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Im just wondering what the best layout would be for a shared apartment bathroom with 5 people in terms of allowing the most people to use the bathroom at the same time taking into account the people using the bathroom don't want to see each other naked.

Layout A or Layout B enter image description here

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    Just a matter of opinion, (and/or how comfortable the 5 people are with sharing personal space) and that makes it a poor fit for this site. For me, "neither" - put the sink and toilet in a (completely, by my preference, not pass-through) separate room from the shower (the shower room could also have a sink of it's own.) No fun having the toilet blocked by someone taking a long shower. That could be A for some folks, others would find people walking through while they shower quite unacceptable...
    – Ecnerwal
    Mar 17, 2022 at 2:52
  • Totally and completely opinion based.
    – FreeMan
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:36
  • Would think a lot would depend on the secludes of the people. All five with the same seclude, and one bathroom not enough, unless very friendly.
    – crip659
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:48
  • Make 2 half-baths, one with sink & toilet, one with sink & shower. See, lots of options, which one is best is... who knows
    – FreeMan
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:49
  • There's very little point in splitting the bathroom in either of the ways you propose. Having a separate toilet is only useful if someone can get to it while someone else is in the shower. Having the sink all alone serves no useful purpose as it's typically used by whoever just came out of the toilet, and almost never just used by itself by someone walking past...
    – brhans
    Mar 17, 2022 at 12:23

3 Answers 3

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For that many people, the sink, shower and toilet should be separated. Sink access is very useful on its own. Someone using the toilet shouldn't block another person from washing their hands or brushing teeth.

Layout B is better with the sink close to the entrance. Split the shower and toilet. The toilet should exit directly to the sink.

This version is the most functional, though admittedly not the most elegant. You'd see 2 doors (shower and toilet) upon walking into the bathroom. Whether the doors open outward or inward from the shower and toilet rooms depends on your preference and available space. Opening the doors outward allows the shower & toilet rooms to be smaller, but the doors will block the sink area when open.

If space is at a premium, another option is to use curtains instead of doors. The only interior wall would be separating the toilet and shower areas. Now that I mention that, you could install a tiled standing shower with an opaque shower curtain to avoid a door for it. A little less privacy, but a door isn't going to stop a determined snooper. You could have one or both with curtains (see C' with a shower curtain and toilet door). A toilet curtain would allow for a single vent to pull out both the stink and moisture. With a toilet door, you may need a separate vent in the toilet room.

enter image description here enter image description here

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  • If your walls are 4 pixels thick, this could work. If, however, they're made out of studs and drywall, that probably becomes way too cramped. Of course, the OP gives us no dimensions whatsoever and asks for opinions, so there is no possibility of providing a "correct" answer
    – FreeMan
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:37
  • Exactly, we don't know the dimensions, only what the OP provided in their original pics. It's up to the OP what option they like best. Doesn't matter if the walls are 4 pixels or 4 feet deep, the only thing that matters is the interior dimensions.
    – pmont
    Mar 17, 2022 at 15:19
  • This is, essentially, how public restrooms are laid out with one of the toilet stalls replaced by a shower stall. So it's got that going for it.
    – FreeMan
    Mar 18, 2022 at 11:49
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Assuming your entrance must remain where your layouts show it:

enter image description here

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  • If your walls are 4 pixels thick, this could work. If, however, they're made out of studs and drywall, that probably becomes way too cramped. Of course, the OP gives us no dimensions whatsoever and asks for opinions, so there is no possibility of providing a "correct" answer.
    – FreeMan
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:37
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For 5 people, you need:

  • Separate access to the toilet in case of "emergency".
  • Sink independent from shower, or they'll be a traffic jam in the morning

And:

  • Toilet door should always be able to open if someone passes out inside. So if the toilet is tiny, it should open to the outside.

In addition, bathrooms also need:

  • heating
  • places to hang towels (esp. for 5 people)
  • ventilation
  • storage
  • enough space on both sides of the sink to brush teeth without smashing elbow into wall

Proposal:

enter image description here

#1 toilet door, opens to outside. Toilet can have a tiny sink #9 for washing hands.

#2 main door, can open to inside, using corridor.

#3 sink with space on both sides.

#4 storage, towels hanging, second choice spot for heating, shelves (five people = tons of hygiene products, razors, toothbrushes, etc, you need a cupboard for that)

#5 first choice spot for heating, closest to shower

#6 clothes and towel hanging for person in the shower, next to or above heating, to dry the towel

#8 shower door, can be a sliding door

Air extraction above shower and in the toilet.

This fulfills all conditions: in the space next to the shower, someone can undress, shower and dress while someone else is using the sink and someone else is using the toilet. Also several people can brush their teeth at the same time if they're late, because there is enough space around the sink. This type of shower allows a simple curtain instead of a door, which means much less problems with leaky doors, tenants breaking the glass door, etc.

If the bathroom is too small to be usable, make it larger.

If you need to sacrifice space, make the corridor and the main door narrower. You spend 3 seconds going through the door and five minutes in front of the sink, so it's more important to have room around the sink.

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  • If your walls are 4 pixels thick, this could work. If, however, they're made out of studs and drywall, that probably becomes way too cramped. Of course, the OP gives us no dimensions whatsoever and asks for opinions, so there is no possibility of providing a "correct" answer
    – FreeMan
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:38
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    The correct answer is that the bathroom has to be as large as it should be to avoid creating conflict between the users when they're all late for work in the morning ;) Besides that, as you say OP didn't give any dimensions besides general room proportions... so the dimensions are OP's problem. We don't even know if there's a window.
    – bobflux
    Mar 17, 2022 at 11:43

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