of the master bathroom here. It will have its own little room connected to the bathroom. That's TX. I don't know about other states.

I have seen that in apartments, usually units with just one bathroom. I don't recall seeing it in houses. Some of the newer homes now have his and her's bathrooms off the master bedroom, a toilet and a sink in each, one usually has a shower, one a bath tub.
Lord, after 32 years of marriage, we don't even close the door anymore if we are home alone, no need for a isolated room for the toilet.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I really never see that here. Toilet is always in the bathroom. Sometimes you will see a partial wall between the toilet and rest of the bathroom, but usually there is no door.

When I was in New Zealand, I was surprised to find that often the toilet is in an entirely separate room from the tub or shower - sometimes across the hall or further down the hall. It made sense to them but seemed weird to me.

TP

 

[havaneselover]

This is the first single family home I've owned without a water closet. I've had them in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. Current house is 20 years old and only 2,200 square feet. All newer/bigger houses have them. It's fine for now because I'm divorced. If I ever remarry, I have to have to master baths (totally unrealistic) or a water closet.

 

[leebee]

Lord, after 32 years of marriage, we don't even close the door anymore if we are home alone, no need for a isolated room for the toilet.

No kidding… same here!

But all my STUFF is in the master bathroom. His stuff too. Our closets are off the master bathroom. It's one stop shopping in there. The toilet room is at the far end, is vented/has its own fan, and is roomy enough. But that small room within a room serves only one function.

The master bathroom has our closets, the shower, the tub, our sinks and countertops with aforementioned stuff. We don't want to have to exit the master and go to another bathroom just to use the toilet. The guest bathroom isn't exactly close. I'm not going to use DD's. And there is no way I am going upstairs to use the game room bathroom.

You have FOUR bathrooms? We don't even have four bedrooms! You'd hate my house; we have two bathrooms, and that's only because an addition was built 20 years ago. This house raised families for 85 years on ONE bathroom!

 

[EMom]

No kidding… same here!



You have FOUR bathrooms? We don't even have four bedrooms! You'd hate my house; we have two bathrooms, and that's only because an addition was built 20 years ago. This house raised families for 85 years on ONE bathroom!

It's a 4 bedroom house and there are 4 bathrooms, just like the last house. But if it was 85 years old, we would not have that many. They just didn't build them like that back then. We have our bathroom and there's a guest bathroom for the guest room. We have a gameroom and a storage room upstairs and there is a bathroom so anyone up there doesn't have to come downstairs. DD shares a Jack and Jill bathroom with a spare bedroom, which is common here. You will have two bedrooms and each will have its own sink/mirror/counter. In between that, you have a room with just a toilet and a tub/shower. So it's:

bedroom...sink....room with tub/shower and toilet....sink.....bedroom.

I grew up in a 1200 SF, 3 bedroom, 2 bath house built in the mid 1960s. Houses have changed a lot since then. But really, all I care about is the kitchen and master bathroom. And a utility room big enough for a cat litter box. It is more house than we need, and we will not stay here after DD finishes college. But I promise you, there will be a separate toilet room in the master bathroom, no matter what.

I lived in Australia in the mid 80s and it was the norm to have a separate toilet room. A lot of my friends' parents built homes in the 70s and they had separate toilet rooms. I guess we just like them here. I've been married since the 80s and DH and I have never gone to the bathroom with the other person present. We NEED that toilet room.

 

[tvguy]

You have FOUR bathrooms? We don't even have four bedrooms! You'd hate my house; we have two bathrooms, and that's only because an addition was built 20 years ago. This house raised families for 85 years on ONE bathroom!

My mom lived in the same 1800 square foot house that she and my dad bought for 53 years, the last 30 years by herself. 2 bathrooms, one with 2 sinks. She literally had to rotate bathrooms (and sinks) every day so that the water in the pipes didn't get rusty.
She laughed because it was a far cry from the 700 square foot farm house she grew up in on the plains of Saskatchewan, Canada, with NO bathroom. A honey bucket in the front room for overnight, and a walk in the snow to the outhouse during the winter. Funny thing is, her baby sister didn't get indoor plumbing until 1986!

 

[JanaDee]

The bathroom isn't in a separate closet--there's just a small room for the toilet inside the master bath.

