Burning Question: Sharing Is Caring?
This week we got to wondering how often you share with your spouse, specifically the bathroom. Do you guys use the same one? Not at the same time of course. And if so, do you have a double sink situation or are you sharing one mirror and one vanity like us?
Are you fancy enough to each have a designated bathroom so you never cross paths while you’re washing up? We’ve heard some say it’s the secret to a happy marriage, so tell us what you’re working with.
And speaking of bathrooms, check out how we injected some subtle style to our guest bathroom in just a few hours with $4 of paint.
Image courtesy of HGTV.com
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We are a military family, so we’ve had every arrangement possible over 21 years of marriage. I don’t so much crave separate bath space from my husband, as my kids. When they were little and sloppy, I liked having a reliably tidy place for my own toiletries and such. As they got older, they tend to take overly long, so it’s nice to have my own space to duck into then, as well.
I had one master bath with separate vanities, and I thought it was overkill . . . but our schedules really don’t overlap. I can see it would be different if we were both vying for mirror/sink time at the same instant. It mostly just left me with more cleaning to do :-/. That bath did have a watercloset-style toilet area that had a pocket door to close it off, and THAT was nice, when sharing with somone else. I’d do that again in a heartbeat.
We presently have just one bathroom, no counterspace at ALL (government quarters this time.) And you know, we make this work too. I did have to set up a vanity table in our bedroom, but then that took a LOT of clutter out of the bathroom anyway.
We have 3 bathrooms in our house, and the masterbath we do share. It has two sinks and two mirrors! I love it.
At our old place we shared a one sink/one vanity bathroom (it was a rental with pepto bismo pink EVERYTHING!) and that wasn’t so bad. We’re pretty easy going about bathroom sharing. :-)
We have two full bathrooms (and a half downstairs). When I shower, I use the guest shower, and he uses the shower in the master bathroom. Because oh man, do I hate that master bathroom shower. It’s like showering in a closet- no room to shave the legs, hitting my elbows on a wall every two seconds while I’m trying to shampoo…arg. But other than that, I get ready and brush my teeth in the master bathroom with him. We have double sinks so there’s enough room. And it’s kind of nice- it’s the only 10 minutes we have together in the mornings before he goes to work. :)
We moved to a new house in May. All 4 of us shared a single bathroom (with Jack&Jill access from the hall and master bedroom.) One of our criteria for the new digs was that it have 2 full baths, but the house we bought actually has 3 full baths (one in the basement has a shower stall instead of a tub). Let me tell ya, that’s a lot of bathrooms to clean!
Hubs & I now have a master bath with a single sink, but larger vanity, and that’s where most of our stuff is, where we brush our teeth, etc. But if he gets up early, he will shower downstairs, because the fan in the master bath is the original from the 50s and sounds like a helicopter taking off!
My oldest son and I share the master bath and my husband and three youngest kids share the other bathroom. I have no idea how this arrangement came to be, but it works for us!!
Since we move a lot, we’ve had both. While a lot of people raves about a 2 sink situation I, personally, don’t find it essential. Here are a couple of bathrooms that we’ve whipped up in the last few years without adding an additional vanity:
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/09/before-after-pictures-little-blue-house.html
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/09/before-after-pictures-waterfront.html
By the way, the stripe add in your guest bathroom has always been a favorite project of mine!
Kelly
We share. We rent an older home and technically we have two bathrrooms but really only use one of them which is downstairs. Our other bathroom is strictly a bathroom meaning there’s a tub but no showerhead so its not really usable for two people on the go all of the time. Bathrooms have never been an issue for me. I’ve had my own private bathroom before and it was nice but its something I can live without
We had the double sink and mirrors setup at our old house. It was convenient then specially at the start of the day when we’d be rushing to do our own stuff.
