Don’t let your marriage go down the drain for this silly reason.
Polly Blitzer Wolkstein remembers sharing a bathroom sink with her husband in their old New York City apartment as “a dance of choreographed negotiation,” she told Yahoo.
As a beauty writer, the mother of two has a lot of products that pile up and was excited to move to a place with a double vanity when the family found a new home.
“Two people brushing teeth and washing faces in a space barely big enough for one was never ideal. I can’t imagine going back,” she declared.
“Having separate spaces means no bumping elbows, no hovering while someone else finishes up, no silent judgments about toothpaste drips… It’s not just practical, it’s considerate.”
And many couples concur.
Double vanities are a “must-have” for nearly 70% of homebuyers, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.
Overall, primary baths are becoming larger, said Tricia Zach, director of research for the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
The primary bathroom — once a spot for “quick, utilitarian use” — has become a luxurious place for “relaxation and self-care,” Zach previously told The Post. Two people can get ready at the same time and can customize the space to their liking.
Real estate agent Allison Gold confirmed that most people prefer a bathroom with two sinks if possible.
“It is absolutely expected, at least at a certain price point in single-family homes,” she told Yahoo. “I 100% agree that if there are not two sinks, it does not feel elevated. It’s kind of a must-have for a primary suite.”
Gold herself is among the minority who prefer one sink, opting for more counter space. Her husband won out in the end, getting two, but she still prefers to go into a second bathroom when they’re both washing up at the same time.
No matter how much you love someone, living with another person can be tough.
Family psychologist Barbara Greenberg shared that she’s often mediated arguments with couples fighting over one another’s messiness.
“One thing people fight about is not having their own space. That’s a big point of contention in marriages,” she told Yahoo.
She noted that relationships have a better chance of being “healthy and sustainable” if everyone has their own space.
That’s why Wolkenstein cherishes her double basin bathroom counter.
“In a marriage, so much is collective, but these are the rare ‘you do you’ areas where we can be just a little selfish, and it works,” she justified. “We share a life, but we also need our own space to get ready [and] decompress.”
Some couples have taken it even further, deciding to have separate bathrooms and bedrooms to save their marriage.
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