Bathroom Makeovers
Before and Afters
Before and After: 4 Beautiful 50-Square-Foot Bathrooms
See how pros changed layouts and materials to make these bathrooms more stylish and functional
These four bathrooms were exactly 50 square feet before their remodels and after. But as the before-and-after photos show, there’s tons of style, function and creativity that can be packed into a 50-square-foot bathroom when a design plan is executed to perfection. Check out the following bathroom makeovers and let us know which new features or looks you like best.
After: The homeowners wanted a long soaking tub, so designer Alison Griffin fit a new 72-inch-long tub along the bathroom’s back wall. The new layout makes the room feel more open. The tub is surrounded by 6-by-12-inch Thassos marble tiles. Griffin replaced the old vertical window with a new awning window that offers more privacy.
The metal towel rack on the left side of the room has a warming element.
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The metal towel rack on the left side of the room has a warming element.
Shop for a towel warmer on Houzz
To make the room appear larger, Griffin opted for a wall-mounted toilet, a floating vanity with wall-mounted faucets and a recessed medicine cabinet.
The floating vanity is a ready-made model in a deep midnight blue and has two drawers — one for each son — and a Thassos marble countertop. The medicine cabinet has LED lights integrated into the mirror.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
The floating vanity is a ready-made model in a deep midnight blue and has two drawers — one for each son — and a Thassos marble countertop. The medicine cabinet has LED lights integrated into the mirror.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
2. Sophisticated Makeover
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Two sisters, a teen and a tween
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designer: Wendy Wilson & Associates
Before: The former bathroom felt worn and dated. For example, the vanity was of a lower height that has fallen out of favor. The homeowners wanted a space with more contemporary clean lines, and the sisters who share the bathroom were outgrowing their love of cutesy decor.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Two sisters, a teen and a tween
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designer: Wendy Wilson & Associates
Before: The former bathroom felt worn and dated. For example, the vanity was of a lower height that has fallen out of favor. The homeowners wanted a space with more contemporary clean lines, and the sisters who share the bathroom were outgrowing their love of cutesy decor.
After: By replacing the shower curtain with a clear glass enclosure, the designer made the room feel larger and lighter. She replaced an existing window with an operable awning window. And she added a skylight over the sink to let in additional natural light.
The new bamboo vanity features doors and drawers that are bookmatched, which means the pattern is continuous across the vanity. The waterfall countertop is a subtly speckled quartz. Sleek drawer pulls add another contemporary touch.
The new bamboo vanity features doors and drawers that are bookmatched, which means the pattern is continuous across the vanity. The waterfall countertop is a subtly speckled quartz. Sleek drawer pulls add another contemporary touch.
A cleverly recessed towel bar niche keeps towels out of the way, and recessing the bar means there’s no bumping into it in the tight space.
Another part of the renovation involved replacing all of the doors in the house with new white laminated glass doors. The natural wood frame on these doors has a custom satin stain. The glass allows light to move between spaces but also gives privacy.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Another part of the renovation involved replacing all of the doors in the house with new white laminated glass doors. The natural wood frame on these doors has a custom satin stain. The glass allows light to move between spaces but also gives privacy.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
3. Crisp, Clean Lines
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Zane and Savanna Rodriquez and Savanna’s brother, David Sitz
Location: Universal City, Texas
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designers: Julie Risman and Amanda Silva of The Inside Story Design
Before: Texas homeowner Savanna Rodriquez had grown so tired of the world map wallpaper in her hall bathroom that she started peeling it off herself. “I hated looking at it,” she says. She also took issue with the aging beige-pink tile surrounding the combination shower and bathtub and the frosted glass window that filtered out too much natural light.
She and her husband hired designers Julie Risman and Amanda Silva to transform the dated space by removing the tub to create an airy shower enclosure and brighten the room with more natural light and lots of white tile.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Zane and Savanna Rodriquez and Savanna’s brother, David Sitz
Location: Universal City, Texas
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designers: Julie Risman and Amanda Silva of The Inside Story Design
Before: Texas homeowner Savanna Rodriquez had grown so tired of the world map wallpaper in her hall bathroom that she started peeling it off herself. “I hated looking at it,” she says. She also took issue with the aging beige-pink tile surrounding the combination shower and bathtub and the frosted glass window that filtered out too much natural light.
She and her husband hired designers Julie Risman and Amanda Silva to transform the dated space by removing the tub to create an airy shower enclosure and brighten the room with more natural light and lots of white tile.
