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The design and location of the powder bath is a critical component in residential design. Powder baths need to be both convenient and private. They need to be in the public realm of the home so guest don’t have to enter more private parts of the dwelling to use them. But they also need a degree of privacy. With that in mind, here are the places I never want to see the powder bath.

• Never off the kitchen
  
• Never off the dining room
  
• I NEVER want to see a toilet from the front door.
  

Common Powder Bath Designs

There are two common powder bath layouts:

• Linear rectangle: The fixtures are across from each other. Some clients have dubbed this layout as the “Townhouse Version” and prefer not to use them in single family homes.
• Square: The fixtures are side by side.

In Florida, if the powder bath is the only bath on the first floor, it must have a 2’-8” door for accessibility. If the door is inswing, such a big door requires ample floor place. For planning purposes, the toilet is typically 30” deep and a pedestal sink can be as shallow as 16” deep, but most are slightly larger. A 7’ long room generally works for the lineal bath. For the square version, 5’ by 5’ is adequate (but tight – especially if the 2’-8” door is directly across from the toilet). Five feet six inches square or larger is preferred.

Single Family Applications

In single family homes, powder baths are often located off the foyer. In larger homes, we will recess the door to add a degree of privacy. If the house already has first floor bathrooms, the powder bath gets elevated to a luxury feature and may be the only bath in the entire house that is guest ready (ie: it doesn’t have toothpaste on the mirror and wet towels on the floor).

They can even be two separate rooms with the toilet hidden from view upon entering the bath.

Tricky Townhomes

Now, let’s talk about townhomes. Locating the powder bath in a townhome can be a challenge. If the stairs are in the foyer, we will often sneak the bath under the stairs. Depending upon your building code, the ceiling can be as low as 5’ behind toilet if the sloped ceiling gets higher in front of the fixture. Tucking the powder bath under the stairs can be a real space saver – always appreciated in townhomes.

But when the stairs are in the middle of the unit – say, off the dining room – I find it downright unappetizing. Having it open into the kitchen is borderline health code violation. Creating a vestibule between the kitchen and the powder bath is a good strategy.

The Toilet is NOT a Focal Point

Simply relocating the powder bath isn’t always enough. I personally like to avoid seeing directly into the room should a guest inadvertently leave the door open upon exiting. One of my biggest pet peeves is having the toilet in the direct line of sight! Not acceptable. Nothing against toilet designers. Some male users may have left the seat up or worse – the toilet may not be all that clean. Am I grossing you out yet?

Of course, townhomes are typically smaller than single family homes, so using up precious square footage to achieve privacy is also not ideal or even possible.

Finding a balance between privacy and floor plan efficiency is the double edge sword of townhome design.

Thinking outside the box

One of my favorite out of-the-way spots to locate the powder room is to steal space from outside the box. This can be a corner of the front or rear porch.

We have even located the powder bath one of two steps up from the main floor, further enhancing the sense of privacy. Indeed, my townhome in Jacksonville has the powder bath on the landing. With the door in the corner away from the path of travel, this makes an ideal spot for both privacy and any unflattering views.

no need to announce your business

Another powder bath pet peeve of mine is the exhaust fan. Some deliberately select a noisy exhaust fan to mask unwanted noises coming from in the room. That means everyone who uses the bath gets to do their business to the sound of lawn mower – and we all know why the fan is on. Play some music around the house or something.

The powder bath is one of the most important small spaces in the house. Once you have the layout and location down pat, you can focus on personalizing it to your heart’s content!

Have you ever given much thought to it? I’d love to hear from you!