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Building The Ultimate Bathroom

Posted 07.12.2006 by The Big Wiper (2240)
Just over a year ago, I decided to design and build my dream home. A few weeks ago, I officially moved into the digs where I expect to spend the rest of my life with my companion, Will. The house has everything I need to relax and write my stories. There's a long, winding road that snakes through three acres of hardwood and pine forest and ends up overlooking a tranquil little pond that lulls me to sleep with its frog and cricket and cicada noises every night. There are twenty-three-foot shed roof ceilings, lots of ceiling fans for keeping the utility bills down, and all sorts of unexpected vistas seen through skylights and windows strategically placed both high and low on the walls. The house is all about bringing the outside in and using windows as paintings.

But the pride and joy of my home is my Ultimate Spa/Bathroom -- which, featuring a twenty-foot shed roof ceiling, is bigger than either of the two bedrooms.

I grew up detesting tiny, dark, cramped bathrooms that were clearly designed as afterthoughts rather than focal points of daily living. My attitude has always been that the bathroom should be a joyful and relaxing place to spend time doing the things we all have to do, whether it be bathing, shaving, primping, peeing, or pooping. My Shamelessness allows me to fully share this bathroom with my companion with no reservations whatsoever, and so it offers a number of features that those who are more Shameful or more modest would probably not appreciate.

Along one wall are three fixtures that make sense for two adult men sharing a house together: a toilet, a bidet, and a urinal. Will has already pointed out that we no longer have to worry about putting the toilet seat up when peeing so as not to inadvertently decorate it. The urinal is a practical concession to our anatomies, and it is working out every bit as efficiently as I thought it might. (Though I concede that the inclusion of a urinal might not be practical for other family arrangements; I am only speaking for myself and my companion here.)

Both of us use the toilet, therefore, for pooping only. And, yes, there have been instances in which one has been using the urinal while the other has been reading on the pot. There is no need to take a number, even if both of us have to poop, because there is a guest bathroom with another toilet for that eventuality.

As for the bidet, I have to confess that before last week I had never used one. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I wanted to have one in the house because the device had gotten such good press in the three-and-a-half years I've been involved with PoopReport. Many of you have read a particularly helpful and instructional article on the subject of bidet usage; I did refer back to it before undertaking my maiden voyage.

The procedure proved to be a simple one. I just adjusted the hot and cold faucets until I had a comfortable temperature and flow and then straddled the porcelain pony. I was immediately pleased with the sensation of the warm water gently gushing against my asscrack. I had done a bit of wiping beforehand, but the flow of the bidet finished the job. When I did a check-up wipe after a couple of minutes of mini-Old Faithful action, I was spotless. (And let me add that the sensation of the warm water soothing my nether regions is addictive. I really didn't want to get up. I can't imagine why bidets have gotten bad press in this country -- I think they fall under the category of warm and fuzzy plumbing.)

My Ultimate Spa/Bathroom also features a Jacuzzi in the center of the room with a skylight directly above it. Although Will and I are both shower guys, we have the Jacuzzi as an occasional alternative; and I have to admit it is somewhat of a rush to look up into the trees while taking a leisurely soak. But for more routine occasions, there's the double shower stall with glass door. Each of us has our own showerhead and caddy, and there's a practical changing bench for toweling off, disrobing, or just admiring the scenery. There's a can light directly above the stall, as well as a ceiling fan and light kit nearby for all the illumination and circulation one might need during a lengthy, steamy shower.

Another custom feature of the bathroom is the built-in hamper counter with additional storage for toiletries. Each of us has an open square on either end of the counter into which we drop dirty clothes. We can retrieve them for laundering by opening the cabinet door beneath. There's an extra mirror along that wall as well.

I think I'm most proud of the specially-commissioned pottery shaving sinks -- one for each of us -- along with a custom, jigsaw-design pottery counter. My builder put me in touch with a very talented woman who specializes in major pottery projects of this sort, and she came through with flying (blue and white) colors. It involved some extra expense, but I felt the end result justified the extravagance. The sinks are one-of-a-kind and will never be duplicated -- and perhaps one day they will become collector's items. Unfortunately, as of this writing, neither Will nor I have been able to use these sinks because the special faucets for them have not yet come in. (What you see in the picture are still the pipes from the plumbing rough-in.) But I have no doubt that we will soon enjoy these unusual designs, reminiscent to me of gigantic clam shells brought up from the bottom of the sea.

