When there are two of
you trying to get ready for work, the early morning
bathroom
bottleneck can rival the rush hour commuter traffic.
The impatient knocking on the door
is reminiscent of honking car horns. The steam from
the shower is a precursor of the
exhaust fumes you’ll encounter later. Tempers can
grow short. Is this any way to start the
day?
Of course, you could
sit down and work out a minute by minute his-and-her
schedule to
make things go more smoothly. That can work out
nicely if you’re both as precise as a
Swiss clock and neither of you ever, ever oversleep.
On the other hand, you might
consider breaking the bottleneck at the source and
giving yourselves a roomier, more
luxurious bathroom where two can move as freely as
one.
Creating a master bath
to do double duty isn’t a remodeling project that’s
particularly
difficult or expensive. Depending upon the existing
space in your bathroom, you may
want to go all out and convert adjoining areas into
part of the new master bath. Or you
may opt to rearrange what is already there with an
eye toward increased convenience and
comfort. In either case, the working rule is to
design it for two people with individual
needs.
Form follows function
in this instance and since no room in the house is
more functional
than the bathroom, begin with the basics. Two sinks
with a double vanity will provide
plenty of room for her to apply makeup while he
shaves. An oversized mirror creates the
illusion of a larger space for relatively little
cost. Lighting fixtures attached to the side
walls will add a dramatic, highlighting effect to
help brighten up any morning.
A double-sized,
walk-in shower with dual entrances makes for added
convenience and a
sort of tag team approach to washing for those
occasions when you’re truly rushed. A
separate, sunken bathtub can be outfitted with
whirlpool sprays for more leisurely times.
And the two toilets you put in can be
compartmentalized for extra privacy.
Now if only the traffic cooperates, getting to work
will be a breeze.
