Bathroom Makeovers
Before and Afters
Before and After: 3 Bathroom Makeovers That Got Rid of the Tub
See how designers removed bathtubs in these bathroom remodels to create more open, airy and functional spaces
Some homeowners worry about losing resale value when removing a bathtub, especially if it’s the only tub in the house. But for those who rarely use their tub, it can seem like a waste of valuable space. In these bathroom remodels, designers used the extra space gained by removing tubs to create larger showers, improve accessibility and add storage.
How about you? Are you on the fence as to whether your next bathroom remodel should go tub-free? Check out the before-and-after photos of these three bathroom makeovers that ditched the bathtub, then let us know if you’d make the same call.
How about you? Are you on the fence as to whether your next bathroom remodel should go tub-free? Check out the before-and-after photos of these three bathroom makeovers that ditched the bathtub, then let us know if you’d make the same call.
After: Once the tub was removed, Bula had space to create a wet-room area for the shower. The new layout works well with the existing arched window, which already had privacy glass. A 4-foot-wide glass panel protects the rest of the bathroom from splashing water. The shower drain is concealed by the mosaic floor tile for an uninterrupted look.
During the initial design consultation with clients, Bula always discusses materials, including the functionality and maintenance requirements of each option. From the inspiration photos the couple had shown her in their Houzz ideabooks, she could see they were drawn to marble.
The use of natural materials continues on the vanities. Bula custom-designed bleached white oak cabinets and topped them with quartzite countertops. Quartzite is a natural material that has a marble-like look but is harder than marble and therefore more durable.
During the initial design consultation with clients, Bula always discusses materials, including the functionality and maintenance requirements of each option. From the inspiration photos the couple had shown her in their Houzz ideabooks, she could see they were drawn to marble.
The use of natural materials continues on the vanities. Bula custom-designed bleached white oak cabinets and topped them with quartzite countertops. Quartzite is a natural material that has a marble-like look but is harder than marble and therefore more durable.
The shower fixtures include a rain shower head that tilts and a handheld wand. “The handheld wand is useful for cleaning the shower,” Bula says. “And it’s also useful in combination with the bench for aging in place.”
Bula tweaked the trim around the window, getting rid of some of the more ornate pieces. This was a better fit for her clients’ more modern tastes. She also specified a mold- and mildew-resistant paint on the trim.
A teak bench in the shower is both stylish and practical. “This is something they can use for aging in place, but for now they like to place their towels on it,” Bula says. She also added two hooks for towels and robes on the wall opposite the shower heads.
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Bula tweaked the trim around the window, getting rid of some of the more ornate pieces. This was a better fit for her clients’ more modern tastes. She also specified a mold- and mildew-resistant paint on the trim.
A teak bench in the shower is both stylish and practical. “This is something they can use for aging in place, but for now they like to place their towels on it,” Bula says. She also added two hooks for towels and robes on the wall opposite the shower heads.
Browse shower benches and seats
Read more about this bathroom remodel
2. Attractive Looks and Accessibility
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Warrenton, Virginia
Size: 112 square feet (10 square meters)
Design-build pro: Sean Onal, project manager and lead designer at NV Kitchen and Bath
Before: The husband uses a rollator walker and crutches, so it was necessary to remodel the existing primary bathroom to make it more accessible. The bathroom had a built-in vanity, bulky jetted tub, narrow entry and curbed shower stall that made navigating the space extremely difficult.
The couple hired design-build pro Sean Onal to reimagine the bathroom’s layout and update its look. He ditched the shower stall and bulky tub and reconfigured the layout to create a curbless shower with a built-in bench and grab bars. Floating sinks and a wider entrance create more space for maneuvering, while a new white-and-gray color palette brings a fresh, contemporary feel.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Warrenton, Virginia
Size: 112 square feet (10 square meters)
Design-build pro: Sean Onal, project manager and lead designer at NV Kitchen and Bath
Before: The husband uses a rollator walker and crutches, so it was necessary to remodel the existing primary bathroom to make it more accessible. The bathroom had a built-in vanity, bulky jetted tub, narrow entry and curbed shower stall that made navigating the space extremely difficult.
The couple hired design-build pro Sean Onal to reimagine the bathroom’s layout and update its look. He ditched the shower stall and bulky tub and reconfigured the layout to create a curbless shower with a built-in bench and grab bars. Floating sinks and a wider entrance create more space for maneuvering, while a new white-and-gray color palette brings a fresh, contemporary feel.
After: Onal devised the new layout with accessibility in mind, placing the expanded curbless shower on the rear wall, the toilet near a small pony wall and the open floating sinks along the right. “The location of fixtures was important,” he says. “Any user should be able to move around and freely access the fixtures.”
The rear shower wall is covered in large-format (12-by-24-inch) slate-colored porcelain tiles. The bathroom flooring is the same size porcelain tile in a nonslip white finish with brown and black veining and gray grout. “They wanted the focus on one of the walls in the shower as an accent wall,” Onal says. “The neutral colors on the floor also make the space feel larger.”
A pair of wall-mounted sinks gives the husband plenty of space below to maneuver his walker. The frameless mirrors can tilt as needed. The dark gray floating vanity with marble-look quartz countertop contributes to the open look, and cleaning the floor below is quick and easy.