This is a very soothing and cool bathroom -- and I mean that in every way. There is a window that opens on the backside of the house, and, with the ceiling fan going, there is always a breeze in the bathroom. I deliberately chose a blue and white color scheme because it echoes the blue of the sky and the white of the clouds you can see through the skylight. And, of course, there is a touch of green coming from both the outside and the palm tree inside.

It is an environment that Will and I are already enjoying very much. We both look forward to all of the ablutions we perform in there, and we always keep the adjoining doors to our bedrooms open so that we can catch glimpses of that beautiful blue throughout the day. It is everything I think a bathroom should be: high concept. Inviting. A room that begs to be used and appreciated as much or more than any of the other rooms in the house.

Logjam (2356) -- 07.12.2006

Well Wiper, I'm numb with jealousy. This is as close as I’ve ever been to the bathroom of my dreams. Extremely nice job, and my best wishes to you and Will and your life together in this dream house.

I do find it interesting that your Ode to the stylish Commode should appear in the same week that many of our PR stalwarts have gone on record decrying such extravagance.

One question. Why his-and-his hampers? Do you do your laundry separately?

doniker (1517) -- 07.12.2006

2 questions.

1) What is the square footage of this room? My whole house is only 704 square feet...from your description and picture it looks like it may be bigger!!

2) About how much did this bathroom cost you (if you don't mind the question)?
I just happened to be watching a remodeling show on TV last night in which they totally revamped a bathroom and it cost $22,000....I thought that was rather excessive for a room where you just shit, shower and shave.

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

To answer the questions posed of me so far (to the best of my ability):

1) We do not do our laundry separately. Will is in charge of that completely. When I designed the house, I thought it would be easier to keep track of our things if they went into separate bins. Sometimes, my stuff gets backed up (is that a PR-sounding line or what?)and we don't always need loads done at the same time. Lately, we've both had lots of dirty clothes because of doing our own landscaping--laying sod, raking marble chips, rocks, seeding grass, watering, etc.

Anyhoo, it's easy for Will to take all the clothes from his hamper, do the load and then know exactly where they should be hung up or stored. Ditto with mine. No sorting necessary later as would be the case with one big family hamper.

2)The fixtures I chose for the bathroom are just your basic white porcelain Kohler fixtures. Nothing fancy. I don't think there's anything extravagant about them. At one point my architect and I considered dividers between the three fixtures, but I nixed it. Will and I are Shameless, so what would have been the point of dividers of any height? And doors would be beyond the pale for me. Goes against my entire history.

3) I can't pinpoint how much that bathroom cost because the house was built as a package and then sold back to me by the contractor. I only know how much the entire house cost. The square footage of the house (footprint) is 3,600 square ft. Heat and air-cooled part is 2,600 square ft. The deck and covered carport/garage are not climatized, of course.

I would only be able to estimate what the square footage of that bathroom is. It has twenty-foot shed roof ceilings and occupies two-thirds of the living quarters area of the house. I'd say it has to be at least 600 square feet--maybe more.

When you build a house from scratch, the bank gives you a budget, and your builder must come in under that budget. I'm aware of the costs of certain fixtures and items, but it would be a crapshoot (heh) if I attempted to pinpoint just how much the bathroom cost in its entirety.

No matter. I intend to live in this house the rest of my life, so the cost was worth it. So far the bathroom is working out just great!

Thunderbox (762) -- 07.12.2006

Amazing Wiper...if you put a microwave and bed in it you could rent it out as a luxury holiday apartment when you were away.

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

One of the things I neglected to mention is that I can take a shower in that stall and have a direct line of sight through the huge picture window just off my bedroom landing to the road leading to my house. I can see if a car is driving up, but they can't see me. I can also see the trees on either side of the road. It's very relaxing to be able to bring the outside in like that.

By looking a little to the right and up, I can also see the sky through the skylight over the Jacuzzi. I can always tell what the weather is like and also know the minute it changes.

Double Flush (582) -- 07.12.2006

Wow... just, wow... words cannot express my jealousy of it all, with all the details, the space, the urinal, the breeze... the ceilings... TBW, I have dreams of a house like this, and though I have never really thought of the perfect bathroom, this one really hits home. I WANT IT! Can I come visit sometime?

_______
"Double the flush, double the fun" --The Amazing Anus

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

Heh. We've having enough trouble getting UPS, FedEx and the meter readers to find their way out here.

Nine Inch Log (341) -- 07.12.2006

Wow, I love it. When I build a house will you design my bathroom?

