There’s always been debate as to whether the toilet should be in the bathroom, or have it’s own separate room. Those germ-fearing people amongst us would argue that the risk of airbourne poo particles landing on their toothbrush is just too much to handle. Wives would argue that they don’t want to be blow-drying their hair whilst their husband decides it’s a great time to use the loo.

Believe it or not, there are some other key points to consider…

In our Toowoon Bay Renovation, we’ve controversially combined the toilet into the master bathroom. This was for two main reasons:

• Initially, the separate toilet was positioned directly at the end of the hallway. When looking from the kitchen down the hallway, if the toilet door is open – you’re staring at the not so pretty toilet bowl. Combining the toilet and bathroom meant that we could tweak the floor plan, moving the toilet so it’s not the first thing you see. Now, if the door is open, you’ll be looking at a bath centred under a large window with shutters – a much prettier site.
• Combining the toilet and bathroom meant we could have a larger bathroom, and subsequently ‘steal’ a bit of this space for a linen cupboard in the hallway on the opposite side of the bathroom wall.

Toowoon Bay Reno upstairs bathroom – revised layout

Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Separate Toilet & Bathroom:

Cons:

• Powder rooms can be said to have a ‘claustrophobic’ feel to them. Windows, adequate ventilation, tile and finishes selections and ensuring there is enough circulation space between the toilet, door and basin can assist in preventing this;
• Separate rooms can eat into floor space that could otherwise be used more effectively – as in our case, where we were able to use the space for built-in linen storage.

Pros:

• People are able to use the toilet whilst someone also uses the shower;
• Guests are able to use the toilet without you having to worry if your bathroom is clean;
• Toilet smells (and germs) are contained within the one room.

Combined Toilet & Bathroom:

Cons:

• If someone is using the shower, then guests will have to wait to use the bathroom, or not, depending on how close you are to your guests ; )
• Smells (and germs) from the toilet are not as easily contained.

Pros:

• Allows for one large generous room, which can add to the feeling of space and grandeur. Especially if the space allows for the toilet to be concealed from eyesight behind the door as you walk in;
• Keeps the family dynamics close – i.e. you can have a conversation with someone in the shower whilst you use the toilet ; )

In this bathroom, we’ve combined the toilet into the room as the space saved allowed for larger bedrooms. We’ve used mirrors to ensure the spaces feels bright and open.

How is your bathroom and toilet currently configured?

Remember moving plumbing will quickly add extra dollars to your budget tally, so if the current layout is functional and works for you and your family, then it is always best to leave layout as is. In our opinion, if you have the opportunity to have a separate toilet and bathroom, then that is ideal. If however, you have two bathrooms – then we don’t think it’s a problem at all if the toilets are in the bathroom.

At Toowoon Bay Reno, we have an upstairs bathroom and a downstairs bathroom. So if one bathroom is engaged, then the other bathroom is available. Each renovation should be looked at individually and all pros and cons weighed up before locking in layouts.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’d prefer.