Color me repulsed.
Time was, towns and villages in England each had a pair of V public latrines: one wall each for the women and men. Folks would sit cheek to cheek on the walls with their neighbors, discussing the morning’s business while ahem attending to business.(1) The kings would sit on a very different throne of a morning while discussing matters with their advisors - privy council indeed.
The Ancient Egyptians who could afford such things had private bathrooms in their homes,(2) but their kings’ advisors also attended the morning’s royal ablutions. “Please repeat that, Rahotep: water was being poured on my head while you spoke.”
Chinggis Khan’s warriors, on pain of death, were not to piss nor shit in any body of water near their encampments. Had they also been into frequent washing, they really would’ve been lightyears ahead of the Europeans.
The Victorians introduced Europe to the idea of privacy during elimination, and a separate room dedicated thereto.
I have absolutely no desire to return to a pre-Victorian past regarding pissoirs. I share 8-p’s opinion of both this nightmarish bath “room” and open plan homes. My god/s, we might as well go back to chamberpots and ask everyone to watch! Trapping droplets, germs, and odors behind walls and a door is infinitely preferable, thankyouverymuch. I only wish our Victorian home (1901) had more than one bathroom. What I call the 1/4 bath (toilet only) in the unfinished basement doesn’t count - even my BF is loath to go in there, let alone go in there.
The tiny “rooms” within bathrooms containing (and containing) the toilet as bryan (whose grandparents displayed a very pleasing wit) describes sound ideal, both privacy- and germwise. Actual water closets?
We had a mirrored vanity (bed/dressing room furniture, not a sink surround/cabinet) in our bathroom which faced the toilet. We hated the arrangement as much as fredtal hates that mirror wall. We were very happy when it found a new and loving home, and an armoire with five drawers next to a door’d section w/shelves inside took its place. It’s a far more um commodious, less self-regarding solution. TP, etc within easy reach and convenient towel storage is nice.
Brief tangent: bath and powder rooms directly off kitchens are so very fucking wrong.
(1) I stayed with a dear friend and his roommate for a brief vacation a number of years ago. His roommate walked in on me while I was sitting in the bathroom, and the poor guy was much more embarrassed than I. I made him feel better by telling them about those walls once I’d come out.
(2) This is why they drank super weak beer all day instead of Nile water.
