Bathroom Makeovers
Before and Afters
Bathroom of the Week: Accessibility and Blue Style for Retirees
An updated bathroom with improved storage and a breezier floor plan gives a couple a stylish way to age in place
This Manteca, California, couple built their ranch-style house 35 years ago. After retiring, they had no desire to leave. But a few updates were in order to make the home comfortable for years to come.
For the primary bathroom off the main bedroom, the couple needed more light, improved storage and a more safely accessible shower. They hired designers Wendy Glaister and Stephanie Poulsen and builder Dean Adkins to reimagine the layout and relocate a closet to enlarge the bathroom by 37 square feet. The remodeling team then punched out three new windows and enlarged another to bring in natural light. A new curbless shower with a frameless glass panel gives the couple the easy access they wanted. And a blue vanity and blue accent wall tile in the shower create a soothing style.
For the primary bathroom off the main bedroom, the couple needed more light, improved storage and a more safely accessible shower. They hired designers Wendy Glaister and Stephanie Poulsen and builder Dean Adkins to reimagine the layout and relocate a closet to enlarge the bathroom by 37 square feet. The remodeling team then punched out three new windows and enlarged another to bring in natural light. A new curbless shower with a frameless glass panel gives the couple the easy access they wanted. And a blue vanity and blue accent wall tile in the shower create a soothing style.
Before Photo
After: The remodeling team knocked down walls and relocated the closet to another area of the bedroom to increase the bathroom by 37 square feet and create an open-plan layout with a curbless shower. “The former shower could never have accommodated either of the homeowners if they experienced an injury of any sort,” Glaister says.
The team also enlarged the tiny window over the toilet and added two frosted windows flanking the vanity mirror and a long operable frosted window in the shower to bring natural light in while maintaining privacy. “It’s a more cheerful, light-filled space,” Glaister says. The electrical and plumbing were also updated.
Glaister and Poulsen used photos on Houzz to help communicate design ideas to the homeowners, eventually landing on a bright and soothing style with a blue-painted vanity (French Moire by Sherwin-Williams) and varying shades of blue tile set in a herringbone pattern for the shower.
Glaister also used Houzz Pro business software for billing, client notifications and to collect a review for this project.
The flooring is creamy beige 16-by-32-inch glazed porcelain tiles in a matte finish. “That line of tile has a good amount of grip, so it’s not a slippery surface at all,” Glaister says. “It was our opportunity to do something lighter, brighter and more practical.”
The shower flooring is the same tile in a 2-by-2-inch size for more grout lines that create additional grip.
Vanity: VPM Custom Cabinets; floor tile: Rock Crystal collection in Everest, 16 by 32 inches and 2 by 2 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; blue tile: Cloe in Baby Blue, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Swiss Coffee, Kelly-Moore Paints
Find a bathroom designer near you
The team also enlarged the tiny window over the toilet and added two frosted windows flanking the vanity mirror and a long operable frosted window in the shower to bring natural light in while maintaining privacy. “It’s a more cheerful, light-filled space,” Glaister says. The electrical and plumbing were also updated.
Glaister and Poulsen used photos on Houzz to help communicate design ideas to the homeowners, eventually landing on a bright and soothing style with a blue-painted vanity (French Moire by Sherwin-Williams) and varying shades of blue tile set in a herringbone pattern for the shower.
Glaister also used Houzz Pro business software for billing, client notifications and to collect a review for this project.
The flooring is creamy beige 16-by-32-inch glazed porcelain tiles in a matte finish. “That line of tile has a good amount of grip, so it’s not a slippery surface at all,” Glaister says. “It was our opportunity to do something lighter, brighter and more practical.”
The shower flooring is the same tile in a 2-by-2-inch size for more grout lines that create additional grip.
Vanity: VPM Custom Cabinets; floor tile: Rock Crystal collection in Everest, 16 by 32 inches and 2 by 2 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; blue tile: Cloe in Baby Blue, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Swiss Coffee, Kelly-Moore Paints
Find a bathroom designer near you
The new custom paint-grade maple vanity features inset doors and drawers and polished nickel pulls and square knobs. “It was their habit to have a single-sink vanity,” Glaister says. “It has all soft-close doors and drawers, so it’s easy to use.”
Marble-look quartz slabs form the countertop and short backsplash. “It was a matter of cost,” Glaister says. “It was part of a remnant our stone fabricator had. I didn’t want my clients paying for a large slab they didn’t need.”
Above the vanity, a sleek mirror with generous bevel and curved corners features an iron frame with lightly distressed silver leaf.
A three-light vanity light with clean lines has a polished chrome finish and frosted glass shades.
A modern white one-piece elongated toilet has a bidet seat and skirted base that’s easy to clean. “Cleanliness is a key component of being able to stay in your home as you age,” Glaister says.
The chrome towel bars near the toilet and the toilet paper holder double as grab bars. “There’s extra blocking inside the vanity so the grab bar doesn’t fail,” Glaister says.
