On being content with a teeny bathroom
We live in a two-level house, and there's a bathroom on each level.
Upstairs, by the kids' bedrooms, is the bathroom I painted gray this summer.
And downstairs, near my bedroom, is a tiny bathroom.
I do not adore this bathroom.
It's basically a shower, toilet, and sink, with a little bit of room to walk between.
It's not connected to our bedroom, which is a bummer. Having an en suite bathroom is probably one of the things we miss most about our townhouse.
The sink is very small, with almost no ledge. Which is rather inconvenient.
(Whenever we go on vacation, we are generally in a larger bathroom than our own. Mr. FG and I are always like, "Waaaait....we could both brush our teeth at the same time? What??")
The cabinet is super tiny, because the sink is super tiny, which is how it had to be because the bathroom is tiny.
There are no windows, which means this bathroom almost never gets any daylight.
The shower is on an outside wall, and due to temperature fluctuations, quite a few of the tiles have cracked, and so has one of the corner shelves.
So. Not my favorite part of my house.
But, there's always another way to look at things.
- I am super, super thankful to have two bathrooms. Six people and one bathroom would be tough for sure.
- Even though the bathroom isn't connected to our bedroom, at least it is on the same floor. It would be pretty inconvenient to have to head to another level to access a bathroom.
- I am really grateful that this bathroom is not the way it was 12 years ago. We had to gut it and start from studs because it was in such unusable condition. It's not bigger than it used to be, but it is most definitely not gross like it was before.
- Having two bathrooms is great, but having two full bathrooms is especially nice. I'm glad we don't all have to shower in one bathroom.
- My shower has an overhead light, which is awesome. I love having plenty of light in there.
- A small bathroom definitely forces me to fight against bathroom clutter. I can't keep a bunch of products and appliances around because there is literally no room for them.
- A small bathroom means less to clean.
- A small bathroom gets warm faster when you shower.
Of course, if we ever buy another house, I will totally be hoping for an en suite bathroom with a not-tiny sink and a toilet that doesn't block half of the shower entrance.
But in the meantime, it's good for me to look at the upsides of the bathroom I've got, because focusing on the downsides, or longingly looking at lovelier bathrooms doesn't change anything.
And I might not be able to change my bathroom right now, but gratitude can change my mind.
You could put a little cabinet, or shelf, above your toilet.
Good point; gratitude can make us appreciate what we have, even when it's not ideal. Our house was built with just one bathroom, but the previous owners renovated it to add a new master bedroom with an en suite bathroom. I also don't love the coral pink tile in the bathroom, but I'm so happy to have a home of our own after years of cruddy apartment living.
Sometimes just another take on a situation helps. Our "master bath" is tiny (house built in '60s). Before, we had 3 baths but only 1 useable (and moldy). After redoing them, have 3 usable ones now, though due to the plumbing layout, couldn't extend the master bath. So, removing soffits helped immensely as did a recessed medicine cabinet and finally finding a tiny sink for our 18" deep vanity (because no way would a standard depth one fit). Now we happily use the master rather than dreading going in there.
I love that clock above the toilet. I've always thought about a clock in the bathroom.
Yeah, the clock in the bathroom is genius, I always lose track of time getting ready this would be super helpful to me
It's so helpful! Sometimes people are like, "Wait, what? You have a clock in your bathroom??" but boy, it's great to be able to glance up while you're doing your hair to see how much time you've got left.
Our bathroom isn't super tiny but it is small. Still, at least it's better than the quarter bath (which is a toilet and nothing else) which gets very little use.
One of the bathrooms in my childhood home was distinctly odd: toilet + tub. No sink, no shower, no shower attachment. We finally figured out that this was the maid's bathroom and she was supposed to use the laundry sink. It took forever to figure that out because by the time we owned the home, a wall had been put up between the toilet and the laundry area.
