Saturday, July 19, 2014

Owner's Bath Decision

Roman Shower vs. Upgraded Bathtub 


Tough decision to make.

The model home of the Lincolnshire that we have visited (as well as the model on the Virtual Tour) has the upgraded Owner's Bathroom with the Roman Shower Layout. With this option, you get two separate vanities and a linen closet, but there is no tub. We selected this at first because we don't usually take baths and we thought we'd really like having our own corners of the bathroom and a linen closet. The shower is just slightly bigger than the standard shower pan and there is a seat as well as two shower heads. Plus, if we really wanted to take a bath, there will be 3 other tubs in the house, albeit much smaller than a Master's tub would be. 



Another equally priced upgraded option was the "Soaking tub and Shower w/ Seat" Layout. With this option, you get a huge nicely tiled tub (my husband is 6'2 and can fit comfortably in this tub without having to bend his knees), and a standard shower pan that has a seat built in We initially declined this layout because it combines the vanities into one and you lose the linen closet. Plus, we don't frequently take baths. The SR tried to give us a verbal description of what this option looks like, allowing us to see a sample of the tub in another model and showing us the floorplan diagram, but it was hard to visualize because the online pictures and the model here in our town only display the Roman shower option.

We were very happy with our Roman Shower decision until our Rite Rug meeting. We were told that, due to the lack of 90 degree angles in the roman shower, we would be unable to have shelves added, as opposed to what the standard shower allows. Also, the Level C tile that we are paying for it confined to the shower and a nice rim around the shower door, but it's a lot less tile than if we had the tub, which would showcase our tile and listello all around the bathroom, for no additional cost. 

I called around to other developments that had Lincolnshire models and found one a few states away that actually had the upgraded bath / shower combo. That development's SR was kind enough to take the time to take pictures of their bathroom and sent them to me. It actually looks very nice!













So - fellow Ryan Homes bloggers - I would love to have your input - which option would you select? Roman Shower - sacrificing a big soaking tub, but gaining a linen closet and separation of vanities. Or Bath / Shower upgrade option - sacrificing a linen closet and separation of vanities, but gaining a very nicely tiled LARGE bath tub.

Thanks for the input in advance!



 

7 comments:

  1. I hadn't heard of the Roman tub until you mentioned it. I don't think it's an option in the Rome (what we are building). However, the Bath/Shower combo you have shown here looks a lot like what we are doing. We weren't sure how much we would really use a tub either - it's hard to say because I've never had a "nice" tub, just the regular shower/tub combo.

    We picked the upgraded Shower / Soaking Tub layout because doing a linen closet = no window in the bathroom, and I really liked the natural light (that's for the Rome). It looks like you have the window in both options though, so that's nice!

    Based on the pictures alone, I would pick the Bath/Shower combo. The Roman Shower option doesn't look like as much light comes in. And I like that your tile selections would be showcased more in the other options.

    So many decisions! Good luck!!!

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  2. The Roman shower was not an option when we built out Verona two years ago. We have the exact soaking tub and shower layout you have pictured. I like how all the tile work is visible. The shower is adequately sized and the tub has gotten some use, mostly by the kids. I prefer to only have one vanity as we share various products, and I wouldn't want to have to have two of everything. I have not missed having a linen closet in the master bath. Good luck with your decision!

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  3. I just saw this particular set up yesterday on a homeowner tour and I must say the tub is very nice in person. I want a tub so for me it is a no brainer. I have hate having to give up a linen closet but I will to get that nice long tub. I plan to use it since I've never had anything except a tiny one.

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  4. I love that roman shower, but I don’t think I could go without a tub. That stinks that you can’t somehow get both.

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  5. I like how they tiled the outside of the shower pan (in the shower/tub option). Normally, all other pictures that have a white/pre-fabricated shower pan have the shower frame resting directly on it. If you like that look, I'd confirm if that's standard or not. The roman shower also probably includes a tiled shower pan (we were quoted over $1000 for that non-standard request), as opposed to the white shower pan.

    Personally, we've only used our huge tub twice since moving in. It's certainly nice to have, but you're right in that it rarely gets used. Could you do a non-standard request of doing a half-wall on the sides of the shower to open it up more? Our corner shower in Florida had that setup.

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  6. Thank you all for the awesome replies! We are going back to the office today for our Guardian meeting so at some point we will have to decide between now and then. We are leaning towards the bathtub / shower combo because of all of points made above. The shower is not that much bigger with the "Roman Shower" option. It basically comes down to whether we want to devote that extra space in the bathroom to a tub. I will let Ryan Homes decide - if they let us convert (and we get the floor tiled) then I will go with that. If they say "nope - you're past your deadline" - then that makes the decision for us!

    Will keep you posted! Thank you again - this was all really helpful.

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  7. Thank you so much for these pictures of the master bathroom, I have been looking everywhere for pictures of this option.

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