Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
Sleek showers replaced tub-shower combos in these bathroom remodels. Could this be an option for you?
Brenna Malmberg
August 13, 2019
This article is from our Most Popular stories file.
Bathtubs, while a common bathroom feature, don’t always get a lot of use. Fifty-six percent of respondents to a Houzz survey say they never use their tub for taking a bath. So it’s no surprise that some people are opting to take out the tub altogether when they remodel their bathroom.
Let’s take a look at six bathroom transformations that said goodbye to the tub. Maybe these scenarios will shower you with new ideas for your own bathroom.
Bathtubs, while a common bathroom feature, don’t always get a lot of use. Fifty-six percent of respondents to a Houzz survey say they never use their tub for taking a bath. So it’s no surprise that some people are opting to take out the tub altogether when they remodel their bathroom.
Let’s take a look at six bathroom transformations that said goodbye to the tub. Maybe these scenarios will shower you with new ideas for your own bathroom.
Before Photo
Related: How People Upgrade Their Bathrooms and How Much They Spend
1. 1980s Style to Classic Charm
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Salt Lake City
Size: About 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Before: A renovation in the 1980s left this bathroom dark and cramped.
1. 1980s Style to Classic Charm
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Salt Lake City
Size: About 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Before: A renovation in the 1980s left this bathroom dark and cramped.
After: A large glass shower greets the homeowners, who chose a plan that would age along with them. The designer, Christa Pirl of Christa Pirl Interiors, focused on adding a shower that allowed easy access should the couple have any mobility problems in the future, something their previous tub didn’t do.
Wall paint: Mt. Rainier Gray; wainscoting paint: Alabaster, both Benjamin Moore; toilet: Kohler; sink: Barclay; faucets: Pfister; mirrored medicine cabinet: custom; floor, subway and shower floor tile: Daltile
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Wall paint: Mt. Rainier Gray; wainscoting paint: Alabaster, both Benjamin Moore; toilet: Kohler; sink: Barclay; faucets: Pfister; mirrored medicine cabinet: custom; floor, subway and shower floor tile: Daltile
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Before Photo
2. Crumbling to Crisp
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple expecting their first child
Location: Philadelphia
Size: About 55 square feet (5 square meters)
Before: This 1912 bathroom had patched tile, limited storage and flickering fluorescent lights.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple expecting their first child
Location: Philadelphia
Size: About 55 square feet (5 square meters)
Before: This 1912 bathroom had patched tile, limited storage and flickering fluorescent lights.
After: The couple gets a bright, warm bathroom, designed by Brian Osborne of Osborne Construction and Niko Dyshniku of Kole Made, complete with a large shower. (Note: A glass panel was added to create a side on the shower after this photo was taken.) The couple had fewer reservations about having only a shower in this space because the home has another bathroom with a tub.
Toilet: Adair, Kohler; paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; sink: Teorema; fixtures and knobs: Purist in brushed Moderne Gold, Kohler; cabinets: reclaimed sinker cypress, Kole Made
More about this remodel
Toilet: Adair, Kohler; paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; sink: Teorema; fixtures and knobs: Purist in brushed Moderne Gold, Kohler; cabinets: reclaimed sinker cypress, Kole Made
More about this remodel
Before Photo
3. Floral Curtain to Elegant Glass
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A single professional woman who travels extensively for work
Location: Charlestown, Massachusetts
Size: 75 square feet (7 square meters)
Before: The shower was tucked back into the corner of the space and was closed off from the rest of the room by a curtain.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A single professional woman who travels extensively for work
Location: Charlestown, Massachusetts
Size: 75 square feet (7 square meters)
Before: The shower was tucked back into the corner of the space and was closed off from the rest of the room by a curtain.
After: Meredith Tomlin-Hilliard and designers from Lee Kimball changed the space into a shower stall. It opened up the space, making the bathroom feel larger, lighter and airier. The shower covers about the same footprint as the previous shower but gives the room a whole different look.
Tile: Tile Showcase; shower wall and door glass: Starphire glass; see more bath tile
Read more about this remodel
Modern Bathroom Essential: Your Options for Shower Glass
Tile: Tile Showcase; shower wall and door glass: Starphire glass; see more bath tile
Read more about this remodel
Modern Bathroom Essential: Your Options for Shower Glass
4. Outdated to Efficient
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A family of three who regularly has guests
Location: Toronto
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters)
Before: When the owners purchased this condo, the bathroom had a mismatch of styles in the bathroom, as well as outdated electrical and ventilation.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A family of three who regularly has guests
Location: Toronto
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters)
Before: When the owners purchased this condo, the bathroom had a mismatch of styles in the bathroom, as well as outdated electrical and ventilation.
After: The renovated bathroom by Projekt Home (Paul Kenning Stewart Design) created a bathroom that efficiently uses space and requires little maintenance. One maintenance saver was the fixed-glass shower door. It also lets in additional light, along with the new window, to make the space brighter.