The rear shower wall is covered in large-format (12-by-24-inch) slate-colored porcelain tiles. The bathroom flooring is the same size porcelain tile in a nonslip white finish with brown and black veining and gray grout. “They wanted the focus on one of the walls in the shower as an accent wall,” Onal says. “The neutral colors on the floor also make the space feel larger.”
A pair of wall-mounted sinks gives the husband plenty of space below to maneuver his walker. The frameless mirrors can tilt as needed. The dark gray floating vanity with marble-look quartz countertop contributes to the open look, and cleaning the floor below is quick and easy.
The 84-inch-wide curbless shower was designed for accessibility with its 42-inch-wide opening and linear drain between the bathroom floor and shower floor.
Inside the shower there’s a built-in bench covered in the same tiles used for the side walls. A chrome hand shower with slide bar near the bench allows a user to sit and rinse.
The shower floor is covered in slate-colored 2-by-2-inch mosaic tiles that provide contrast and good grip for wet feet.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Inside the shower there’s a built-in bench covered in the same tiles used for the side walls. A chrome hand shower with slide bar near the bench allows a user to sit and rinse.
The shower floor is covered in slate-colored 2-by-2-inch mosaic tiles that provide contrast and good grip for wet feet.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
3. Mature Makeover
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two teenagers, one of whom is a daughter who uses this bathroom
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Designer: Deanne Walczak of 360º Design
Builder: Paul Riccio of Riccio Construction
Before: This Connecticut couple’s teenage daughter had reached a point where she needed a bathroom with more elbow room, better storage and an updated style that felt more mature. The pink-and-white stripes on the walls were no longer cutting it.
The couple hired designer Deanne Walczak to reimagine the room and steal some extra space from a guest bedroom. She also replaced the shower-tub combo with a low-curb shower and used lots of white surfaces to create a more open, airy feel.
Walczak injected character into the room by adding a weathered hardwood shiplap accent wall and brushed brass and gold finishes that bring a bit of bling.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two teenagers, one of whom is a daughter who uses this bathroom
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Designer: Deanne Walczak of 360º Design
Builder: Paul Riccio of Riccio Construction
Before: This Connecticut couple’s teenage daughter had reached a point where she needed a bathroom with more elbow room, better storage and an updated style that felt more mature. The pink-and-white stripes on the walls were no longer cutting it.
The couple hired designer Deanne Walczak to reimagine the room and steal some extra space from a guest bedroom. She also replaced the shower-tub combo with a low-curb shower and used lots of white surfaces to create a more open, airy feel.
Walczak injected character into the room by adding a weathered hardwood shiplap accent wall and brushed brass and gold finishes that bring a bit of bling.
After: The designer knocked the bathroom back to the studs and stole space from the adjoining guest bedroom to add 30 square feet, bringing the bathroom total up to 90 square feet. “That was huge for everything,” she says. “We had a better layout where you don’t have three things — vanity, toilet and shower — in a row. And most importantly, we were able to give her extra storage.”
The extra storage came by way of a new 60-inch vanity and open cubbies to the right of the shower.
The new low-curb shower has a frameless glass enclosure to help keep things feeling open. The shower walls are covered in white ceramic subway tiles with an accent band of honed marble tiles. The shower floor is marble mosaic tile.
A brushed gold shower column has a rain shower head and a handheld sprayer. “We chose a shower head that directs the flow of the water more down than out, so she can can turn on the water without getting soaked,” Walczak says.
The extra storage came by way of a new 60-inch vanity and open cubbies to the right of the shower.
The new low-curb shower has a frameless glass enclosure to help keep things feeling open. The shower walls are covered in white ceramic subway tiles with an accent band of honed marble tiles. The shower floor is marble mosaic tile.
A brushed gold shower column has a rain shower head and a handheld sprayer. “We chose a shower head that directs the flow of the water more down than out, so she can can turn on the water without getting soaked,” Walczak says.
Moving the location of the toilet created room for the new floating vanity. The wall-mounted piece puts more flooring on display, creating the appearance of more space. The white acrylic resin top and glossy white cabinets virtually disappear, giving an open and airy feel to the design.
The brass vanity mirror is one of Walczak’s favorite pieces in the new design because it introduced a much-needed round shape to balance all the linear elements. “It’s also just edgy enough for a teenager’s space but didn’t overpower the space with too much brass,” she says.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
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Shop from a curated collection of bathroom vanities
The brass vanity mirror is one of Walczak’s favorite pieces in the new design because it introduced a much-needed round shape to balance all the linear elements. “It’s also just edgy enough for a teenager’s space but didn’t overpower the space with too much brass,” she says.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Look for a bathroom designer near you
Shop from a curated collection of bathroom vanities
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with young children
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 160 square feet (15 square meters)
Interior designer: Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Contractor: Ekren Construction
Before: After buying a traditional-style house in Charlotte, North Carolina, this young couple searched Houzz and hired designer Jena Bula to help make their home feel up to date with lighter materials and modern lines. For their primary bathroom remodel, this meant ditching a tub they never used and creating a large, open shower.
“The house had a lot of traditional ornamental details and materials that were popular in the early 2000s, when the house was built, and the floors and lighting were yellowish,” Bula says. “My clients wanted to lighten and freshen things up using clean, more modern lines and natural materials.”
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