I think there are more odd bathroom situations out there than many realize. We have a full bath (which is not a huge room by any means) and a tiny half bath--the half bath is en suite and has a toilet, sink, and a pocket door as a space-saving measure. It would be nice to have 2 showers (you have us beat in that area, Kristen!) but I find it's doable for 4 people. Compare that to my BIL and SIL's house--1 full bath for 6 people with an additional toilet in the basement--no walls around the toilet, it's just sitting out there in full view! It's good to be thankful for what we have, even when sometimes it feels like we are missing out. Thanks for the reminder, Kristen.
yes! We are 5 people with 1 full sized bathroom- tub/shower/toilet/sink and window.. we also have a toilet in the laundry room... I would LOVE an en-suite bathroom.. but I also would love to be debt free one day.. I always try to find the gratitude in the situation... at least I only have 1 very low maintenance daughter! lol
While I can certainly enjoy a large bathroom on vacation, I’m very happy to live with a small bathroom the rest of the year. I like that there is less to clean and since the bathroom is not my get-away place I don’t need large. The older I get the more I understand less is more.
Our set up is creepily similar! And pretty sure that sink/cabinet is the same as ours (it is a tiny cabinet!). We live in an apartment so we have no choice in our decore. How funny!! I totally agree on the small bathroom being much quicker to clean.
We have an en-suite bathroom but it's pretty tiny as well (although we have counter space, for which I am grateful). I agree that the upside is there's less to clean! In fact, I need to do that today.
This is one of the reasons I appreciate your blog so much. We live in a world where people try to present everything as perfect--their clothes, their cars, their family, their home. But you're always so kind in showing us things that you don't consider perfect. I love your humble and modest honesty. 🙂
Great comment. I agree!
I have a teeny bathroom..the one and only in my tiny house. It is a warm area when you keep the door closed an hour before your shower. My best thing to do it fill it with soaps from dollar tree (like cranberry oatmeal) wash cloths i made myself and crisp bleached clean thrift store towels. My cosmetics in one basket, a nice old mirror and a gorgeous polished cotton shower curtain...vintage for 4.00
Your bathroom sounds very charming. 🙂
I love my tiny bathroom! I love that I don't have to slave away for the better part of an hour to clean it, and I love that it heats easily. Basically all of the things that make you okay with your bathroom are things I LOVE about mine 🙂
I love how positive you are about the situation. It's so easy to focus on what we don't have and just keep getting frustrated about it.
We have a tiny bathroom connected to our master bed. Mr. FAF and I can't brush our teeth at the same time either. The bathtub is small too. It looks like it was last renovated in the 1980s. But like you, I ever really think too much about it. I know many people don't have a private bathroom/toilet, so I'm happy we have one 🙂
When we first moved into our house, the first thing I did was to see how much a bathroom remodel takes. Thankfully we never agreed on final designs because eventually there's more important things to do with money! We're thankful for our old bathroom now, it works just fine!
Thank you for this. I love the sentiment. One of the most important things I live by is "be thankful for what you have." We live in a small condo in a very high cost of living area. It's not quite big enough for our needs, but we make do, because neither of us wants a $800K (or more) mortgage. So, we have a reasonably nice roof over our heads, which is more than a lot of people have.
I agree it is good to be grateful for what you have. I don't think I would every buy the house that you describe, however. Not because of the small bathroom, but because having to go to a whole different floor to take a bath is a major issue. I don't consider the bathroom you describe to be a full bathroom because it lacks a critical feature: a bathtub.
Oh, dude. The Bathroom Issue. Sigh. We have to move this spring, and SO MANY of the houses we're looking at only have one bathroom. In a two-story house. This is very common in the old farmhouses here (upstate New York). I can deal with one bathroom if I have to--even with six people, four of whom are males (coughcough toilet aiming problems)--but I really, really want it to at least be on the same floor as the bedrooms.
Then again, my husband has more than once suggested having a composting toilet, so maybe I should just hold out for actual plumbing and consider myself lucky to get that. 🙂
We have a half bath on the first floor. I always wanted a tiny shower in there. I got estimates and we would have to extend the bathroom into the garage, reconfigure all of the pipes and tear into the walls.. To the tune of $10,000. Needless to say, we left it alone.
You're so lucky!!