In light of all the recent comments on PR this week I'd say that not only are you a shameless shitter TBW, but also a shameless spender when it comes to shitting. Hey, my theory, as long as it was all budgeted in appropriatly.

_______
Number One . . . I order you to take a number two.

KeepOnCrappin (545) -- 07.12.2006

That's a good line, 9IL.
TBW, I don't know where you will find the money for this. I could never afford such pleasures. But seeing a urinal in a residential place, further affirms my need for one.

_______
"KOC -- the Cool Crapper" - Rat Droppings

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

Re: the urinal. It really is convenient to walk up and let fly, rather than take aim at a toilet, seat up or down.

The only thing we have to be careful of is 'shaking it out,' so to speak. Those bright, shiny, blue tile floors pick up the least little drop. So Will and I try very hard not to 'leak.'

We also considered whether or not we needed to buy urinal cakes. We decided we didn't need to. Reason: we always flush. Carefully. It's not like a public urinal where some guys walk away without flushing, and the pee festers.

GottaGoGirl (2615) -- 07.12.2006

TBW-- Finally we get to see it! I got teary-eyed just viewing the pics! It is beautiful, just beautiful!

And Logjam, I was thinking about your comment regarding the coincidence of the "keeping up with the Joneses" article. I think TBW's resort spa room is different from that. In my case, my husband looks around our beginning-to-wear-around-all-the-edges dated house, and he gets impatient, and says, "Oh, THAT has to GO! AND that! Oh, and we may as well throw in THAT, too!" And it's too much to do at once.

But TBW has had this bathroom in mind for a long time. He imagined, nurtured, tweaked, then executed the plan. I think that's different.

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

Yes, GGG, it was a labor of love, thought through carefully. From my point of view, everything in the bathroom works from a practical standpoint. Big wide shower (and we do sometimes take them together), changing bench to rest your feet and ass while drying off, separate areas for dirty clothes (that are not visible, of course), plenty of air and light for shaving and grooming, etc. And then the cleanliness issue that a bidet brings into the mix, as well as the concession to male anatomy that a urinal offers.

My one concession to extravagance was the shaving sinks. They could have been ordinary white porcelain and sunk into the counter, rather than raised above a jigsaw pottery puzzle.

But this woman I was introduced to just won me over. She's an artist, and I plan to commission her to do something else for me when I get really serious about finishing up the landscaping. Maybe a piece of garden pottery.

I have to say that I've worked hard for a long time now to afford all of this. And it feels good to see it come to life.

GottaGoGirl (2615) -- 07.12.2006

Talk about concession to male anatomy! I have an acquaintance who has 7 sons. No twins. 7 in a row, now ages: 5,7,10,12,15,17,20. If I were those parents, I would totally have put a urinal in each bathroom long ago!

Logjam (2356) -- 07.12.2006

TBW responds, "We do not do our laundry separately. Will is in charge of that completely. When I designed the house ..." You designed the house. Will's in charge of the laundry. Sounds like you got a good thing going there.

The Dumpster (2510) -- 07.12.2006

TBW, I noticed you have a Sloan valve on your urinal. It would have been nice to have gotten one for the commode, too, but, as I've noted before, I think in most places that would require a variance, or maybe even some kind of federal permit, since Uncle Sam is now in the business of telling us how much water we can use per flush.

(BTW, did you have any hassle with the building inspectors over any of this?)

Very, very nice. Almost like something out of Architectural Digest. Hope you and Will have a long and happy life there together.

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

Dumpster, my builder would know if there were any hassles with building inspectors, but I doubt it. He didn't mention anything like that to me, although the urinal did end up delaying the shipment of the rest of the fixtures.

Reason: most residential plumbing orders don't include this--it's almost strictly commercial. So while the toilet and the bidet got in (although the bidet, too, took extra time)reasonably enough, we had a two-week delay for the urinal. Seems this guy only ships them once a month to that guy and so forth.

I do know that if Will is in the shower and I flush the urinal, he loses water pressure for a coupla seconds.

GGG: I think there may be some sort of stigma attached to home use of urinals. Perhaps that it's too institutional. But it sure is practical.

daphne (3325) -- 07.12.2006

I remember when you met Will on this site and mentioned that you were going to meet him. Now you guys have this wonderful life. And you have worked so hard for what you have.

It's so nice to see someone get what they want in this world, someone whom I really, really, adore.

