Let’s start with some history. (You knew that was coming, didn’t you?)
Indoor plumbing has only been the standard for about the last 100 years. And early in that timeframe it was still far from universal. Mid-century homes were built during a massive infrastructure boom, but even then, most builder-grade ranches were designed with a single family bathroom. Like so many mid-century-house-related things, the real shift happened in 1954 with the introduction of the 30-year mortgage. These loans fueled bigger homes and higher expectations. By 1955, the “Parade of Homes” booklets were suddenly bragging about two-bath floor plans.
Fast forward to today. Current census data shows that only 3% of new homes are built with one bathroom or less. We’ve certainly added more bathrooms, but does “more” always mean “better”?