Backsplash and countertop: Eternal collection in Statuario, Silestone by Cosentino; mirror: Aramis in silver, Uttermost; toilet: Nexus one-piece 1.28 GPF toilet with bidet seat, Toto; toilet paper holder with assist bar in polished chrome, Delta Faucet; Decor Assist towel bar in chrome, 24 inches, Delta Faucet
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
Marble-look quartz slabs form the countertop and short backsplash. “It was a matter of cost,” Glaister says. “It was part of a remnant our stone fabricator had. I didn’t want my clients paying for a large slab they didn’t need.”
Above the vanity, a sleek mirror with generous bevel and curved corners features an iron frame with lightly distressed silver leaf.
A three-light vanity light with clean lines has a polished chrome finish and frosted glass shades.
A modern white one-piece elongated toilet has a bidet seat and skirted base that’s easy to clean. “Cleanliness is a key component of being able to stay in your home as you age,” Glaister says.
The chrome towel bars near the toilet and the toilet paper holder double as grab bars. “There’s extra blocking inside the vanity so the grab bar doesn’t fail,” Glaister says.
Backsplash and countertop: Eternal collection in Statuario, Silestone by Cosentino; mirror: Aramis in silver, Uttermost; toilet: Nexus one-piece 1.28 GPF toilet with bidet seat, Toto; toilet paper holder with assist bar in polished chrome, Delta Faucet; Decor Assist towel bar in chrome, 24 inches, Delta Faucet
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
The glazed ceramic tiles in varying shades of blue span the entire shower wall in a herringbone pattern, creating an eye-catching focal point that’s an homage to the wife’s love of quilting. “It also allowed me to give the bathroom a little bit of elevation and luxury,” Glaister says. The frameless glass panel keeps sightlines to the tile open.
The side walls of the shower are 12-by-36-inch matte white glazed ceramic tiles. “It’s a very soft, subtle look,” Glaister says. “It’s quiet, like those walls are almost not even there.”
A long linear drain runs along the rear of the shower. “That linear drain was important because when you have a zero-threshold shower you need water to drain to the back of the shower and not into the rest of the bathroom,” Glaister says.
The shower controls are located right at the entrance, across from the shower head, allowing the homeowners to turn on the water without getting sprayed. A hand shower nearby and a wooden seat offer flexible washing options. Another grab bar is mounted below the shower head.
Linear drain: Infinity Drain; shower fixtures: Invari, Brizo Faucet; side shower walls, Calix in matte white, 12 by 36 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The side walls of the shower are 12-by-36-inch matte white glazed ceramic tiles. “It’s a very soft, subtle look,” Glaister says. “It’s quiet, like those walls are almost not even there.”
A long linear drain runs along the rear of the shower. “That linear drain was important because when you have a zero-threshold shower you need water to drain to the back of the shower and not into the rest of the bathroom,” Glaister says.
The shower controls are located right at the entrance, across from the shower head, allowing the homeowners to turn on the water without getting sprayed. A hand shower nearby and a wooden seat offer flexible washing options. Another grab bar is mounted below the shower head.
Linear drain: Infinity Drain; shower fixtures: Invari, Brizo Faucet; side shower walls, Calix in matte white, 12 by 36 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
A new full-height linen cabinet stands across from the toilet where the previous enclosed shower had been.
Six fixed shelves inside give the homeowners plenty of storage space for towels, bath products and medical supplies. Three chrome wall hooks provide a spot to hang towels and robes.
New LED ceiling lights on dimmers provide general illumination in the upgraded space.
Six fixed shelves inside give the homeowners plenty of storage space for towels, bath products and medical supplies. Three chrome wall hooks provide a spot to hang towels and robes.
New LED ceiling lights on dimmers provide general illumination in the upgraded space.
This floor plan shows the updated primary bathroom (left) off the primary bedroom (center). A sliding double door with frosted glass inserts connects the two rooms. “We increased the natural light so much in the bathroom, the owners wanted to capture some of that natural light for their bedroom,” Glaister says.
Moving the former closet to the far side of the bedroom (right) helped free up space for the new curbless shower (top left). “It’s a new bathroom tailored to how they live now, not the life they had 35 years ago when they built the house,” Glaister says.
More on Houzz
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Moving the former closet to the far side of the bedroom (right) helped free up space for the new curbless shower (top left). “It’s a new bathroom tailored to how they live now, not the life they had 35 years ago when they built the house,” Glaister says.
More on Houzz
10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Manteca, California
Size: 112 square feet (10 square meters)
Designers: Wendy Glaister and Stephanie Poulsen of Wendy Glaister Interiors
Builder: Dean Adkins of Adkins Construction
Before: This view of a portion of the former 75-square-foot bathroom from the primary bedroom shows a basic wood vanity with a white tile countertop and backsplash and wood-look laminate flooring. To the right was a doorway to a closet. To the left of the vanity was a toilet below a tiny window — the only one in the space — and, across from that, a small enclosed shower. “It was very dark, cave-like and sad,” Glaister says.