Convert full bath to powder room or not

amother

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 11:47 am

I currently have a one full bath on the first floor of my house and love it. I can safely leave my two and four year old in the tub as I clean up from dinner in the kitchen jsut ten feet away.

I am drawing plans to make an extension on the house and debating leaving it a full bath or converting it to a powder room. My two year old is most likely my baby so convenience of having a full bath on the main floor is really not so necessary for much longer and I personally prefer the look of a powder room over a full bath.

I am putting a pretty decent size study on my first floor with the the intention that my parents or in-laws can use it as a guest room when they come and they won’t need to use the stairs. Neither one lives local tho.

This is the only bathroom on the first floor and adding another one is not an option. Should I leave it as a full bath or convert to a powder room?

amother

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 11:54 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

What's the use of a powder room?

A bathroom of without a bath/shower. It looks nicer and leaves no option for anyone to use the bath shower so it stays neater and no bath towels or shampoo lying around.

happy7

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 11:56 am

Your aging parents will need a full bathroom, at least with a shower.
Don’t inconvenience yourself by not having a shower for your guests on the floor they are staying on.

Bnei Berak 10

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:00 pm

happy7 wrote:

Your aging parents will need a full bathroom, at least with a shower.
Don’t inconvenience yourself by not having a shower for your guests on the floor they are staying on.

I agree

ShishKabob

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:01 pm

[quote="happy7"]Your aging parents will need a full bathroom, at least with a shower.
Don’t inconvenience yourself by not having a shower for your guests on the floor they are staying on.[/quote, this, great point

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:12 pm

I would definitely not lose the bath. If you're renovating the bathroom you can put in a sleek looking shower. You don't have to use it regularly but you'll be very happy it's there when needed - for your parents, other guests, when your own kids need, even once they're married and coming with their families.

ra_mom

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:17 pm

amother OP wrote:

It sounds like you'll need the full bath for the bolded.
Besides for which an extra full bath adds value to the home.

Amarante

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:19 pm

If you have a bedroom on the main floor, you need to have at least a shower in the bathroom.

You wouldn't lose much space by installing a nice stall shower. You can make it beautiful by having a tile shower instead of a fiberglass prefab. With frameless shower doors, it blends into the rest of the decor and since it isn't used often for showering it remains pristine and not cluttered.

If there is no bedroom on a floor, then only a powder room is necessary. No one is going to shlep downstairs to take a bath or shower.

amother

Phlox

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:22 pm

Leave it full. I also have one full bathroom on my main floor. I honestly very rarely use the bath/shower but I wouldn't take it out of I plan on having any sleepover guests on that floor.

mha3484

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:25 pm

I would do a full bath but a shower stall no tub. Will look more powder room like.

My mother had knee surgery recently and only having a tub/shower was a major impediment for her going home to recover. It made me realize it’s really good to have at least one shower that can easily be walked into.

amother

Diamond

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:33 pm

mha3484 wrote:

This. If your thinking towards the future, build an accessable shower. They look nicer, too. It's a bit more expensive now, but you will thank yourself later.

amother

Amaryllis

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:33 pm

I'm still on the fact that you'd be in the kitchen and leave your child in a bath for even a few mins. Working in pediatrics, I've seen drownings happen in one minute.
Please!, bathe and focus!

amother

Chocolate

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:36 pm

mha3484 wrote:

When I remodeled, I took out the tub/shower combo in my master and replaced it with a beautiful tiled shower. I added a bench on one end with its own hand held shower.

Every shower or tub should have grab bars for safely. In my shower I have one vertical by the shower door to help balance getting and and out and one horizontal along the long back wall in the event that I am falling. You need to have these put into the studs or else they are more dangerous than having nothing.

amother

Rose

Sun, Dec 17 2023, 12:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

A bathroom of without a bath/shower. It looks nicer and leaves no option for anyone to use the bath shower so it stays neater and no bath towels or shampoo lying around.

You can just have your family not bathe in the first floor bathroom and it will look just as neat without having to remove the tub.