We decided to try something different a few years back for our current home. We now have 1 large mirror, and generous space on the sides to house our stuff separately. We now get “tangled up” while using the same sink, but in a fun kind of way ;)
We have 4 bathrooms in our house and share our master bath with double sinks. We shared one sink and one mirror for 3 years and that was challenging! I made double sinks a top priority when shopping for our new house.
We share everything.
We have one sink, one mirror, one shower and one bathtub. He has his own body wash and shampoo and I have mine. We both have our own deodorant.
We share a toothbrush and toothpaste.
It’s worked out pretty well but that’s mainly because we have always worked ridiculously opposite hours and for the first year, we did have two bathrooms.
Right now, he works 7am – 4pm and I work 3:30pm – midnight so there’s never a chance that we’ll run into each other. Sadly.
After repeatedly beating my husband to the master bathroom (which has one sink and mirror), he has officially conceded and now showers in the guest bathroom! Natalie, 1 point, Ben, zero ;)
P.S. Any suggestions on my carpet dilemma?
Our apartment has one tiny bathroom with absolutely no counter space (I have to balance my makeup bag on the side of the sink, and set my hair straightener on the back of the toilet), so we share not just with each other, but with any company or guests we have. This just means that we keep it tidy all the time, because you never know when someone might stop by. For the past couple of years, our schedules didn’t overlap – I got up much earlier and was showered, done with makeup, and ready to go to work by the time he got up – but recently we’ve been up at the same time, which means there were a few mornings with lots of grumbling, since we both needed the bathroom/sink/mirror/hot water at the same time. I’ve solved this by changing up my schedule and taking a bath right before bed, instead of right after I wake up. It’s nice and relaxing, too! So – it works out for us, but I’m still looking forward to someday having more than 1 bathroom!
We have a small 1960′s bathroom (like John’s parents did). Now that I am back to work part time we get a little crowded in there. I try to use the vanity part that is in our bedroom as much as possible. The kids’ bathroom has double sinks. Lucky ducks.
I love the photo in this post!
We have two bathrooms, but only use one. There are double sinks in the master with a large vanity, and we stay out of one another’s way without too much trouble. But, I do sometimes wish the toilet had it’s own little room with a door like some of the newer homes we’ve seen!
Hey John & Sherry, I’m from Michigan, but am visiting family in Richmond today, and all I can say is WOW! What a beautiful city! In addition to the cool historic houses, it was fun to see all the cute houses with sunrooms like yours…must be a local thing, huh?
I live alone, so I get the bathroom all to myself!
Hey Sue,
So glad to hear you’re enjoying Richmond so much! We do love it here, and we enjoy hearing that others do too. Come back often and definitely try to come on a spring or summer night so you can enjoy a Richmond sunroom someday!
xo,
s
My husband and I share one small sink/vanity/mirror. Works well for us, but we stagger things -I bathe at night, in the morning he uses the sink before showering, while he showers, I use the sink, etc.
We share one bathroom but we have a half bath in the basement. Our one full bath has one sink and one mirror. It doesn’t have any counter space. :( I look forward to having a vanity one day!
We have two bathrooms with a single sink in both. We both brush our teeth in the master bath, (which is where all of our toiletries are kept). But hubby showers and pretty much stays in the guest bath while I get the master.
We’ve had a double vanity before, but I like practically having my own bathroom.
My husband and I have a master bathroom as part of our suite, but it’s tiny (walk in shower, one sink next to the toilet, but a large mirror). There is a second bath with tub on the second floor below us, but we do enough running up and down stairs living on the third floor that we don’t bother. Living in England with a tiny 1 bath home got us pretty used to sharing, and we take that time getting ready to chat, with me getting dressed while he’s in the bathroom showering, and then me putting on my make-up while he gets dressed. Then we brush our teeth together (before or after me putting on make-up). Honestly, we’ve been friends for so long we don’t mind sharing at all.
