A Cantilevered Family Bathroom Boosts Square Footage
By punching out on an upper level, a family gains a needed bathroom without eating up backyard space
In densely populated cities like San Francisco, every square foot of space counts. And when Peter and Grace Liang used up square footage in their newly remodeled home, in the Bernal Heights neighborhood, to create a light well that brought light from the third floor down into a second-floor living space, they were left scratching their heads about where to put a family bathroom.
The Liangs gained enough space for a vanity, a toilet and a bathtub-shower combination. They had difficulty finding a tub that would fit but eventually settled on a 4-foot by 4-foot soaking tub. A frosted glass panel over the tub lets in light while maintaining privacy.
Projecting out allowed for windows on the south side that provide stunning views of the San Bruno Mountains. “It’s a great vista while brushing your teeth,” Peter says.
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Off-the-shelf western redcedar siding wraps around the bathroom. Peter flipped the wood around so the smooth side faced inward and the more rough-sawn texture appeared on the outside.
The rest of the home’s siding is vertical cedar with a white solid stain.