Nicely done, Wiper.


_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com

Hu Flung Dung (89) -- 07.12.2006

That is an absolutely flawless bathroom. Five of five brown spots for you, TBW.
_______
I have a book published. The title...it's "Brown Spots on the Walls".

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

Hu Flung Dung: how about Five Wet Wipes?

Will (not verified) -- 07.12.2006

I am thrilled to be able to share this bathroom with TBW....every aspect of it is special, so I'm not going to favor one feature over another....yes, the jacuzzi also doubles as a bath tub..I don't know whether that was mentioned. As TBW stated, we are both shower people, but it is also true that this amazing bathroom has a bathtub as well!!

The blue tiles are "splendiferous". They shine like silver when they are all polished..it is definitely a high-tech modern bathroom, perhaps not for the feint of heart!!!

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

As you can tell, Will likes this bathroom as much as I do!

the log of hazzard (184) -- 07.12.2006

W0w, that's one helluva bathroom. I've always thought it would be cool to have a bidet. Warm, beautiful water, making it's beloved preachings in areas of dark, evil despair...

Sorry about the drama.

Spinster Sphincter (not verified) -- 07.12.2006

It's great to see someone putting his money where his anus is. ENJOY!

Double Flush (582) -- 07.12.2006

The Dumpster, how did I not notice the Sloan valve? I love those things! I want one on my toilet when I get the bathroom that is a replica of this one.

Again, TBW, I marvel at your lovely bathroom. The more I look, the more I want it. Great job in your design!!!

_______
"Double the flush, double the fun" --The Amazing Anus

George Eliot Butterz (244) -- 07.12.2006

TBW hates off to you and Will in your big arse bad boy bastard bathroom! I'd be in heaven mate. Good work and a job well done. May you both be blessed in all your exploits therein!


_______
You can't polish a turd

George Eliot Butterz (244) -- 07.12.2006

should read hats not hates, sorry mate!


_______
You can't polish a turd

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

I'm happy I could share this design with all of you. Perhaps it will give some of you ideas when you're next in a position to design your own ideal bathroom.

And let me give PR, itself, some credit here. I don't think I would ever have thought of including a bidet in the design had it not been for my involvement with this site. And I'm not sure I would have forged ahead with the urinal idea, either.

Being on PR for more than three and a half years has strengthened my Shamelessness.

AssBlaster2000 (1117) -- 07.12.2006

OK, TBW, lovely bathroom. It's nearly half the size of my house, but I don't begrudge you your good fortune because I know you are not trying to live outside your means like so many, and besides, you deserve it.

However, I do have one question. If the faucets for the sinks haven't come in yet, I assume no water can come out of them. Therefore, where do you wash your hands after you hang a root? In the shower? In the bidet?

Oh, and I fixed Will's comment up there, so now it says "Will."

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.12.2006

Fortunately, the faucets did come in about three weeks ago. When I wrote the article, they still had not come in. So we've been able to shave and wash hands without trouble.

Before that, however, we were going into the guest bathroom and shaving, and when we had to wash our hands, we either used that sink or the kitchen sink. Ditto brushing our teeth during that period.

It was a temporary bother, but it's in the past now.

Thanks for fixing the comment. I guess I need to go back and edit mine a bit now.

DungDaddy (1364) -- 07.13.2006

TBW, very happy for you. The rest of your pad must be very very nice.

Anonymous Coward (not verified) -- 07.13.2006

Do you ever get confused as to which one is the toilet?

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.13.2006

Haha! I have heard of people in European hotel rooms trying to drink from the bidet as if it were a water fountain, though.

sharty mcfly (211) -- 07.14.2006

dude i want a urinal, for parties you have to put ice in it, i dunn why but that has always just seemed classy to me

GottaGoGirl (2615) -- 07.14.2006

Oooh. You could freeze ice cubes with drops of different colored food coloring in them, and they'd melt and crackle a rainbow of colors!

The Dumpster (2510) -- 07.14.2006

There is a urinal in the courthouse here that has a rubber target in the bottom of it. TBW, if I can find another one of those, I'll send it to you for a housewarming present. Bull's-Eye!

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.14.2006

I do associate ice in urinals with fraternity parties. But let's just say that that's not a snowcone I'd want to cool off with. And I've seen those rubber targets in the urinals. When you think about it, there's an entire cottage industry built around the urinal.