One exceptional small bathroom (with really bad hot water pressure). Thankfully we have separate work schedules so that it doesn’t interfere, but I have to plan my shower around the tenants below me (triplex). Can only shower in the morning between 7:30 and 8:15am. Outside of that I have to pray that the hot water doesn’t cut out. Looking for a new place…
We share–a Pottery Barn marble topped console sink with double bowls, that is. Our bathroom is the most gorgeous room in our house; the cherry on top of our cake of a house. Maybe I will send you a flickr link some day so you can see it.
We recently installed two sinks in our main bathroom just off of the master bedroom. We agreed it wasn’t fun fighting for sink time (the mirror was one of those old 80s triple door models so that wasn’t an issue). As for having a completely separate bathroom, I wouldn’t want one. I like being able to spend the last moments of the day with my guy – even if it’s just toothpaste covered smiles. :)
Currently have three bathrooms, but my husband still likes my shower better so…. But a house with only one toilet? Hopefully, never again.
Two adults and two 6′ tall teenage boys share the 1 sink cramped bathroom on the first floor of our 1920 bungalow. There’s another bathroom on the second floor with the original clawfoot tub, which is why everyone uses the main floor bathroom. We have a fairly good schedule going so no one gets in the other’s way.
We share a small bathroom with one sink and one large mirror. Because Candice Olson says the fight is usually over mirror space, not sink space, I don’t mind having one sink. Our other bathroom has been completely gutted so we share one with the whole family. I am looking forward to new bathroom digs!
We have a 3/2 house and our master bath is tiny (shower only, toilet and 24″ vanity, all in a cozy 5×7 room). We have no problem sharing though. Our first apt together was a 1/1 in Manhattan. Living in NYC meant no space so having a huge house and property in Atlanta feels like we have so much space that its no big deal to share a little bathroom. Sometimes it makes it feel like the good ol days! =D
My husband and I share one of the strangest master bathrooms ever. It is huge,(used to be a bedroom) has a fireplace, a pedestal sink, toilet, (of course!) and an old jetted tub all spread out in the room. With the funky layout and large windows there is hardly any wall space. We have no vanity or counter space whatsoever, so we keep our toiletries in baskets on the mantel. I would trade this weird, large bathroom for a small space of my own any day!
I just don’t see the issue–I guess because we have such a small bathroom already, that there is NO way we will ever both fit in it. My husband gets up earlier than I do and uses the bathroom and it’s ready for me when I need it. We never need it at the same time and we never need to be in it at the same time. I think it is all about needs and wants. Sure, would I love a big expansive bathroom with a door to my toilet and seat in the shower? OF COURSE, but you can work with what you got!
Sherry – do you get frustrated with your “one shower”? We have a 1960s home with 2 bathrooms (both very small), but one of the showers leaks and we haven’t fixed it yet. Therefore we really only use one. It is tough when guests come to visit, etc. we have to all take turns, etc. I try to keep reminding myself that I like living “simple”…
My husband and I share a tiny, tiny bathroom in a 1960′s tri-level. The good thing is that it is connected to our very small bedroom. The bad thing is that it is only big enough for one person at a time. And it has no tub, just a 3′x3′ shower stall.
My kids share another bathroom, with a tub, and only one sink. We love each other.
We have an 80 year old home, with only one bathroom on the second floor. We’re planning to renovate and put in a master bath at some point, but that’s probably several years down the road. In the meantime, we share the tiny bathroom in the hallway, with just a small vanity and one sink. Thankfully, though, I don’t work and my husband gets up at 5:00 AM, so there’s little sharing of space. We make it work, and it’s worth it for this charming, old home.
Two sinks, but we both seem to gravitate to the one on the left. Weird.
Did I read that someone SHARES a TOOTHBRUSH? … ewww. That much togetherness I can do without …
My hubs and I are a one hole out-house family. Unfortunately, we frequently find ourselves both using it at the same time (not the hole part!) when we are both trying to get out the door in the morning. We make liberal use of the bathroom fan and that helps make it tolerable. Also, we trained our pooch to flush the ol WC (water closet (ie, toilet) for those of you who don’t watch the BBC) and that makes every visit to the bathroom quite entertaining. Our dog “Woody” comes a running whenever he hears the lid clap against the back of the tank. It’s seriously adorable, trust me.
