Before and After: 4 Baths Reimagined in 100 to 170 Square Feet
See how designers used smart layouts and elevated details to turn dated baths into inviting retreats
Bathrooms of 100 to 170 square feet offer room to think bigger without going overboard. With room for features like dual vanities, separate showers and tubs and generous storage, these spaces can balance daily function with a sense of comfort. See how designers reworked four outdated bathrooms into inviting spa-like retreats with smart layouts and polished finishes.
After: Bailey stripped the bathroom to the studs, removed the awkward step-up and shifted the bedroom door to improve flow. In place of the built-in tub, a new wet room on the left now anchors the space — a sleek glass enclosure housing both a freestanding tub and an open shower. Removing the corner shower freed up wall space for a longer stained white oak double vanity, with a tower cabinet filling the shower’s former footprint. Large-format (24-by-48-inch) porcelain floor tiles in a warm sand tone with a matte limestone-look finish ground the room without competing with other elements.
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Inside the wet room, a 67-inch freestanding high-gloss acrylic tub takes center stage, its wall-mounted bronze filler a quietly elegant detail. Creamy handmade-look tiles with subtle tonal variation line the wet room’s walls and the wall behind the vanity, adding warmth and texture throughout. Calacatta Viola marble — prized for its bold burgundy veining — appears on the wet-room shelf and low curb, tying in with the vanity countertop for a cohesive look. A limestone mosaic covers the wet-room floor, shifting the texture underfoot. Across from the tub, the shower features two champagne bronze multifunction heads, pressure-balanced valves and a niche.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Before Photo
Photos by Erin Dwyer
2. Comfort and Luxury
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A semiretired couple
Location: Northbrook, Illinois
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Jeannine Bogart of Epic Interiors
Before: When this semiretired couple set out to find a home where three generations could live together, a 1970s French country-inspired house in Northbrook, Illinois, won them over. Interior designer Jeannine Bogart, who had worked with the couple on several homes, was brought in from the start.
The primary bathroom rose quickly to the top of the renovation list: The shower was enclosed and tucked away and a dressing table broke up the double vanity. With daily comfort and long-term livability in mind, the couple committed to a generous budget, one that could deliver meaningful functional improvements, smarter storage and the kind of elevated details that would make the space truly their own.
Before and After: 4 Polished White-and-Wood Bathrooms
2. Comfort and Luxury
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A semiretired couple
Location: Northbrook, Illinois
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Jeannine Bogart of Epic Interiors
Before: When this semiretired couple set out to find a home where three generations could live together, a 1970s French country-inspired house in Northbrook, Illinois, won them over. Interior designer Jeannine Bogart, who had worked with the couple on several homes, was brought in from the start.
The primary bathroom rose quickly to the top of the renovation list: The shower was enclosed and tucked away and a dressing table broke up the double vanity. With daily comfort and long-term livability in mind, the couple committed to a generous budget, one that could deliver meaningful functional improvements, smarter storage and the kind of elevated details that would make the space truly their own.
Before and After: 4 Polished White-and-Wood Bathrooms
After: The new custom vanity stretches 12 feet, 9 inches — its long run broken up by a chest-like center piece that adds furniture-like character. Spacious drawers act as a linen closet, keeping towels close at hand. The vanity is painted in Autonomous by Sherwin-Williams, a color that threads through other rooms in the home for continuity.
Underfoot, 18-by-18-inch honed Dynasty White marble tiles set a quietly refined tone, their mosaic accent echoed on a wall inside the shower, linking the two spaces. A crystal chandelier hangs above an accent tile, punctuating the room with a touch of glamour. At the counter, extra-thick Calacatta Laza Gold quartz brings bold marble-like veining that plays beautifully against the floor.
Underfoot, 18-by-18-inch honed Dynasty White marble tiles set a quietly refined tone, their mosaic accent echoed on a wall inside the shower, linking the two spaces. A crystal chandelier hangs above an accent tile, punctuating the room with a touch of glamour. At the counter, extra-thick Calacatta Laza Gold quartz brings bold marble-like veining that plays beautifully against the floor.
The new walk-in shower, measuring 9 by 5 feet, is fully loaded. Body jets, a rain shower head, a handheld shower and a heated floor make it as functional as it is indulgent. A glass door keeps the stall open to the room, letting the custom mosaic wall tile — which echoes the accent tile on the bathroom floor — read as a focal point rather than a hidden detail. The shower walls are clad in handmade 4-by-8-inch subway tile in a soft gray-blue that quietly ties back to both the mosaic and the vanity.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Before Photo
“After” photos by Meagan Larsen Photography
3. Sleek and Sophisticated
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A bachelor
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 103 square feet (9.6 square meters)
Designer: Amy Pearson Design
Builder: Creative Design + Construction
Before: At 89 square feet, this Portland, Oregon, primary bathroom had more potential than its layout suggested. A mirrored sliding-door closet dominated the entrance, a dated wood vanity with limited storage sat tucked beneath a soffit and a cramped shower stall occupied the back, leaving the space feeling chopped up and hard to navigate. Laminate flooring ran throughout. The homeowner wanted something more open and refined, and — with surplus closet space elsewhere in the primary bedroom — was willing to sacrifice storage for breathing room. He brought in designer Amy Pearson, who rethought the layout and delivered a cleaner, more functional space with a quietly modern sensibility.
