Inside Our Dutch House: The Bathrooms

Inside our house, we have two bathrooms (at least according to the American use of the word). We actually have a toilet downstairs and full bathroom upstairs.

Downstairs Toilet

As you can see this downstairs W.C. is pretty basic - a toilet and a sink. I've often wondered how you go about fixing the toilet if the flushing doesn't stop since there is no access to the pipes/water tank. In the winter this room got very little use as it is drafty (being right beside the front door), has a cold tile floor, and doesn't contain a radiator. It was great, though, to have this extra 1/2-bath downstairs when company visited.

Upstairs, we have... Oh, first I should show you the stairs!

Stairs, Looking Down

Pretty steep, huh? These are typical Dutch stairs. Even in buildings with more space, the stairs normally remain at this steepness. The picture below gives you a better idea of the layout of upstairs.

Upstairs

Upstairs, we have the full bathroom (well, sort of... it has a shower and no bathtub, but I think that's pretty typical for a smaller European house).We have a shower, washing machine, toilet and sink all crammed into the tiny space. I actually think the use of space is really good.

Upstairs Bathroom

I also like that there is no step up to get into the shower. It seems like it's easier to clean the long drain if it gets clogged than the normal bathtub-type drains.

Shower and Washing Machine

In the picture above you can see our washing machine, next to the shower. Unfortunately, we don't have a dryer... and with good reason, where would you put it?... so once I wash clothes, I have to hang everything to dry. I don't mind so much for shirts and slacks, but the towels don't ever seem to dry and socks are a pain to line up on the drying rack.

Washing Machine Close-Up

On a side note, neither of our toilets are typically Dutch, because they don't have the standard shelf in place. Want to know what I'm talking about? Check out Tiffany's comments on Dutch toilets here and here.