When you think of a toilet, you probably don’t think of controversy… right? Well think again. In the realm of bathroom design, there is a controversial subject being talked about and it is called the water closet. Now what is a water closet, you may ask. It is a separate room with a toilet built into a larger bathroom containing the rest of the good stuff. It is also known as a “toilet room”. Sure, it may cause some cramped urban dwellers with tiny apartments, but that hasn’t stop many people from converting such a setup.

Having a toilet room means being able to, for functional or general atmosphere purposes, keep all the intimate business you do in the bathroom somewhat independent. Some people may consider a toilet room to be the ultimate win. They argue that they don’t want someone on the toilet while they are taking a shower or a bath. Others oppose toilet rooms, calling them a silly use of space.

Let’s take a look beyond those straightforward pros and cons tied to personal preferences. Are there more nuanced reasons for and against their existence? Could there be a right or wrong answer, depending on, say, the size of the bathroom? For example, at what square footage does a bathroom warrant a separate water closet because it just feels too foolish and embarrassing to go to the bathroom in the presence of a rather nice chair or some other décor items that somehow fit their way into a larger bathroom? And germs! Spores! People say that keeping the toilet in a separate room keeps the gross stuff away from your toothbrush, but isn’t it also good to keep a good open air flow in the bathroom?

No matter the facts say, it really is up to you if you want to have a toilet room or not. If you think that you have enough space and the pros outweigh the cons, then go for it. If you have a little bit of hesitation, write out a pro and con list and talk it over with others. While it may not be the thing for you now, it very well could be in the future.