Gosh, I need your positive attitude to reboot my grouchy self this morning! We have two and half baths (for two people...I know. We're renting.) I complain a lot about certain aspects of those bathrooms. But...I never have to wait to use the facilities. If something is wrong in one bathroom (plugged sink, clogged toilet), I can go somewhere else. I need to remember to have gratitude for the incredible privilege that I have!!
I think my bathroom is a lot like yours, and just yesterday I was cleaning frantically for company and thought "On the upside, it takes about a minute and a half to wash the floor." And while my apartment overall is disgustingly hot due to being over the boiler room, the upside is that my bathroom floor is pleasantly warm when I get out of the shower.
So well said! Being thankful for our not-wonderful things means we take better care of them, and that magically transforms them into charmingly imperfect things.:-)
I am so pleased for simpler living. It is so easy to be a bit envious of what others may have (or do), but a grateful â¤ï¸ heart is the key to contentment and the doorway to a more abundant life. Thx for your sharing.
I am lucky enough to have 2 full bathrooms although neither one is an en suite. The one by the bedrooms is on the main floor and gets most of the use. The second one is in the basement and has a shower but no tub. I chose this to be able to have a storage closet by the basement door. Both bathrooms are tiny with pedestal sinks. We have learned to adapt. I like both of our bathroom.
We have 1 full bath for five people. It works. U learn to set times when showers happen. Husb shaves at night. I get in last cuz im fast. Daughter has a full mirror and outlet near it in her room so all hair and makeup gets done in her room to free up the bath- its what i did when i was a kid.
The challenge was when we bought the home we needed to remodel the whole bath due to plumbing probs. We left my parents camper on our front lawn to use as a toilet. Shower was the hose out back or the gym. Husb could showert at work. We busted that whole bath out and back in in undet 3 weeks we were so motivated.
What a good attitude! Our house now has two decently sized (to me) bathrooms. Both have shower/tub combos and the standard sink/cabinet and toilet. According to so many TV shows, though, we have "impossibly small" bathrooms, which I find baffling. Do that many people really hang out that much in their bathrooms?
When I was a kid, we had one small bathroom for five people, no shower, just a tub, sink (without under sink cabinet) and toilet. Later, when we moved to our farm, not only were we still in a one bathroom house with no shower, no under sink cabinet, the topper was that it had been added to the 1890's built farm house, so the only access was either through an unheated, glassed in porch or my parents' bedroom. When I married, we lived in a place with one bathroom for several years, with two kids, but at least it had a shower in the tub, and storage under the sink.
Just having two bathrooms is really nice, regardless of size and I truly do appreciate it. I also noticed something just recently -- because I make my own shampoo and use vinegar-water for a rinse, use one kind of natural bar soaps for bathing and shaving, and simple, homemade cleaners, I have extra space in all my bathroom under sink cabinets. I suddenly felt very content in that simplicity and space when I realized it, sort of like Kristen with her small bathroom.
Sister: How did Megan (my 2 month old) do with her vaccines today?
Me: Vaccines went terribly. After the doctor left we were waiting in the room for 30 minutes for a nurse, by which point Megan was hungry and tired so I poked my head out in the hall. Apparently the nurse never realized that the doctor had dropped off her vaccination form. We would have been waiting forever if I hadn't gone out. Then it took them 5 or 10 more minutes to get the vaccines together, so she was hungry and tired and in hysterics before they started.
LATER (after reading your post)....
Me: The Frugal Girl has a fabulous blog post up today about gratitude. Rather than be irritated about Megan's shots (because really it wasn't that big of a deal to me but it sounds awful in writing) I'm going to rewrite my response to your question about how Megan did with vaccines:
"Not so great. She was tired and hungry. But, I'm so glad we have her vaccinated, and I learned today that vaccines (I think pertussis) actually help prevent things like pneumonia and ear infections too! I'm so grateful to live in a developed country and count it a blessing that our healthcare is free right now every time we get medical care!"
Sister: I like the new response!
Me: Thanks! I think I'll nickname this The Sunny Side Up mentality. I'm going to work on it. 🙂
Aww, this makes me so happy! I'm really thrilled that my post helped you to see something differently and then feel better.