GottaGoGirl (2615) -- 07.14.2006

At my retail job, the entire "front" staff is female. Since our janitor retired to Mexico (I am not making that up), we haven't hired a new one, and it falls to us to clean the bathrooms each night.

I had never been in the men's restroom until I had to check my girls' cleaning abilities. I saw that rubber jar-opener thingy in the urinal; I thought it was to keep foreign objects from going down the drain. If you aim at the rubber disc, wouldn't you get splashback?

Hu Flung Dung (89) -- 07.14.2006

Sorry, TBW, I hand out spots as opposed to wipes. But maybe someone else will elect to hand out wipes.

GGG: Yes, the red 'target' pads provide splashback.
_______
I have a book published. The title...it's "Brown Spots on the Walls".

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.14.2006

I can't recall ever getting splashback on a rubber target in a urinal, GGG. I think it has to do with the depth of the porcelain.

But the psychology of the bull's eye in the urinal is probably sound: men like to compete at just about everything.

KeepOnCrappin (545) -- 07.14.2006

I'm confused, as usual. These rubber targets: they're the ones that are red/blue and say "say no to drugs" on them? Is that the same as the bulls eye?

I have never gotten splashback on them, but on the type of urinal you have, TBW, I quite often get splash if I aim too high.

_______
"KOC -- the Cool Crapper" - Rat Droppings

Nine Inch Log (341) -- 07.14.2006

Perhaps someone should design a target in the commode. I can just picture people squatting over their toilets trying to make their log hit a red X. New olympic sport.

_______
Number One . . . I order you to take a number two.

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.15.2006

This gives new meaning to the term 'log-rolling.'

Thunderbox (762) -- 07.15.2006

Maybe I`m asking a stupid question (I`ve never seen these rubber target things in urinals), but what are they for? Advertising? Most guys know to piss in the urinal, whatever part, it doesn`t matter. Most of us don`t just pitch up in the toilet and spray around like wild beasts.

Double Flush (582) -- 07.15.2006

I believe they are there to keep debris, e.g. cigarette butts r paper towels, from getting flushed in the urinal. Also, some urinal mats conveniently hold a urinal cake safely inside away from being flushed.

_______
"Double the flush, double the fun" --The Amazing Anus

Thunderbox (762) -- 07.15.2006

Thanks DF - wiser now. So it`s really an anti-retard device.

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.15.2006

I'm still waiting for ESPN to televise the next junk sports event during the slow summer season--Urinal Rubber Targeting.

Not something I'd want to judge, BTW.

The Dumpster (2510) -- 07.15.2006

I love it when I can derail a thread so thoroughly!

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 07.24.2006

Not really, Dumpster. It's all still about bathroom activities. PR stuff all the way!

Bilgepump (1479) -- 08.04.2006

So, then, thats NOT a drinking fountain?

The Dumpster (2510) -- 08.04.2006

Depends on what you like to drink, Bilge....

Great comment! +1 point
The Big Wiper (2240) -- 08.04.2006

Butt-led water, perhaps?

healthy 1 (1421) -- 01.03.2007

That is one huge ass bathroom!! And very nice too.

Two sinks, a urinal, a toilet, a bidet, and a spa. The spa alone would take up half of my bathroom, never mind everything else.
_______
"-55F, a new record low? Nope, thermometer went bad. Looks like -50F still stands"

The Big Wiper (2240) -- 01.03.2007

Seven months later, it has more than had its shakedown, and it has performed magnificently. The three features I designed that I like most are: the clothes hamper holes in the counter; the urinal; and the changing bench next to the double shower stall. Having a place to sit down, towel off and pull on underwear and socks, rocks!

Pulling My Pants Down For Peace, Plop and Posterity!

Miss Simone Scat (570) -- 05.31.2007


_Great decorating!!! I hope one day to asspire to have such a throne room.______
Producing waste since 1967

The Thunderous ... (653) -- 06.01.2007

I gotta say this and I say this with ONLY Kudos and compliments. Not only do you guys know how to dress ( I am color blind with NO style a REAL tragedy ) but when you design a bathroom you go ALL OUT and its fantastic. THIS is THE bathroom. Now for myself I would add a 42 inch plasma TV but thats just for me so I dont miss a minute of that football game. GOD FORBID. Other than that this is how I would do it too. Wiper in the words of the Anti-Trump You're HIRED to design my dream bathroom when that happens someday. Congrats to you and Will as well. Happy bathrooming.
_______
The Thunderous Crapper 63 Enjoying home toilet advantage since 2004!

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