After: The designers ditched the shower-tub combo and created a bright, airy shower with a frameless glass divider and curbless entry.
The clear clerestory window allows more natural light inside and captures views of the majestic live oaks on the property. “The shower completely opens up this space and is one of the reasons it looks so much larger,” Risman says. “We went with a partial panel instead of a panel with a door, to be as minimalist as possible and not take away from the space visually.”
The shower also includes a rain shower head on a gooseneck, as well as a handheld shower for easy cleanup for the homeowners’ two dogs, a blind Cockapoo named Stella and a rescue mutt named Honey.
The clear clerestory window allows more natural light inside and captures views of the majestic live oaks on the property. “The shower completely opens up this space and is one of the reasons it looks so much larger,” Risman says. “We went with a partial panel instead of a panel with a door, to be as minimalist as possible and not take away from the space visually.”
The shower also includes a rain shower head on a gooseneck, as well as a handheld shower for easy cleanup for the homeowners’ two dogs, a blind Cockapoo named Stella and a rescue mutt named Honey.
The custom stained white oak vanity includes brushed brass hardware, five easy-close drawers for storage of bathroom essentials and an open shelf on the bottom for extra towels. “I wanted to have that open space in the vanity because it felt so cramped in there before,” Savanna says.
Handcrafted glazed white ceramic tile installed in a herringbone pattern adds texture and visual interest to the walls, including in the shower. “The use of materials to visually enlarge and reinvent this dark, small, dated space made all the difference,” Risman says.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Handcrafted glazed white ceramic tile installed in a herringbone pattern adds texture and visual interest to the walls, including in the shower. “The use of materials to visually enlarge and reinvent this dark, small, dated space made all the difference,” Risman says.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
4. Vintage Vibes
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark and Amber Sokolowski and their two young children
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designer: Amber Sokolowski of Soko Interior Design
Before: Heavy brown details and beige accents dominated the former bathroom. The vanity featured a dark cherry stain and basic granite countertop. Cream walls, travertine floor tiles and beige-toned shower tiles all seemed to run together.
Homeowner and designer Amber Sokolowski also wasn’t crazy about the framed glass enclosure around the shower-tub combo. “The sliding glass was really difficult, especially with our two young kids,” she says.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark and Amber Sokolowski and their two young children
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designer: Amber Sokolowski of Soko Interior Design
Before: Heavy brown details and beige accents dominated the former bathroom. The vanity featured a dark cherry stain and basic granite countertop. Cream walls, travertine floor tiles and beige-toned shower tiles all seemed to run together.
Homeowner and designer Amber Sokolowski also wasn’t crazy about the framed glass enclosure around the shower-tub combo. “The sliding glass was really difficult, especially with our two young kids,” she says.
After: To keep the budget under control, Sokolowski kept the vanity, tub, shower fixtures and toilet. Aiming for a fresh and soothing vibe, she painted the walls a warm white (Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams) and added shiplap painted off-white (Off White by Farrow & Ball) to the walls.
She repainted the vanity a soft gray with green undertones (Pigeon by Farrow & Ball). She then added a marble countertop and cup pulls and knobs in an aged brass finish to add some of the vintage character she was going for.
The floor is 2-by-2-inch Carrara marble mosaic tile in a honed finish.
She repainted the vanity a soft gray with green undertones (Pigeon by Farrow & Ball). She then added a marble countertop and cup pulls and knobs in an aged brass finish to add some of the vintage character she was going for.
The floor is 2-by-2-inch Carrara marble mosaic tile in a honed finish.
Three single aged brass hooks now organize the towels and make it easy to separate and air-dry them. “I feel like I made the bathroom a more soothing, relaxing and elegant space by just changing the brown color,” Sokolowski says.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
Before and After: 4 Spa-Like Bathroom Makeovers
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Shop for towel hooks
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
Before and After: 4 Spa-Like Bathroom Makeovers
Look for a bathroom designer near you
Shop for towel hooks
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple’s two sons and occasional overnight guests
Location: Summit, New Jersey
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designer: Alison Griffin of Griffin Designs
Contractor: Adam Seelig of Hacklebarney Contracting
Before: The former bathroom had an odd layout with a tub in the center of the room and not enough legroom between the toilet and radiator. The space is used by the homeowners’ two sons as well as overnight guests, and it’s the only bathroom in the house with a tub.
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