JACK AND JILL bathrooms… or Jack ‘n Jill bathrooms were a design that saved space by letting two users, or sets of users, have their own toilet and sink — and share the tub. Here, it’s called a 2-1/2 bath. A famous Jack ‘n Jill bathroom: The one shared by the Brady Bunch kids.
Susan writes:
“The Jack and Jill was to be the bathroom of the future! Many of the homes in our neighborhood have them (or had them. People tend to redo them). The bigger, more narrow side of the bathroom is the guest bath which is accessible from the hallway. The smaller one is attached to the master bedroom. We are pretty sure the star burst light fixtures are original. The tile is in sad shape but we think a good professional cleaning and sealing will make it almost new again.”
Nik says
Our cabin was 500 sq ft 1 b/1ba when it was built in the early 1960’s. It was expanded a few years later by adding a bedroom behind the bathroom and cutting a door through the outside wall of the bathroom: The room is the length of the tub which takes up one side of the room, and narrow: the width of the tub, the doorway at either end of the room and the toilet and cabinet across from the tub. It is often identified to me as a Jack and Jill bathroom (I REALLY want to take out the tub and just have a shower, but everyone tells me it will devalue the house). I’ve seen the type of Jack and Jill shown in this post – to me it seems so spacious! LOL!
Jan Rader says
This week on “This Old House,” as usual they are reeking havoc on a mid-century home, and I thought of this post. The house was a boxy American Foursquare-looking house with a box of a garage out front. It had a kind of cool, mainly yellow kitchen with an awesome stove that had a light on the back that lifted out so it could be focused on the what was cooking. Of course, the owners wanted to get rid of all that.
But what they also wanted to get rid of was a perfectly fine mostly pink with some grey sort-of Jack and Jill bathroom. It basically had a “room” with a sink and toilet on one side, and a matching “room” on the other side (all pink fixtures, pink tile on the walls), and a “room” in the middle with a shower, and I think a tub. Of course, none of the “stars” of the show liked it, but the home owners wanted to change it into two bathrooms – one for them and one for their kids – and wanted to update it – which always seems to mean “get rid of the mid-century look!”
Just thought I’d share, even though this is an older post.
Jan Rader says
Oh yeah, I realized that they’re really wreaking havoc, but the whole thing reeks as well!
margaret says
wow, I have never seen this arrangement before, but if I lived in a house that had this, I would certainly leave it as is. that being said, I’m a preservationist. Hate to see old unique things ripped out and something mundane put in.
Roxie says
Thank you for sharing this.
When l was looking to buy a home I ran across a Jack & Jill bathroom. My first thought was how awkward, yet fun, mainly because of it being such a unique arrangement.
Though a trendy design at the time, we can see it wasn’t a long lasting favorite.
Maryanna says
I’ve never seen this arrangement either, but it’s certainly interesting! I suppose the protocol is to just leave the shower doors closed on both sides when not in use…otherwise it would indeed be a privacy issue.
We have what we’ve always called a “Jack & Jill” bath between our two smallest bedrooms. It’s a pale brownish color tile and has no tub, just a tiled shower stall. I’ll see if I can take some photos this evening to share!
Robert says
Hello,
A) I don’t see the starburst light fixtures, are they pictured and I missed them?
B) I don’t get the privacy, say you are using the toilet on your side and then one needs to use the toilet on the other. Where is the privacy? The wall to divide, from this picture it seems like you could just stare at the other person through the tub area.
C) Privacy again, you are on your side, but then someone could come in on the other side and just see you as do you step through the tub to lock the other side’s door?
Robert
Frank says
Guest bathroom combined with master? I don’t know–for me there are some privacy issues with that configuration.
Tut says
The Brady bathroom had no toilet, tub, or shower (I’m 100% sure of the first and 75% sure about the last two), so it’s more of a room with sink and mirror. They needed the space for the three doors that little room had.
Tikimama says
I’ve seen Jack ‘n’ Jill bathrooms a couple of times, but this is a new configuration for me.
Oh, and I think that anyone who has one of these needs this item (tee hee hee):
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21952721
pam kueber says
Hey Tikimama, you are so right. I added you etsy suggestion to the main post.
Elizabeth Mary says
Well, this is a new one for me. I have never seen or heard of such a thing, but what sense it makes. My only comment is — doesn’t it deserve a name of its own? I mean, jack and jill bathroom is used to describe one bathroom shared by two bedrooms. This is one tub shared by two bathrooms. So, maybe jack and jill tub???