Doorless bathrooms. Toilets behind glass. Showers and tubs parked in the corner of the bedroom. The “open concept” bathroom trend keeps showing up in design feeds and magazines — thrilling to some, alarming to others. In this episode we dig into what’s driving that trend, where we land on the bathroom privacy spectrum, and how couples can navigate it in real life. We also share a new DIY date-night idea, reflect on a few months away from social media and how it changed our habits, and recount a half-bathroom installation that went spectacularly wrong.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, or Spotify. Use this page for links, show notes, and the photos we mentioned. Note: if you’re reading in a feed reader you may need to click through to the post to see all content.
What’s New
- Sherry mentioned a staged house in the episode — that listing went live after we recorded and sold in under 12 hours. Below are a few photos from that project.
- Sherry has shared other staging projects in previous episodes — see Episode #41 and Episode #53 for more before-and-afters and styling ideas.
- I also talked about my phone detox and the Moment app on a past episode. After trying the free “Bored & Brilliant” course, I upgraded to Moment Premium and completed the 14-day boot camp, which offered fresh habits and new strategies for reducing screen time.
That’s Embarrassing
We shared a painfully memorable installation story about a console sink that gave us trouble. The model we installed is no longer sold by the original maker, but similar options exist. Below is the original bathroom when we bought the house, a quick paint-and-accessories update we did later, and the chaotic demo and reinstallation process.
- The left image shows the bathroom as it was when we purchased the house; the right image captures a quick cosmetic update we did before the full renovation.
- We don’t have exhaustive documentation because this project happened before we blogged regularly, but here’s a candid demo photo — definitely not the best moment to be pausing for a selfie.
- At one point we removed almost everything (shoes somehow stayed behind). Rather than replacing the exposed plumbing we spray painted the black PVC with silver paint so the pipes would feel more intentional and blend with the aesthetic.
- Finally, here’s the moment we got the fixtures hooked up after resolving the leg-support mishap — yes, we were relieved.
- More about this room’s makeover appears in our second book, Lovable Livable Home, where we discuss lessons learned and finishes we chose.
Listener Question
We reminisced about hotel bathrooms with glass-enclosed toilets and showers during our book tour stops — from a memorable Dream Hotel bathroom in South Beach to a Toronto hotel where the shower blinds were mounted on the outside of the enclosure. That meant bathroom privacy was at the mercy of whoever controlled the blinds — a detail that still makes us laugh.
- If you want to read more about open concept bathrooms and privacy debates, we compiled a few articles with good images and discussion. They trace the trend and offer perspectives on when it works and when to avoid it.
We’re Digging
- We highlighted a gripping piece about a nightmare roommate that reads like a true-crime case study — the story is dramatic and worth a look if you enjoyed the Dirty John-style episodes we’ve covered before.
- We also mentioned a small tabletop clock we added to our kitchen — a compact pink clock that fit the space and stopped the ticking soundtrack. Below is a photo and a short list of similar clocks, including several listed as “no-tick” options.
If you’re looking for something we’ve explored on a past episode but can’t remember which show notes include it, check our master list of everything we’ve been digging across all episodes.
Finally, a big thank you to Universal Furniture for sponsoring this episode. They’re offering a giveaway of $5,000 in bedroom furniture — you can enter now through March 26th. The last winner from their dining room giveaway was a podcast listener, so it could be you.
Thanks for listening!
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