Transforming the Ranch: Updating the Bathroom

Updating the Bathroom

The raised, split, and standard ranches are a part of every suburban community throughout the country. Like the two-story gabled farmhouse of the previous century, the ranch is one of the prevailing house styles in the suburban landscape. A product of the post-war building boom, which lasted well into the 60’s, ranch-style houses became the efficient, affordable homes where baby boomers took their first steps. Who hasn’t lived in one of these at some point in their life? I see no hands. Despite a dated look, old and worn-out systems plus fixtures, appliances, and a floor plan that is somewhat out of sync with today’s living, these ranches of yesteryear have endured. This article is the first in a series about how you can transform the ranch of fifty years ago to fit the 21st century lifestyle in design, layout, and efficiency.

Let’s look at things we see first when visiting with new or prospective homeowners: The kitchens and baths. There are varied configurations out there but a few things they all have in common include:

  • a closed-off kitchen that is removed from the dining area
  • too many doors
  • a poor floor plan
  • small bathrooms that barely accommodate a family of four
  • an entry that doesn’t take into account the sports gear, school bags, and endless sneakers disposed of throughout the day, i.e. no mudroom

We have touched on some of these topics in earlier e- zines with articles on Creating A Mudroom and The Kitchen of Today. This article, however, will focus on an alternative bathroom layout for ranch homes.

In a perfect world, we would design the size of our bathrooms based on the tile size we chose. But the world isn’t perfect. In a three-bedroom house that accommodates three to four people and has one and a half or two and a half baths, you are doing fine when the kids are small. But hit the teenage years and you have trouble. Should mother and daughter share a bathroom, or should siblings share? Traditionally, mom and dad share a bathroom with one sink, a tub or a stall shower. Any way you look at it, there is often more conflict than peace.

A standard back-to-back setup of two bathrooms with a tub/shower combo, toilet, and sink is a greedy layout. When the daughter is doing makeup in the morning, the son can’t use the toilet, and on and on it goes.

So how do you solve this problem when you can’t expand but need to accommodate everyone within an hour and fifteen minutes every morning? You have to think untraditionally in order to get more bathroom functions within the existing frame of your house, and at the same time make the renovation affordable.

Our answer to the problem is to divide the functions. A bathroom does not have to be the place you go to the toilet. A sink and vanity area for the final stages of makeup and hair does not have to have a tub next to it. And we know quite a few men who prefer to shave AND brush their teeth in the shower. So instead of asking the broker how many full and half baths are in the house, perhaps you should be asking how many toilet-sink combos, how many tubs, showers and vanity areas are there.

We will show you how you can transform a full two- bath setup into two full baths with toilet functions and a powder room. You’ll also see how a family of four can live comfortably with two toilets, two showers, one tub and three sinks.

You can create a small but efficient powder room with a corner sink. It functions as just that, a place to go to the bathroom, and wash your hands. You can deck it out to be the best gem of your house, and no one will think it to be too small.

Have the master bath divided up so the toilet stall is separate from the rest of the bathroom. Again, a small footprint is the essence of making it work within the existing frame. The master bathroom is then just that: A large shower, preferably with room for one or two sinks and a long counter for makeup. This takes care of mom and dad.

Next, let me show you how to make a “bathing room.” Never heard of one? Well, in many cultures, such as Japan, and the Middle East, you would never put the tub, the most important cleaning vessel, next to a toilet. Instead, you would make a tub room.

You can fit it with a full shower, or a standalone soaker with a hand shower, enough space for extra towels and a mirror. You don’t need a sink, or a counter, if there isn’t room. Shelves will do. Here is the icing on the cake. Add a makeup / hair bar to the girl’s room(s). It frees up the toilet room or bathing room for more important things. Put in a narrow counter with just enough depth to hold a bar- size sink, lots of mirrors and cabinet space.

With a little ingenuity, you can turn the tiny bathrooms of your 1960’s ranch into functional grooming places that will comfortably accommodate every member of your family. With any luck, you just might have peace and harmony in the mornings!

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  1. Pingback: Delos and Luxury | Interior Architecture and Design New York - Kaja Gam Design - Westchester

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