That's it. A separate room, usually at one end of the bathroom. Ours is small, only about 3 feet wide by 6 feet long. With 10 foot ceilings, it's not claustrophobic to have a toilet in a 3 x 6 room.

AKA a closet.

 

[EMom]

AKA a closet.

We can po-tay-to/po-tah-to all day long. You call the toilet room a closet and I say if the toilet is standing out in the actual bathroom, then the ENTIRE bathroom becomes a big old toilet. There is a reason the toilet is relegated to its own space....alone....shunned.

 

[JanaDee]

We can po-tay-to/po-tah-to all day long. You call the toilet room a closet and I say if the toilet is standing out in the actual bathroom, then the ENTIRE bathroom becomes a big old toilet. There is a reason the toilet is relegated to its own space....alone....shunned.

Its own space, called a bathroom.

 

[NewRVLady]

I also like Fixer Upper
Married couple from Texas remodels old funky - mostly 50's 60 's houses into really cool cottage style homes

 

[Pembo]

its own space, called a bathroom.

lol!

 

[EMom]

Its own space, called a bathroom.

The key word in "bathroom" is BATH, not toilet.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

In the NY area, most toilets are open to the rest of the bathroom. HOWEVER, all the closet, storage, etc. is OUTSIDE the bathroom and a part of the master bedroom area.

My in laws moved to TX, and I know exactly what the PP is referring to. Most of the master "suite" is IN the master bath. In our part of the country, while the master bath can be large, the bułk of the master "suite" area is outside the bath room.

I actually do not prefer everything in the master bath. Everything just gets too steamy even with good vents.

 

[EMom]

I also like Fixer Upper
Married couple from Texas remodels old funky - mostly 50's 60 's houses into really cool cottage style homes

I like that show too. Another reason is because the houses are very affordable.

 

[EMom]

In the NY area, most toilets are open to the rest of the bathroom. HOWEVER, all the closet, storage, etc. is OUTSIDE the bathroom and a part of the master bedroom area.

My in laws moved to TX, and I know exactly what the PP is referring to. Most of the master "suite" is IN the master bath. In our part of the country, while the master bath can be large, the bułk of the master "suite" area is outside the bath room.

I actually do not prefer everything in the master bath. Everything just gets too steamy even with good vents.

I think what helps us is that the master suite has its own A/C unit, which it only shares with the upstairs gameroom. The rest of the house shares a separate unit. Plus, I always have a BIG ceiling fan in the master bath. No room needs a ceiling fan more than the master bath.

I would be fine with the closets attached to the bedroom, but you just don't see that here.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I think what helps us is that the master suite has its own A/C unit, which it only shares with the upstairs gameroom. The rest of the house shares a separate unit. Plus, I always have a BIG ceiling fan in the master bath. No room needs a ceiling fan more than the master bath.

I would be fine with the closets attached to the bedroom, but you just don't see that here.

Yeah, for BIG master suites, there can be sitting rooms, huge closets that are bigger than some bathrooms, etc. Just imagine that we put the bath and shower in with the toilet and made it bigger. Lol.

I know for my MIL's master in TX, her bathroom area is actually bigger than her actual bedroom sleeping area. Lol.

 

[Callie]

One of my close childhood friends growing up was a realtor on house hunters. They referred to our hometown as a suburb of a major city, when its over 2 hours away.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah, for BIG master suites, there can be sitting rooms, huge closets that are bigger than some bathrooms, etc. Just imagine that we put the bath and shower in with the toilet and made it bigger. Lol.

I know for my MIL's master in TX, her bathroom area is actually bigger than her actual bedroom sleeping area. Lol.

Bedrooms are funny, most of us who work full time spend more time per day in our bedroom than any other room, but we are asleep.
And I worked odd hours for years, where you are sleeping odd hours, and it can be harder to sleep. The number one thing on sleep experts lists for those who have issues sleeping or have to sleep in the daytime is to make sure your bedroom is used for nothing but sleep. No TV, no sitting area, just a place to sleep. So I guess I will never be a candidate for a huge master bedroom.

 

[disneychrista]

Ours is small, only about 3 feet wide by 6 feet long.

Your "toilet room" is almost the same size as the only bathroom in my house.