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3. Sleek and Sophisticated
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A bachelor
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 103 square feet (9.6 square meters)
Designer: Amy Pearson Design
Builder: Creative Design + Construction
Before: At 89 square feet, this Portland, Oregon, primary bathroom had more potential than its layout suggested. A mirrored sliding-door closet dominated the entrance, a dated wood vanity with limited storage sat tucked beneath a soffit and a cramped shower stall occupied the back, leaving the space feeling chopped up and hard to navigate. Laminate flooring ran throughout. The homeowner wanted something more open and refined, and — with surplus closet space elsewhere in the primary bedroom — was willing to sacrifice storage for breathing room. He brought in designer Amy Pearson, who rethought the layout and delivered a cleaner, more functional space with a quietly modern sensibility.
The 10 Most Popular New Bathrooms So Far in 2026
After: Pearson’s intervention was surgical. By eliminating an unused bedroom closet near the suite entrance, shifting the doorway 26 inches and removing the mirrored bathroom closet, she reclaimed 14 square feet, enough to transform the floor plan entirely. The reworked layout opens into an expansive low-curb shower that spans the full width of the room, with flat-panel floating walnut vanities and tower cabinets lining the side walls.
Trapezoidal mosaic Carrara marble tiles cover the bathroom and shower floors and wrap the shower curb, their geometry pulling the eye through the space. Inside the shower, an operable transom window brings in natural light while providing ventilation — a small detail that makes the room feel anything but closed in.
Trapezoidal mosaic Carrara marble tiles cover the bathroom and shower floors and wrap the shower curb, their geometry pulling the eye through the space. Inside the shower, an operable transom window brings in natural light while providing ventilation — a small detail that makes the room feel anything but closed in.
A fixed shower head paired with a hand shower handles whatever the day calls for. Geometric graphite wall tiles bring moody contrast to the space, their dark patterning offset by warm brass fixtures and hardware. A sleek one-piece white toilet tucks neatly between the shower and vanity, completing a layout where every element has a clear place.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Before Photo
Photos by Justin Martin
4. Functional Floor Plan
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Lone Tree, Colorado
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters)
Designer: Bonnie Bagley Catlin of Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors
Builder: Prestige Home Renovations
Before: This Lone Tree, Colorado, couple found designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin on Houzz, fell for her portfolio and brought her in to refresh their home’s bathrooms. The primary bath was the priority. Storage was scarce, the shower stall was small and a tub with an oversize surround consumed space without earning it. When Catlin presented two paths forward — a budget-conscious refresh and a more ambitious, higher-investment transformation — the couple didn’t hesitate. They chose the dramatic option.
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4. Functional Floor Plan
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Lone Tree, Colorado
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters)
Designer: Bonnie Bagley Catlin of Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors
Builder: Prestige Home Renovations
Before: This Lone Tree, Colorado, couple found designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin on Houzz, fell for her portfolio and brought her in to refresh their home’s bathrooms. The primary bath was the priority. Storage was scarce, the shower stall was small and a tub with an oversize surround consumed space without earning it. When Catlin presented two paths forward — a budget-conscious refresh and a more ambitious, higher-investment transformation — the couple didn’t hesitate. They chose the dramatic option.
The 10 Most Popular New Powder Rooms So Far in 2026
After: Catlin’s reorganization of the floor plan was the project’s turning point. Moving the shower to the opposite corner and eliminating the oversize tub deck freed up wall space for a Shaker-style walnut double vanity with deep drawer storage — a significant upgrade in both style and function. A freestanding tub now occupies the space between the vanity and the relocated shower, giving the room a clear focal point and a more considered flow. Removing some windows was a necessary tradeoff, but a layered lighting scheme fills the room with warmth and keeps the atmosphere from feeling clinical. A checkerboard floor of marble and limestone brings graphic energy.
The corner shower is the room’s undisputed centerpiece. Two shower heads, handheld wands and a pair of niches make it fully functional, while a hexagonal quartz-clad bench — angled to follow the corner placement — gives it a sculptural quality. The rear angled walls are lined in marble tile with a Greek key-inspired pattern, a nod to the homeowner’s love of blue that reads as both personal and refined. Calacatta Gold marble wraps the remaining walls and soft arched opening. Catlin carried the same tile beyond the shower and around the room as wainscoting, unifying the space and giving the design a sense of intention from every angle.
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1. Wonderful Wet Room
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two kids and another on the way
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Samantha Bailey of Samantha Kate Design
Before: This Austin, Texas, couple’s primary bathroom had hallmarks of a past era: a dark, traditional vanity, a bulky corner shower, a decked tub and a confusing tangle of doors connecting the bedroom and closets — including an awkward step-up to the primary suite. What the couple wanted instead was something bright, contemporary and grounded in natural warmth. Designer Samantha Bailey reimagined the layout from the ground up and transformed the space into a streamlined, light-filled retreat.
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