Before and After: Tubs That Say Hello to Glass
Clear glass enclosures give these 5 tub-shower combos a sleek new look. Could this be an option for you?
If you’re tired of your old opaque shower door — or the cold shower curtain drifting over to cling to your leg while you wash — consider what your bathroom could look like with clear, gleaming glass. That’s exactly what these homeowners did. They ditched their old shower curtains or took away the dull shower doors, and replaced them with glass panels and doors.
Let’s take a look at five bathroom transformations that said hello to a glass enclosure on a tub-shower combo. Maybe these scenarios will clearly point you toward the right option for your own bathroom.
Let’s take a look at five bathroom transformations that said hello to a glass enclosure on a tub-shower combo. Maybe these scenarios will clearly point you toward the right option for your own bathroom.
“After” photo by John Moery
After: A new, larger tub gives the family more bathing room. Designer Natalie DiPiazza of Custom Design & Construction had to borrow space from the hall linen closet to make this expansion possible. The tub-shower combo is finished with a glass door that is hinged against the wall. The movable door lets family members turn the water on and off without having to get inside the tub.
The glass also lets the graphic blue tile be a focal point in the bathroom since there’s no shower curtain to hide the lively design element.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
After: A new, larger tub gives the family more bathing room. Designer Natalie DiPiazza of Custom Design & Construction had to borrow space from the hall linen closet to make this expansion possible. The tub-shower combo is finished with a glass door that is hinged against the wall. The movable door lets family members turn the water on and off without having to get inside the tub.
The glass also lets the graphic blue tile be a focal point in the bathroom since there’s no shower curtain to hide the lively design element.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
2. Barely Working to Fully Functioning
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A mother and her teenage daughter
Location: Toronto
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Before: Blinds and a shower curtain blocked the room’s only natural light. That combined with the fact that the shower leaked called for a bathroom overhaul.
Find a bathroom designer near you
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A mother and her teenage daughter
Location: Toronto
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Before: Blinds and a shower curtain blocked the room’s only natural light. That combined with the fact that the shower leaked called for a bathroom overhaul.
Find a bathroom designer near you
“After” photo by Naomi Finlay
After: A new frosted glass window and a clear glass shower enclosure brighten this happy bathroom, designed by Kate Dickson of Kate Dickson Design. The overhaul to the tub-shower combo makes the room feel larger and maximizes the space.
The roof is sloped, so Dickson worked with the contractor to design and cut the custom glass shower enclosure. They also built a niche in the shower wall to give the clients additional storage.
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Read more about this bathroom remodel
After: A new frosted glass window and a clear glass shower enclosure brighten this happy bathroom, designed by Kate Dickson of Kate Dickson Design. The overhaul to the tub-shower combo makes the room feel larger and maximizes the space.
The roof is sloped, so Dickson worked with the contractor to design and cut the custom glass shower enclosure. They also built a niche in the shower wall to give the clients additional storage.
Browse vanities on Houzz
Read more about this bathroom remodel
3. Dull Days to Glossy Future
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A married couple and their young twins, a son and a daughter
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: About 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Before: A well-used porcelain tub was showing its years, and the shower curtain made the space feel closed in.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A married couple and their young twins, a son and a daughter
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: About 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Before: A well-used porcelain tub was showing its years, and the shower curtain made the space feel closed in.
“After” photo by 22 Pages Photography
After: The refinished tub-shower combo gleams in the bathroom designed by Michelle Ruber of Encircle Design and Build. The design-build firm, which focuses on sustainable work, had the original tub refinished. Not only did that save resources, but it also saved Ruber’s clients money. That allowed them to splurge on these aqua glass tiles.
Inside, the family opted to include a shower head on the left side and a handheld sprayer along the back wall. This comes in handy when they bathe their two children. While bathing the kids, the parents can swing open the glass door. When it’s closed, the clear pane gives the room a more open, airy feel.
Shop for bathroom tile
Read more about this bathroom remodel
After: The refinished tub-shower combo gleams in the bathroom designed by Michelle Ruber of Encircle Design and Build. The design-build firm, which focuses on sustainable work, had the original tub refinished. Not only did that save resources, but it also saved Ruber’s clients money. That allowed them to splurge on these aqua glass tiles.
Inside, the family opted to include a shower head on the left side and a handheld sprayer along the back wall. This comes in handy when they bathe their two children. While bathing the kids, the parents can swing open the glass door. When it’s closed, the clear pane gives the room a more open, airy feel.
Shop for bathroom tile
Read more about this bathroom remodel
4. Uncomfortable to Relaxed
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Adult daughters home for a visit and other overnight guests
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: 52 square feet (4.8 square meters)
Before: The 1970s design wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to the client, and the 1970s toilet and tub were far from comfortable.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Adult daughters home for a visit and other overnight guests
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: 52 square feet (4.8 square meters)
Before: The 1970s design wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to the client, and the 1970s toilet and tub were far from comfortable.
“After” photo by Mike Kaskel
After: Patterned ceramic floor tiles and a sliding glass door give the bathroom a fresh, modern look. Designer Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn used black, white and gray for most of the space, and then added in chrome and oak accents.
For the tub-shower combo, she chose a chrome barn-door track for the glass door. The change from curtain to glass lets the light from within the showering area shine into the entire room.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
After: Patterned ceramic floor tiles and a sliding glass door give the bathroom a fresh, modern look. Designer Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn used black, white and gray for most of the space, and then added in chrome and oak accents.
For the tub-shower combo, she chose a chrome barn-door track for the glass door. The change from curtain to glass lets the light from within the showering area shine into the entire room.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
5. Traditional Beige to Midcentury Modern
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple
Location: San Jose, California
Size: 56 square feet (5.2 square meters)
Before: A bulky vanity and a sliding shower door make this Eichler home’s bathroom feel cramped and dark.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple
Location: San Jose, California
Size: 56 square feet (5.2 square meters)
Before: A bulky vanity and a sliding shower door make this Eichler home’s bathroom feel cramped and dark.
“After” photo by Pamela Lin
After: A bright and cheery bathroom, designed by Pamela Lin of Urbanism Designs, gives the couple the midcentury modern style they wanted and makes the bathroom feel bigger. Much of that feeling is thanks to the tub-shower combo’s new glass panel. The sheet of glass, which extends 60 percent of the way across the tub, lets light shine through into the showering area and visually takes up less space.
The couple opted to use a movable glass panel so that they can easily get their dogs in and out of the tub for a bath. It’s attached to the left wall with two hinges.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
How the Heck Do You Clean a Glass Shower Door?
Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
Browse bathroom products
After: A bright and cheery bathroom, designed by Pamela Lin of Urbanism Designs, gives the couple the midcentury modern style they wanted and makes the bathroom feel bigger. Much of that feeling is thanks to the tub-shower combo’s new glass panel. The sheet of glass, which extends 60 percent of the way across the tub, lets light shine through into the showering area and visually takes up less space.
The couple opted to use a movable glass panel so that they can easily get their dogs in and out of the tub for a bath. It’s attached to the left wall with two hinges.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
How the Heck Do You Clean a Glass Shower Door?
Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
Browse bathroom products
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple and their young daughter
Location: El Segundo, California
Size: 65 square feet (6 square meters)
Before: A small, oddly shaped tub bordered on three sides by orange tile wasn’t working for this family of three.