If you want to learn about what goes into a four piece bathroom, or what alternatives are available, you're in the right place.
Introduction
A four-piece bathroom, a kitchen island, double shower, half bath, three-quarter bathrooms... interior design terminology can be difficult to understand. When it comes to bathroom suites in particular, it can be tricky to know what sort of things you need and what will suit your space. Which plumbing fixtures do you need? Are you replacing your existing bathroom or simply choosing just a sink? Whether it be an ensuite bathroom, small bathroom or several bathroom fixtures, there are plenty of options available.
What is a four-piece, otherwise known as a full bathroom?
A four-piece bathroom suite contains a sink, a bathtub, a shower and a toilet. Usually, the tub and the shower are placed close to each other on the other side of the room as the door, with the vanity in the middle. Lastly, in its own corner away from the tub and the shower cubicle, sits the toilet, which is usually opposite the vanity. This is for functionality purposes and allows you to make the most of your area, even in small bathrooms.
What is a bathroom vanity? We answer your questions...
Also in a four-piece bathroom suite, you may have mirrors that pop open into medicine cabinets, in-built speakers for bath-taking or additional storage and laundry baskets. Depending on space, you could opt for a quarter bath or a three quarter bath as these fixtures create more floor area as the footprint is smaller. One other fixture to look at is separate tub that is a standalone feature in your bathroom suite.
With a full bathroom, you may want to have more than one of each item, such as a double shower or basin or two toilets. This configuration is usually left to the biggest bathroom or restroom in the house, especially if you’re living in an flat. A bedroom may also have an en suite with four fixtures, such as a pedestal sink or basin, bath, and toilet. For bedrooms with a modern bathroom, there are plenty of ideas around to help you create your own style.
Size of a four-piece bathroom
Even though the shape of the bathroom is just as important as the land area, you can consider the minimum to be just about 4 square metres. This is due to the space requirements for a shower in a property.
This leaves just enough space for the bath and the shower. Fitting everything else in the four piece bathroom suite would be quite a cramped challenge. In general, if the bath is really indispensable, then go for this. If not, you would do better by having a three-quarter bathroom, or a three-piece bathroom without the shower or the bathtub and only a sink. This is the most common form in maximising your footprint with your fixtures.
Alternatively, you could also split the shower and tub into their own room, or install the bathtub in the space that the shower takes. This means that if you’d like to use the shower hose, you would simply switch taps from the bathtub inlet to the flexible shower head.
A good size in bathroom suites would be around 5 square metres. This would not only account for differences in bathroom shape and space, but also give you comfortable room to move around and stretch out.
On the larger side, you might have a four-piece take up as much as 12 square metres, as some of these more luxurious bathrooms are designed to run parallel as an en suite to the master bedroom.
Discover more common bathroom layouts in our expert guide
Cost to remodel
The cost to remodel your entire bathroom or ensuite, rather than just features or a fixture, will vary depending on how large the room is and what items you require. There are affordable four piece bathroom options, with a stylish sink, sink toilet, basin, bidet and other choices. The cost may easily shoot up due to the age of the house and the problems that might arise within the interior of the walls and the plumbing.
Therefore, one of the less strong points about a full four-piece bathroom is how expensive it is to remodel fully, so take your time to decide on the fixture and stock. When you commit to a bigger toilet, you’re also saying that this larger space will deteriorate and require maintenance much faster than a simple broom closet. Contact an expert in this area to help you.
Alternatives to the sink, bathtub, toilet and shower set-up
Recently, some four-piece bathrooms have been popping up with two sinks fixtures instead of a shower and tub. This is quite smart, as when doing preparations for going out in the morning, you might not need to use the toilet, and your family might not shower in the morning, but you will definitely need to use the sink for washing your face and brush your teeth.
Another thing you might want to consider is having some sort of privacy, so consider opaque shower doors for the shower or curtains for the bath. That way, multiple people can be in the space at once.
How to save space if a four-piece bathroom isn’t quite for you
The larger the bathroom and the more pieces needed, the longer it will take to renovate. The monetary cost will also increase. Sometimes the right thing to do is to realise that you don’t need a bathtub, especially in an ensuite by the bedrooms, or that you might need to sacrifice something.
A good thing about letting go of the toilet in an ensuite bathroom, and having a sink, shower, and bath, is the management of smell. Since an ensuite bathroom is connected to the room where you sleep, if there is another bathroom very nearby with a toilet, you may just want to forego having a toilet. You can wash with the sink for things like cleaning your teeth. This will ensure you can have enough space for bathing and showering, and doing your vanity, without compromising on style.
Find out what's included in an ensuite bathroom
Conclusion
When considering a four piece bathroom, the layout is the most common thing to think about. If you’re looking at fitting a four-piece, try to get pieces of the vanity, toilet, shower and bathtub that look stylistically fitting, but ultimately different. This will help tie your bathroom in and make each item unique. Alongside this, when you need to change something further down the road, it will make it much easier.
Here at Victoria Plum, we have a great range of baths and shower enclosures, including space-saving, compact options. Our staff are always happy to help, so why not speak to us about your bathroom needs and see if we can help you decide whether you need a shower enclosure or a bathtub?