I only have 1 and a half bathrooms and my "master" (ha ha) looks as small as yours. Somehow I've survived, much to the puzzlement of some of my friends.
I see it this way, I use the bathroom for the essentials, to wash my body and to, well, go to the bathroom. I don't need space to be able to "hang out" in there. It's a big world and most of it should not be inside your bathroom.
This is great! We have a small house with one bathroom for the seven of us. As my children get older my husband really would like us to put in at least a half bath if possible. He keeps joking about getting a portal potty outside for the boys!
I love your contentment/thankfulness posts. They're good for me because comparison to others is a huge struggle for me. Somehow we mostly have friends who have Large to Very Large houses, and it's so hard not to feel sorry for myself for not having the same thing. But on the other hand, we give loads of our money to charity, which we wouldn't be able to do if we shelled out the money for a large house (which we could if our priorities were different). We also wouldn't be able to send our kids to a Christian school, which is also important to us.
We live in a small old bungalow. It has a lot of flaws but it has served us well. We'll be moving to a bigger house this year or next year since our growing family has outgrown our home's two bedroom. But in the meantime I'm trying to maintain my positive attitude for the home we have. Especially when I consider the conditions other people live in: the homeless, or the destitute people in the world who literally live in homes made of dirt. How lucky are we that we can flip a switch for light, have clean water, etc!
Our upstairs bathroom (where the bedrooms are) has a tub but no shower, so Husband and I have to traipse downstairs to the other full bathroom to take showers. It seems like quite a hassle but we've made it work for the last 6 years. I'm really hoping though that our new house will have an en suite bathroom!!
Our two bathrooms are also small, but I’m so glad we have two! My hubby and I both grew up in homes with only one bathroom, so having at least 1.5 baths was top on both our lists! We were fortunate to find a house with two full baths!
When we bought the house I thought we’d expand one of them to get a bit more space, but after waiting a few years to renovate we’d rather save the money and enjoy the large master bedroom we’d have to give up!
If anyone finds themselves feeling bad about their bathroom(s), remember you are very fortunate to have one. There was a report released by the World Health Organization and UNICEF in 2015 that estimated about 2.4 billion people or 1/3 of the world's population lack access to a proper toilet! Be thankful for that indoor plumbing that you do have (plus the toilet paper, clean water, hot water, electricity, ...). After a trip to a third world country, I have to had being thankful for not having to swat hundreds of flies away while you do your business. Go visit or read about some less developed areas of the world and you should not feel like you are lacking.
Yep, it's so true! I reminded myself of that when we had all of our septic problems this year...the problems are a big headache and expense, to be sure, but at least we have indoor plumbing.
Definitely!
It seems kind of silly to complain about having to walk down a hall or up/down steps to a bathroom or wait a few minutes for the bathroom when one is a healthy, able-bodied adult. There are women in the world that have to hold it all day to wait for the cover of darkness to find a spot in an outlying field and hope they are not attacked or harassed by men. Wanting more or bigger bathrooms is fine but complaining about how hard life is without multiple bathrooms, more counter space, etc shows how very spoiled some of us have become!
LOVE this!
I appreciate this today! I am pregnant with my third child and at the halfway point in my pregnancy, I'm having more pain issues than I did by the end of my second pregnancy. I'm fighting the battle of keeping a grateful attitude instead of being discouraged. But I AM thankful for so much and will keep working to focus on the blessings with this precious one instead of the things that "could be better."
If your tiny bathroom with no light is on the top floor, may I suggest that you install a Solar Tube thru the roof to the bathroom. I have two bathrooms on the top floor with no windows. LOVE, love love my Solar Tubes that I had installed - brings all the natural light in from above. I also have one in my kitchen, living room and the top of the stairwell to the upstairs. Adds so much light and opens up the areas.
My in-laws also have one of these (theirs is in the kitchen and is above a formerly-dim area near an inside wall of the house) and it improves the light situation so much.
Oh, but I see that it's a lower floor bathroom. So a tube won't work unless there's nothing but some attic and roof above it, like maybe a partial second story or something.
Yep. Above that bathroom is the other bathroom, so there's no way to get to the roof. Otherwise it would be a great idea!
