Are open plan bathrooms only for the brave, or are they a concept worth considering in your bathroom design?
Can open plan bathrooms ever work, or is the bathroom a space where broken-plan design will always work best?

If you're in the market for a new bathroom design, it's likely you'll have been considering your bathroom layout – and in theory, you could think that unless you have a separate toilet, most designs are based on open plan bathrooms.
However, the open plan bathroom concept is essentially one whereby the bathroom is incorporated into a larger floor plan that usually includes a bedroom, and perhaps a dressing room.
Sometimes seen in hotels, it offers a sense of space and a touch of luxury, but is it a realistic design concept for your home, or should privacy and walls dividing the space prevail?
Does the open plan bathroom concept really mean no walls?
While open plan vs broken plan is often a debate concerning the ground floor of homes, it's not often discussed as much when it comes to bathroom design ideas – and perhaps for good reason.
Bathrooms involve elements of personal hygiene that you may not want others to have to participate and share in. However, perhaps viewing the idea as a concept rather than a boundary free bathing zone, may help.
“Open plan bathrooms can come in many different guises and don’t have to be fully open to a bedroom as you are probably thinking," says Louise Ashdown, head of design at West One Bathrooms.
"Instead, it can have design features that help to make the space feel more open to other rooms in a master suite. This could include glass windows between a bathroom and bedroom, helping to make the spaces flow but affording some degree of privacy in that they remain two separate spaces."
Louise is Head of Design at West One Bathrooms, having worked in the industry for over 18 years. At West One Bathrooms, one of the UK’s premium and luxury bathroom retailers, she heads up the design and creative teams, overseeing all the bathroom projects, as well as sourcing the latest products. Her passion for bathroom design is unparallel.
Pros and cons of an open plan bathroom
Although an open plan bathroom is never going to be a good idea in a single bathroom home with more than one cohabiting couple, (and let's face it, a toilet in full view of the bedroom is a hotel bathroom idea that simply doesn't work, even in hotels), there are instances when it can offer some benefits.
"When privacy isn’t an issue, open-plan bathrooms provide an inviting modern living space, working best when there is a large floorplan to play with," says Leigh Price, co-director at Real Stone, Tile & Bathroom.
"It is more common to see open-plan bathrooms in three-storey homes or in loft conversions," says Leigh, "where the whole floor can be dedicated to a master suite, encompassing all of the homeowner’s upstairs living requirements in one."
However, if you are considering it as an option, in a space where water and heat prevail, some of the problems you will encounter (other than privacy) may include additional plumbing needs, extra bathroom ventilation requirements and making sure the design of your sanitaryware and bathroom storage ideas work with the more aesthetic needs of your bedroom ideas.
Leigh Price, Co-Director of Real Stone, Tile & Bathroom has been in the construction industry for 35 years, and has worked in the tiling and bathroom industry for the past 16 years. His favourite aspect of running the business is guiding a client through the design process for their project, and consequently seeing it come to fruition.
How to design an open plan bathroom
“We don’t tend to see a lot of fully open plan bathrooms as there is always some degree of privacy required, even if it is a separate room for a toilet. However, if you are considering having an open plan bathroom, perhaps to create the ultimate master suite, there are a few things that need careful consideration," says Barrie Cutchie, design director at BC Designs.
“If you are going open plan, chances are you will need to account for the need for additional plumbing work, as when removing walls, you’ll have more space to play with, making it likely you’ll want to move bathroom items, such as baths, into new positions," says Barrie.
"After all, the point of open plan is to make elements such as your freestanding bath ideas the star of the show," he notes, "so there is no point tucking them right at the back."
If on the other hand, you want to maintain a sense of some privacy, there are ways of doing so while maintaining an overall feel of openness.
"A great way to introduce an element of privacy into open-plan bathrooms is by building stud walls around areas such as the WC," suggests Leigh Price. "This can be done either by building a half-height stud wall around the WC area, or by using a full height stud wall as a divider."
“This style of open plan bathroom can be a great ‘middle of the road option’ for those who aren’t keen on having everything open,” agrees Louise Ashdown.
“Stud walls, with openings at either side can also create a sense of flow between the two spaces – helped by having the same flooring to make the space feel as one – and this also offers some degree of functionality to hide plumbing and create storage for toiletries," adds Barrie Cutchie.
"Another way to enhance privacy in an open-plan bathroom is by using privacy or smart glass in certain areas, such as a fluted shower screen, which happens to also be a popular choice in bathroom trends for 2025," notes Leigh.
What could an open plan bathroom design look like?
If you're still struggling to imagine how an open plan bathroom design could look in your home, browse through these 3D mock up designs from Real Stone Tile & Bathroom for inspiration.
Shop baths and screens for open plan bathrooms
This frameless shower screen also comes in other finishes and sizes
Barrie Cutchie founded British bathroom brand, BC Designs in 1999. He is an award-winning bathroom designer who has been at the forefront of the industry for over 30 years.
Ventilation in an open plan bathroom concept
It's essential you get the best bathroom extractor fan in an open plan bathroom concept and adequate natural ventilation too. Water and soft furnishings such as bedding, cushions and rugs rarely make the best partners.
“Having an open plan bathroom can create some issues in regards to extra moisture building up in other areas of the room, so it is vital you have proper ventilation to account for the additional moisture in the air," warns Barrie Cutchie.
"In terms of adequately ventilating an open-plan bathroom, using the example again of a top-floor, third-storey house or loft conversion bathrooms, adding opening velux skylight or rooflight windows is a way of providing light and ventilation," suggests Leigh Price.
"Providing ventilation in two-storey homes or bungalows will require a higher power extractor fan and opening windows in the room," he adds.
While it's not for the faint-hearted, there are ways of making an open plan bathroom concept work in your home. Other ideas such as sliding glass pocket doors on your en-suite bathroom idea can add light and a sense of space if you aren't fully committed to everything being on show.
However, with practicality a key concern in an open plan bathroom, follow the advice in our guide to baths in bedrooms and if you're not sure what flooring would work and are tempted by the thought of a carpet throughout, find out whether the experts think carpet in a bathroom is always a bad idea.
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Sarah is Homebuilding & Renovating’s Assistant Editor and joined the team in 2024. An established homes and interiors writer, Sarah has renovated and extended a number of properties, including a listing building and renovation project that featured on Grand Designs. Although she said she would never buy a listed property again, she has recently purchased a Grade II listed apartment. As it had already been professionally renovated, she has instead set her sights on tackling some changes to improve the building’s energy efficiency, as well as adding some personal touches to the interior.