Bathroom Design
Bathroom of the Week
Before and Afters
Bathroom of the Week: More Space and Storage With a Steam Shower
A designer takes down a wall to add square footage and create a roomier bathroom layout with new features and style
After seven years, this young professional couple with two kids had grown tired of their boring and cramped primary bathroom. The long, narrow space had a large built-in tub on one end, a standard shower stall on the other end and a basic double vanity and a toilet squeezed in between. Limited storage had led the couple to add an open shelving unit that further cluttered up the space — physically and visually.
Wanting an airy layout with better storage and a livelier look, the homeowners turned to designer Haylie Lapinskas for help. Lapinskas removed a wall and incorporated space from a large walk-in closet, adding 65 square feet and creating a roomier layout with a separate steam shower, a freestanding tub, a double vanity and a water closet. A teal vanity base, elegant light fixtures and a mix of marble, porcelain and marble-look porcelain tiles add fresh style.
Wanting an airy layout with better storage and a livelier look, the homeowners turned to designer Haylie Lapinskas for help. Lapinskas removed a wall and incorporated space from a large walk-in closet, adding 65 square feet and creating a roomier layout with a separate steam shower, a freestanding tub, a double vanity and a water closet. A teal vanity base, elegant light fixtures and a mix of marble, porcelain and marble-look porcelain tiles add fresh style.
After: This photo of the new bathroom was taken from about the same angle as the previous photo. Lapinskas kept the window in the same spot but stripped the space down to the studs and knocked down the wall on which the shelving unit sat.
This opened up the layout into a large walk-in closet, allowing Lapinskas to rejigger the floor plan and create a spacious low-curb shower on the right with a steam function. “We flipped the bathroom on its side into that closet space,” Lapinskas says. The move increased the size of the bathroom by 65 square feet. (See floor plans below.)
A Shaker-style semicustom double vanity includes drawers with electrical outlets and inserts for specialized storage. Teal paint (Underseas by Sherwin-Williams) in a satin finish and champagne bronze pulls give the vanity style and personality. The homeowners “came to me knowing they wanted a colorful vanity and something that would pop but also feel soft and natural,” Lapinskas says. “The hardware adds just a little more detail that pops against the teal of the vanity.”
Warm gray porcelain elongated hexagonal tiles create an accent wall behind the vanity and wrap around the room. “We liked the elongated shape because it makes the ceiling feel taller,” Lapinskas says. “We also liked the finish because it would be easy to keep clean.”
The vanity wall has six outlet plugs, with four more on the wall to the right that separates the vanity from the shower. Wall-mounted medicine cabinets with integrated lighting have USB charging ports and electrical outlets inside. “They only had one outlet previously, so we wanted to make sure they didn’t have an issue ever again,” Lapinskas says.
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Medicine cabinets: AiO lighted cabinet, Robern
This opened up the layout into a large walk-in closet, allowing Lapinskas to rejigger the floor plan and create a spacious low-curb shower on the right with a steam function. “We flipped the bathroom on its side into that closet space,” Lapinskas says. The move increased the size of the bathroom by 65 square feet. (See floor plans below.)
A Shaker-style semicustom double vanity includes drawers with electrical outlets and inserts for specialized storage. Teal paint (Underseas by Sherwin-Williams) in a satin finish and champagne bronze pulls give the vanity style and personality. The homeowners “came to me knowing they wanted a colorful vanity and something that would pop but also feel soft and natural,” Lapinskas says. “The hardware adds just a little more detail that pops against the teal of the vanity.”
Warm gray porcelain elongated hexagonal tiles create an accent wall behind the vanity and wrap around the room. “We liked the elongated shape because it makes the ceiling feel taller,” Lapinskas says. “We also liked the finish because it would be easy to keep clean.”
The vanity wall has six outlet plugs, with four more on the wall to the right that separates the vanity from the shower. Wall-mounted medicine cabinets with integrated lighting have USB charging ports and electrical outlets inside. “They only had one outlet previously, so we wanted to make sure they didn’t have an issue ever again,” Lapinskas says.
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Medicine cabinets: AiO lighted cabinet, Robern
Chrome widespread faucets coordinate with a polished chrome floor-mounted tub filler. “We chose chrome for where the water is, for the durability and longevity of the fixtures,” Lapinskas says.
A pair of three-light wall sconces above the mirrors have a burnished brass finish. “The brass kind of created that jewelry effect, added some elevation and tied into the hardware on the vanity,” Lapinskas says.
Sconces: Monterro in burnished brass, Generation Lighting
A pair of three-light wall sconces above the mirrors have a burnished brass finish. “The brass kind of created that jewelry effect, added some elevation and tied into the hardware on the vanity,” Lapinskas says.
Sconces: Monterro in burnished brass, Generation Lighting
Before: Here’s a look at the standard shower that stood opposite the bathtub in the former bathroom. Basic beiges dominated the color scheme, giving the space a muted appearance.