Gratitude is the way to go; it reframes everything. I grew up in an old farmhouse, eight kids, two parents and one bathroom. So happy to have two bathrooms (one extremely tiny like yours) for just the two of us now!
You have no idea how timely this is. We are fortunate to have 3 bathrooms in our house (2 full, 1 that is 3/4 - it has a garden tub though)... but they are all super tiny. Just this morning I was complaining to my husband about the bathroom. It's functional and not gross (but not pretty either, though I could probably do something about that). But it's very difficult to dry my hair in there because of the size--I'm always bumping into the wall and/or door, and it's equally tough to straighten my hair and put on makeup. We do have shelves, so I have a little storage. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is thanks for the perspective! Gratitude does go a long way.
We have only one bathroom, and it's not on the same level as our bedroom. It just makes it really difficult to wake up in the morning because the first thing I need to do is go to the bathroom, and it's SO FAR AWAY for groggy little me, plus stairs are involved. Too much to remember!
So agree! We have so many things to be grateful for - for about 12 years all 8 of us shared a bathroom the same size as yours 🙂 - only difference was it had a tub, not just a shower. It really cut down on clutter. Our house was an old farmhouse and squeeze as we might, just couldn't find space to stick another one. I will say, we have moved since then - and greatly appreciate the extra bathrooms and space, and it's something I hope we never take for granted. Side note, the phrase "hurry-up!" was used quite often. . .
I can only imagine! Having two toilets is fabulous.
I love the toothbrush holder. Do you remember where you got it?
I'm thinking either Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Target. I like that it's easy to clean; the ones that are more like a cup tend to accumulate gross liquid in the bottoms!
I know, that's my least favourite job when cleaning our bathroom but I just recently read an idea to put it through the dishwasher, so I emptied the green grossness down the sink, filled the cup 1/2 full with boiling water from the kettle & rinsed it out (really didn't like the idea of the residue swimming around my other dishes) then put it in the dishwasher - magic, I'll never go back:)
I just read a book about North Korea.........let's just say, an outhouse is the least of their problems. Perspective is such a great thing. THANKS.
A bit off-topic, but this is the first time I noticed you said you live in a (newer) townhome. I love décor and read blogs but none of them seem to have a newer townhome, the budget, or tastes I have. I'm just am not a farmhouse, French country, everything painted white or bright, bright colors type gal. I have things I can't change: (like carpet) I'd love to know if any of your readers know of décor blogs to recommend!
Actually, we USED to live in a townhome. 🙂 We sold that about 13 years ago and bought this single-family home. I think it was a good move for us, but man, we do still miss having a master bathroom!
Amen to a small bathroom meaning less to clean! Those giant spa bathrooms look amazing in magazines, but the thought of kneeling on all that tile to scrub makes that dream disappear pretty quickly!
Totally grateful to have a bathroom that actually works at all. We are a family of six and ONE teeny tiny bathroom. Over the summer we had floods and no well as a result which also meant no running water, no toilet and no showers. We went to friends to shower and do laundry and the village put a portable toilet at each corner for residents to use. I pretended that I was camping but boy oh boy was I glad to have that teeny tiny bathroom once the flood waters receeded and the well pump was fixed and the well shocked. So very grateful for that bathroom.
I don't think you'll ever know just how many people's days you brightened with this post. I had a bad day at work today, but your post helped put things in perspective.
One of the things I love about your blog is that you clearly know the difference between needs and wants, which is a problem for far too many people these days. You're always happy when you can do a little something extra for your family or yourself, but you're also happy for having everything you need and you know what's a treat and what's necessity. That's what being frugal really means.
I love your bathroom posts. It always gives me a feeling of solidarity. You know, people with crummy bathrooms UNITE!
I have two "challenging" bathrooms, but I spent a bunch of time last year working on them, and now they are significantly less horrible. No more leaking toilet. No more stinky, stained, old pink carpet. And after living here for 23 years with a shower that didn't work, I FINALLY fixed the diverter valve and now I have a REAL shower - like you can actually get more than a trickle out of the thing. And I was so inspired by that success that I replaced the shower head in the other bathroom, and suddenly it went from dribble to spray. Seriously, no functioning showers for 23 years, and now suddenly I've got 2 of them. I don't know what to do with myself - I feel like I've jumped ahead several centuries in terms of bathroom technology.