We have two sinks and a fairly large bathroom. However, being in there together is difficult. He has to stand in front of the door out while at his sink so it makes it difficult to get in and out while he’s there. I seem to do that a lot, go in and out. Plus, I just like my privacy in the bathroom. If we didn’t have the bathroom we have and only had one sink ~ he wouldn’t be allowed to use the bathroom while I am in there :)
We share. One sink, one vanity. No problems.
We share our small master bath. We are often in there at the same time, and it’s usually not a problem. If someone is at the sink, they have to scooch up to let the other pass by to the shower or toilet. That only becomes a problem if one of us is in a rush, but we are usually on different schedules.
Having a nearly 100 year old house means that bathroom space is at a premium. We are lucky to have a 3/4 bath in our finished basement and my husband generally showers and shaves and whatever down there, but I do have to share MY bathroom with my 3 messy kids. I think I would rather share with my husband than my kids-they are slobs. My middle one is also something of a mad scientist in the bathroom, so you never know what you are going to find in there.
We have only one small bathroom that we share. I don’t mind sharing the sink and tub at all nor the toilet usually, but I do sometimes wish we had two toilets…sometimes you both have to go and then what to do??? haha
I have never shared a bathroom with my husband. The master bathroom is his and the other bathroom is mine. He is neat, and I am not. When I had children at home, I shared the main bathroom with them, and my husband had one to himself. I feel that it keeps people from being annoyed with one another in this one situation. I tend to leave things out and lids off. He likes clean counters and no clutter. It keeps him happy, and I can do what I want. However, I am a better cleaner than he is. He is responsible for cleaning his bathroom, but I eventually have to go in and really clean, especially the toilet :(.
We downsized from a 2600 square foot monster of a modified Craftsman – which we decided was WAY beyond our budget and abilities – to a 1200 sf bungalow. But this included sacrificing a 1/2 bath. Now we have one bath, fairly good sized, but one sink. It needs major updating (can you say outhouse border and swag globe lamps from the 70s?). But we have a huge linen closet right in the bath, so I’m not afraid to take out the vanity in favor of a pedestal sink to conserve space which is limited with the toilet, shower, and sink grouped together. Fortunately, I work 1st and the man works 3rd – rarely if ever in the bathroom at the same time.
We have no choice *but* to share. We have one teeny tiny bathroom. Fortunately we’ve not had too many moments when we both need to *ahem* avail ourselves of the facility.
We have had a single bathroom in both our current and former house; this with a child (who is now in college). Having just the two of us instead of 3 sharing the one and only bathroom feels like luxury now :)
We have a small house with 2 full bathrooms. Both are quite tiny and even in the redo for each of them, there was not enough space to make room for two sinks. My husband and I share and usually we end up getting ready at the same time but not always. We make it work because it is what it is!
we’ve always shared and there’s a nice little bond that it creates. and we even use the sink/mirror at the same time! the mirror is about 4 ft. long though, so plenty of room!
The hubs and I have been married for 3.5 years and have lived in our house for 3 years, never having to share the master bathroom in the am. That all changed last Monday when he started a new job.
Our bathroom is huge with two sinks, a big shower stall and a huge soaking tub, so we didn’t bump into each other…but the weirdest part was actually having him in there while I was getting ready for work.
My husband and I share a single vanity sink, though we do have separate drawers for our toiletries. (I really hate it when his shaving cream leaks and gets on my body spray. Ew.) We’ve never really had a problem with it, though the few times we’ve stayed somewhere with two sinks we both comment on how nice it is to not have to worry about taking too much time with the mirror. So, maybe some day we’ll have separate vanities.