Save Space and Money with a Jack and Jill Bathroom
A popular solution for modestly sized homes with several bedrooms, Jack and Jill's bathrooms are perhaps best known from The Brady Bunch, where the boys and girls shared a bathroom nestled between their respective bedrooms.
Bathrooms can easily cost $450 per square foot to build thanks to high-dollar necessities like plumbing and tile, so a Jack and Jill bathroom can be a clever way to satisfy the needs of two bedrooms without the expense of giving every bedroom its own expensive bathroom.
Try these design strategies to maximize the Jack and Jill bathroom's chances of success.
Ensure Privacy Jack and Jill bathrooms generally share a toilet and shower or bath, so making sure the bathroom locks on both sides of every door is critical. Consider adding a simple indicator that will show when the bathroom is in use, like a small LED light behind the switch or a translucent panel in the door or transom that will show when someone is in the bathroom. Another solution is to set the toilet off by itself - either behind a wall or in a room-within-a-room - so that others can still use the rest of the bathroom while the toilet is occupied.
Provide Double Sinks A Jack and Jill bathroom lets the occupants of the adjoining bedrooms share sink space for tasks that don't require privacy, like brushing teeth or getting ready for the day. Put in two separate sinks with their own medicine cabinets, soap dishes, and other accessories to make things run more smoothly in the morning. One monolithic mirror will work better than two smaller ones because the mirror space between the sinks can still be used for hair brushing, makeup or other duties that don't require a sink. If space allows, try putting the double sinks on the opposite sides of a partial-height wall so that the people using them don't feel crammed in right next to each other. This can also solve issues with counter space crowding as each side has its own dedicated counter space.
Install Extra Storage Keep things equal between the two bedrooms by putting in extra towel racks, shelving, and other storage so everyone using the bathroom has their own space. Bins or separate shelves create individual space to keep toiletries from going missing and also create a shared sense of ownership in which every person feels like the bathroom is partially theirs.
Include Cabinets or a Vanity If your Jack and Jill bathroom is designed to be shared by kids, you'll want to invest in cabinets for bottles of bubble bath, tub toys and plenty of extra washcloths and towels. Undersink cabinets are an easy, unobtrusive way to build in the extra storage you need.
Offer Extra Entry An entrance from the hall is useful for visitors or anyone who doesn't want to cross through a bedroom just to use the bathroom. Just make sure it looks just like the entrances from the bedrooms do.