Anyhow, I have a question for you about your gray bathroom paint (which looks FABULOUS, btw.) I've always used high gloss paint in the bathroom figuring that it would be easier to clean - but it looks like you're using flat. Just wondering if that ever presents any cleaning issues for you... or maybe (probably) you just paint frequently enough to cover up those sorts of problems? Would love to hear your thoughts on that.
So, if you click over to the post about painting the bathroom, I wrote about the type of paint. It's a Benjamin Moore paint that's made specifically for bathrooms, and it's made to hold up in a humid environment even though it's not glossy! I love that, as glossy paint isn't my favorite look.
There's an old song by Rich Mullins with a great verse (it's a tribute to his parents--called First Family): "There was one bathroom to bathe and shave in. Six of us stood in line. And hot water for only three--but we all did just fine ... ". It's similar to how I grew up--watch out for the hot water running out and nobody run the kitchen sink while someone is showering or the person in the shower will either be frozen or scalded! Anyway, I've always loved that song--the lyrics are so true to life!
Leading all of us in contentment is always a good thing!
Did you renovate the bathroom yourselves? We'd like to redo ours, but it seems like it's going to be so expensive. Would love any tips for a bathroom renovation on a budget!
Great post Kristen, keeping it real, really encouraging
It seems to be my lot in life only to have tiny bathrooms! The only thing I really mind about my 2-BR 825 sq. ft. house is the tiny bathroom with a pedestal sink so there is NO storage other than the sort of standard, old fashioned medicine cabinet. My house was built in 1950 and whenever I stop to think that it is quite probable that whole families shared that one tiny bathroom I just have to get over myself. At least I can clean it in a wink! And how long to I really want to hang out in the bathroom, anyway?
When I do go to other people's homes, though, I love feeling of spaciousness in modern bathrooms!
Google or look on Pinterest for ‘bathroom storage between the studs’. That might be a possibility for your tiny bathroom.
We have exactly the same vanity and sink. I can vouch for the smallness of the cupboard!
Has anyone else noticed how ridiculous the bathroom situation is getting on Househunters? People often want a bathroom for each bedroom. They will turn down a gorgeous house because their three-year old would have to share a bathroom with their guests. Sometimes I just shake my head.
Whoops, that comment was meant to go at the bottom as a comment on the post, not another reply here. It’s Kristen’s vanity we have the matching one to.
I love your post and I ADORE your attitude. I was looking at a bedroom post on a very popular blog just yesterday and thinking that I will never have an enormous bedroom like that with all the stuff that goes along with it. But actually, I really love MY bedroom. Thanks for the reminder to not look and envy bigger 🙂
But you may want to look at the smallest bathroom in the world. It's in my previous house 🙂
http://www.marciafrancois.com/blog/2006/11/29/the-smallest-bathroom-in-the-world/
Whoa, that IS a small bathroom!
Oh I like this! One day I was feeling discouraged about our house, which is 50 years old and has some cosmetic issues which neither of us are truly motivated to fix (I’ll paint things but that’s about the extent of my willingness) and all of our furniture makes it look like we’re college students (because we were. We went back later in life haha) and everything is ... just old. But we’re also saving money this year rather than updating any of the areas so I was looking for blog posts on “how to live frugally when your house is ooooold and crappy” and I couldn’t find any and really our house is not crappy; in our area we have regular bidding wars for houses that were built to be barracks (we’re in Los Alamos) or duplexes and many are in various states of disrepair (we have a perpetual housing shortage) but when we bid on ours-which does have the aforementioned cosmetic issues but not structural ones-our bid got accepted, no quibbling. And it had a studio (I’m an artist). And two full, albeit teensy tiny, bathrooms haha. So I am grateful, but it’s nice to see a real insight, not just “with two buckets of paint and a brush you too can transform your entire house” along with all the gorgeous pictures. Sometimes we need to just be.
