Once experienced, an en suite bathroom is a luxury that it is hard to give up. Even if you think you have no spare room in the house, it may still be a possibility, given careful planning and clever division of space. If your children have grown up and left home, then a bathroom adjacent to the main bedroom, supplemented by a smaller shower and toilet elsewhere, would be a practical arrangement. If your house has sufficient bedrooms, then it may pay dividends to convert one into a bathroom and knock through the adjoining wall. lf an existing bedroom is large enough, there may be space to fit a bathroom within it, either screening or semi-screening off the two areas or simply leaving them open – plan. However the two are arranged, an en-suite bathroom is designed first and foremost to be used in conjunction with an adjoining bedroom and the division of space should reflect this.
A conventional doorway is the most usual ‘divider’ but if space is at a premium and a door takes up too much room – particularly if you feel that it will always be left open anyway – then there are alternatives. Depending on the positioning of the two rooms, an archway between the two can create a decorative visual divide. An arch is always a graceful architectural feature in a room and, large or small, it allows easy access while keeping the bathroom at a discreet distance. It can be hung with a curtain for a decorative effect or for extra privacy or left elegantly open. A difference in floor levels can also create a visual divide between a bedroom and a bathroom. Perhaps combined with a doorway or archway, steps either down or up to help to define the separate areas.