More about this bathroom remodel
More about this bathroom remodel
Before Photo
5. Unloved Pink to Cheerful Rainbow
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Artist and psychologist Jan Ferris and her standard poodle, King
Location: Los Angeles
Size: About 94 square feet (9 square meters)
Before: Not only did the homeowner not love the color, but a recent leak that flooded her home had left black mold in the bathroom. The vanity also was jammed against the tub, making everything feel crowded.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Artist and psychologist Jan Ferris and her standard poodle, King
Location: Los Angeles
Size: About 94 square feet (9 square meters)
Before: Not only did the homeowner not love the color, but a recent leak that flooded her home had left black mold in the bathroom. The vanity also was jammed against the tub, making everything feel crowded.
After: A large, glass-walled shower fills a corner of this artist’s now very colorful bathroom. The removal of the tub gave the homeowner more room, and she wasn’t concerned about the resale value of not having a tub.
Glass shower installation: Yanev Hergass of Edden Glass and Mirror; mosaic tile: Sandstone mix #8323-H, Jasba
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Glass shower installation: Yanev Hergass of Edden Glass and Mirror; mosaic tile: Sandstone mix #8323-H, Jasba
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Before Photo
6. Clunky to Stylish
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple of newlyweds and the husband’s teenage son
Location: Downtown San Diego
Size: 75 square feet (6.9 square meters)
Before: The bathroom was functional but felt clunky and didn’t match the family’s style.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple of newlyweds and the husband’s teenage son
Location: Downtown San Diego
Size: 75 square feet (6.9 square meters)
Before: The bathroom was functional but felt clunky and didn’t match the family’s style.
After: A walk-in shower with a rain shower head and divider brings an open, 1920s style to the family’s bathroom. Corine Maggio of CM Natural Designs chose the black trim to amp up the contrast in the room.
Read more about this remodel
Your turn: Did you remove the tub during your bathroom remodel? Tell us about it and share a photo in the Comments.
More
5 Ways With an 8-by-5-Foot Bathroom
5 Reasons to Choose a Walk-In Shower
How People Upgrade Their Bathrooms and How Much They Spend
Find bath designers near you
Browse bath products in the Shop section
Read more about this remodel
Your turn: Did you remove the tub during your bathroom remodel? Tell us about it and share a photo in the Comments.
More
5 Ways With an 8-by-5-Foot Bathroom
5 Reasons to Choose a Walk-In Shower
How People Upgrade Their Bathrooms and How Much They Spend
Find bath designers near you
Browse bath products in the Shop section
Longhouse Architects, established in 2019, is a firm of three licensed architects, each with over 15 years of... Read More
Related Products
The Mission of USA Cabinet Store and Design Center is to provide the best customer service, the highest quality... Read More
Related Stories
Bathroom Design
Before and After: 4 Bathrooms That Ditched the Tub
See how designers removed bathtubs in favor of sleek walk-in showers in these bathroom remodels
Full Story
Bathroom Design
New This Week: 5 Bathrooms With a Curbless or Low-Curb Shower
Design pros, including one found on Houzz, share how they handled the shower entrances and other details in these rooms
Full Story
Bathroom Design
New This Week: 4 Dream Showers
Large and luxurious, these beautiful spaces might inspire you to consider some splurges in your bathroom renovation
Full Story
Bathroom Design
12 Ways to Make Any Bathroom Look Bigger
By Yanic Simard
These designer tricks can help you expand your space without moving any walls
Full Story
Bathroom Design
Before and After: 4 Bathrooms With Dashing Double Vanities
New double vanities add counter space, storage and style to these remodeled bathrooms
Full Story
Bathroom Design
New This Week: 10 Bathrooms With Wonderful Walk-In Showers
See the features that make these inspiring spaces about more than just washing and rinsing
Full Story
Bathroom Design
Which Shower Bench Style Is Right for You?
Shower benches can be sturdy, floating, fold-away or movable. Read about 6 types to find one that suits your needs
Full Story
Inside Houzz
Homeowners Focus on the Shower in Master Bathroom Remodels
By Erin Carlyle
Showers are getting bigger even as most rooms stay the same size, the 2020 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study shows
Full Story
Bathroom Design
New This Week: 9 Bathrooms With Stylish Walk-In Showers
Pros use tile and color to create a cohesive feeling in rooms with curbless and low-barrier showers
Full Story
We simply took out the old tub/shower combo and built a ceramic and glass shower in the same footprint. Not hard to decide because the ceramic wall around the tub was leaking so it had to be removed and rebuilt anyway. Then we did the same for the other bathroom. Very happy.
The way I look at it is if you are going to stay in the house for at least 5 years, do what makes you happy. If you plan to sell in less than five years, consider resale value. The fact of the matter is if you do away with the tub and put in a big shower, chances are it will not be difficult to add a tub back in down the road. Likewise, if you have a tub, it is pretty easy to convert to just a big shower.
What y’all talking about? Lol