Thank you for this post! We live in a one-bathroom house with two young kids. It's a bit of a struggle some days. We keep telling ourselves we need a bigger house because we'll need two bathrooms at some point. But for now, I try to tell myself that two little kids don't take up that bathroom time and I don't want to clean 2 bathrooms anyway. Staying here will get us closer and closer to financial independence. I'd rather have that in a few years than two bathrooms to clean. (I'm sure that tune will change when the kids are old enough to clean their own bathroom 😉 !)
It’s all about how you look at it, so true! We have 3 full bathrooms, one downstairs and two upstairs (one is an ensuite) is. Our house is relatively new, and I complain about the scratches and stains on two of the tubs (the previous owner didn’t clean much...), and DH complains that the floor tile doesn’t match the wall tile. We’ll fix the bathrooms, and this house is a stepping stone to our next hopefully new build house. I grew up in a 900 sq ft ranch with one small bathroom for 6 people, no dishwasher or washing machine. Dh lived for several years as a teenager in Europe in a stone house originally built by the Turks, with no electricity, plumbing or running water. We’re grateful!
Kristen,
I have this exact layout in my bathroom. I stumbled on a "solution" that has helped me a lot. I put two 12 inch tiles on the back of the toilet. They interlock (Do all tiles do this? I don't know - I bought these at a thrift store) and give me a bit more "counter" space.
Some might be grossed out by using the back of a toilet this way, but in my mind with a bathroom this small the sink surface 3 inches away is equivalently close to the toilet.
Works really well for me. I keep various bathroom items - q-tips, bathsalts, hairbrushes - in glass jars on my makeshift "counter" and also include a decorative bowl to catch "odds and ends" - makeup I didn't put away, hairpins etc.
My bathroom is so much more usable now.
I grew up in a 6 person one VERY small bathroom house. And, gasp, no one died because of it. 😉 This is more a shot at the folks on House Hunters and that ilk than you.
But, my caveat going forward is I will not have a home without a "spare" bathroom.
It literally can be a toilet in a closet.
I admit to being envious of people much younger than me living in these large new homes. That is until I think about what it takes to keep them clean. I really like the silver clock. Do you remember where it came from?
I believe it came from Target, on clearance. It's perfect for a bathroom because it doesn't have a paper backing, which tends to curl in a humid bathroom.
We have a tiny bathroom at home but spending a month in Texas in our camper with even a smaller bathroom makes me appreciate our one at home!
Oh, that is a good point!
And if you camp in a tent and have to walk to a bathroom, through the woods, in the middle of the night...that'll make you appreciate a real bathroom too.
Yes, gratefulness & being content with what one has is so important. As a lifelong renter I must be content in whatever I am blessed with. Funds have always been tight throughout our 40 year marriage, so I count my blessings. Yes, home ownership would be wonderful, but it will not happen. Be blessed. One blessing-the house we rent needs a new roof, a paint job, some new screens & new flooring, but we have shelter. So many don't.
I honestly don't know how 6 of us managed with only one full bath in the house I grew up in. As an adult, I'm spoiled with two full baths (one an ensuite). Neither have enough storage space but I'm VERY grateful to have two.
Retired hubby and I (still working full time) live in a townhouse. He’s tidy; I’m not. So I use the tiny bathroom while he has the master’s w/ two sinks. My bathroom looks just like yours. I too keep a clock in mine.
I was never unhappy about my bathroom until I read this post. (actually I'm not unhappy now). My bathroom is very similar to yours. I do have a window and my vanity is about 6" bigger. I hadn't given it much thought. It is what it is. Its a functioning bathroom. What more do I need? We can be so provincial in our thinking. Throughout history and around the world today, people bathe in rivers, and use out houses. I am blessed beyond measure.
PS I'm not saying you are ungrateful, Kristen. I know you work hard to be content. I'm just sharing the reaction I had reading your post.
Oh goodness, that was definitely not my intent when I wrote this post! If you are grateful for your bathroom as-is, then more power to you.
This post is for those of us who have wished there was room to set a curling iron down on a tiny sink top! 🙂