After: This photo shows the same area as the previous photo but from a different angle. A water closet now occupies the space where the former vanity sat. A freestanding bathtub sits where the old toilet and built-in tub were located. Lapinskas turned the former shower into one of two closets (see “after” floor plans below) on the other side of the water closet.
The 60-inch cast-iron tub features a pedestal base. “This is more of a relaxing tub; it’s deeper and more elegant than what they had before,” Lapinskas says.
Two stained floating oak shelves match the hardwood floors in the rest of the home.
A pocket door to the water closet saves valuable space. And a cabinet above the skirted toilet provides storage for rolls of toilet paper and other items.
Paint colors: Snowbound (walls) and Reflective White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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The 60-inch cast-iron tub features a pedestal base. “This is more of a relaxing tub; it’s deeper and more elegant than what they had before,” Lapinskas says.
Two stained floating oak shelves match the hardwood floors in the rest of the home.
A pocket door to the water closet saves valuable space. And a cabinet above the skirted toilet provides storage for rolls of toilet paper and other items.
Paint colors: Snowbound (walls) and Reflective White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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A teak bench provides a spot to set a towel, drink or candles, and can be moved around the room as needed.
Gray, white and cream marble tiles in a geometric pattern give the floor movement and visual interest and tie together the colors used throughout the room. “We had them sealed to avoid staining,” Lapinskas says.
The floor also features radiant heat.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
The floor also features radiant heat.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
As mentioned, Lapinskas took down a wall and moved the location of the shower into what once was a walk-in closet. The shower has a low-curb threshold and a custom tempered glass enclosure that traps steam inside during the steam function.
A built-in bench features a top in the same quartz used for the countertop. The shower floor is 2-by-2-inch marble-look porcelain tiles. “It’s a steam shower, so we didn’t do marble because it’s porous,” Lapinskas says.
An exhaust fan in the ceiling just outside the shower has a steam sensor that turns the fan on and off automatically. The shower door handle can turn horizontally to offer a spot to hang a towel.
A built-in bench features a top in the same quartz used for the countertop. The shower floor is 2-by-2-inch marble-look porcelain tiles. “It’s a steam shower, so we didn’t do marble because it’s porous,” Lapinskas says.
An exhaust fan in the ceiling just outside the shower has a steam sensor that turns the fan on and off automatically. The shower door handle can turn horizontally to offer a spot to hang a towel.
The shower also includes a sliding hand spray and rain shower head in a polished chrome finish. Two niches keep products off the shower floor and include a quartz shelf with Schluter trim. Small hexagonal porcelain tiles back the niches.
Shower fixtures: Bancroft collection, Kohler
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Shower fixtures: Bancroft collection, Kohler
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
A new built-in linen closet off the bathroom’s entry hallway has a large upper cabinet with three shelves to hold extra towels and other bathroom essentials. Two drawers and a base cabinet below offer additional storage. “Seeing that they had that open shelving unit in their previous bathroom, we knew we had to get some storage in there,” Lapinskas says. “This takes the place of that makeshift unit.”
Before: This floor plan of the former bathroom shows its long and narrow layout on the left, with the shower stall (bottom left), vanity (middle left) and toilet and tub (top left) all crammed in the tight space.
The walk-in closet (center top) offered potential to expand. A linen cabinet (bottom center) stood outside the bathroom. A short hallway between the shower and linen cabinet connected the spaces to the bedroom.
The walk-in closet (center top) offered potential to expand. A linen cabinet (bottom center) stood outside the bathroom. A short hallway between the shower and linen cabinet connected the spaces to the bedroom.
After: In the updated layout, Lapinskas knocked down a wall to combine the former bathroom and walk-in closet. She rejiggered the layout, placing the vanity (top center) along the back wall and the new steam shower (upper middle right) in what had been the walk-in closet.
The former shower became one closet (bottom left), the former linen cabinet and part of the walk-in closet became another closet (lower center right). The water closet (middle left) occupies the space that once held the vanity, and the new tub (top left) sits where the former built-in tub was.
“It’s not only more beautiful and modern, it’s a more functional space,” Lapinskas says.
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The former shower became one closet (bottom left), the former linen cabinet and part of the walk-in closet became another closet (lower center right). The water closet (middle left) occupies the space that once held the vanity, and the new tub (top left) sits where the former built-in tub was.
“It’s not only more beautiful and modern, it’s a more functional space,” Lapinskas says.
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Read more bathroom stories
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Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young professional couple with two kids
Location: Chicago
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Haylie Lapinskas of HaylieRead Design
Builder: Pro One Builders Group
Before: The former bathroom had a narrow layout crowded into 85 square feet. A large built-in tub sat at one end, with the toilet crammed between a double vanity that lacked storage. The open shelving system made up for the insufficient storage, but it created an eyesore. “Everything just felt cramped,” Lapinskas says.
A standard shower stood on the other end of the room. (See “before” photo below.)
The only thing the homeowners wanted to keep was an existing operable window that allowed natural light and fresh air into the bathroom. “It didn’t have any privacy issues, because it was frosted and overlooked a back driveway,” Lapinskas says.