Bathroom Makeovers
Before and Afters
Before and After: 4 Beautiful Bathrooms in 50 Square Feet or Less
See how designers reimagined these small spaces and improved function, style and openness
Having a compact bathroom doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice function or style. With the right design decisions and a bit of creativity, you can create a bathroom that feels inviting, soothing and larger than it actually is. To get a sense of what’s possible, see how design and construction professionals updated these four bathrooms in 50 square feet or less.
After: Designers Julie Risman and Amanda Silva eliminated the shower-tub combo and added a bright, airy shower with a frameless glass divider, curbless entry and linear drain.
Handcrafted glazed white ceramic tile installed in a herringbone pattern adds visual texture and enhances light. The flooring in both the shower and main area is handmade encaustic cement tile in a gray-tone geometric pattern. A clear clerestory window inside the shower lets in natural light and captures views of the majestic live oaks outside.
Handcrafted glazed white ceramic tile installed in a herringbone pattern adds visual texture and enhances light. The flooring in both the shower and main area is handmade encaustic cement tile in a gray-tone geometric pattern. A clear clerestory window inside the shower lets in natural light and captures views of the majestic live oaks outside.
The white tile extends behind the vanity wall. Brass details and a new wood vanity and linen tower across from it (seen in the mirror reflection) add warmth.
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Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
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Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
“After” photo by Jonathan Folk for Ishot
2. Rich Tones and Palm Springs Vibes
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman who loves Palm Springs, California
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 41 square feet (3.8 square meters)
Designer: Sarah Desaulniers of Moor Design
Contractor: Bizzarri Construction
Before: The owner of this Canadian townhome lives in Vancouver, but the vibrant desert community of Palm Springs, California, is her happy place. So when thinking about updating her generic 41-square-foot primary bathroom, she showed her designer inspiration photos of Palm Springs midcentury bathrooms and told her to have fun and see what she could come up with.
2. Rich Tones and Palm Springs Vibes
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman who loves Palm Springs, California
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 41 square feet (3.8 square meters)
Designer: Sarah Desaulniers of Moor Design
Contractor: Bizzarri Construction
Before: The owner of this Canadian townhome lives in Vancouver, but the vibrant desert community of Palm Springs, California, is her happy place. So when thinking about updating her generic 41-square-foot primary bathroom, she showed her designer inspiration photos of Palm Springs midcentury bathrooms and told her to have fun and see what she could come up with.
After: Beautiful blue elongated hexagonal tile on the wall behind the new vanity provided a jumping-off point for the design. The homeowner found the vanity at a big-box store, and the brass hardware, thin legs and midcentury-inspired style were a perfect fit for the Palm Springs-inspired space. White shower tiles in a basketweave pattern help reflect and enhance light.
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10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
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10 Bathroom Vanity Features Pros Always Recommend
“After” photo by Nathan Holden
3. Traditional Details With a Tropical Twist
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters)
Designers: Vicki Enger of Mountainwood Homes and Sharon Hocking
Design-build firm: Mountainwood Homes
Before: This dated and bland 40-square-foot hall bathroom sits at the top of the stairs on the second floor of a New England traditional-style home in the house the client grew up in. Her parents own the house but mostly stay in another home they own out of state, and she uses this as her main bathroom. The client grew tired of the vanity with a tiled countertop that was tough to keep clean and wanted an updated space that was fun, beautiful and traditional.
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3. Traditional Details With a Tropical Twist
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters)
Designers: Vicki Enger of Mountainwood Homes and Sharon Hocking
Design-build firm: Mountainwood Homes
Before: This dated and bland 40-square-foot hall bathroom sits at the top of the stairs on the second floor of a New England traditional-style home in the house the client grew up in. Her parents own the house but mostly stay in another home they own out of state, and she uses this as her main bathroom. The client grew tired of the vanity with a tiled countertop that was tough to keep clean and wanted an updated space that was fun, beautiful and traditional.
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After: Since the bathroom is at the top of the stairs, the client wanted a space that was nice to look at and felt playful, stylish and updated.
Bold blue-and-white peacock wallpaper adds color, pattern and personality. A traditional-style alder vanity with an antique cherry stain and traditional-style porcelain knobs brings warmth. The vanity’s elegant countertop is the same Carrara marble used to cap the blue tile wainscoting.
Wallpaper: Peacock in Blue & White, Rifle Paper
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Bold blue-and-white peacock wallpaper adds color, pattern and personality. A traditional-style alder vanity with an antique cherry stain and traditional-style porcelain knobs brings warmth. The vanity’s elegant countertop is the same Carrara marble used to cap the blue tile wainscoting.
Wallpaper: Peacock in Blue & White, Rifle Paper
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“After” photo by Troy VanLangen of Above the Horizon Media
4. Black-and-White Breakthrough
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A husband and wife and the wife’s mother
Location: Hudsonville, Michigan
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters)
Designer: Leah Velzen of Delight in Designs
Before: In preparation for having her mom move into their updated in-law suite, this homeowner and her husband set out to make the basic and boring 45-square-foot bathroom with white fiberglass shower-tub insert and wood-look vinyl flooring something Mom would be proud to use.
4. Black-and-White Breakthrough
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A husband and wife and the wife’s mother
Location: Hudsonville, Michigan
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters)
Designer: Leah Velzen of Delight in Designs
Before: In preparation for having her mom move into their updated in-law suite, this homeowner and her husband set out to make the basic and boring 45-square-foot bathroom with white fiberglass shower-tub insert and wood-look vinyl flooring something Mom would be proud to use.
After: Designer Leah Velzen stripped the bathroom back and eliminated the shower-tub combo in favor of a new low-curb shower that offers ease of entry. A frameless glass panel allows sightlines through to the white glazed ceramic tiles that wrap the shower walls.
Black-and-white mosaic porcelain floor tiles with a matte finish designed to look like aged Carrara marble add drama and keep the eye moving toward the back of the space. A new single-sink vanity in a soft black paint (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams) coordinates with the floor tiles and other black details in the room. The updated design now helps emphasize the length of the room rather than its width.
Bathroom floor: Cassettone black mosaic porcelain wall and floor tile, The Tile Shop
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Your turn: What are the elements in your dream bathroom makeover? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Shop for your bathroom
Black-and-white mosaic porcelain floor tiles with a matte finish designed to look like aged Carrara marble add drama and keep the eye moving toward the back of the space. A new single-sink vanity in a soft black paint (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams) coordinates with the floor tiles and other black details in the room. The updated design now helps emphasize the length of the room rather than its width.
Bathroom floor: Cassettone black mosaic porcelain wall and floor tile, The Tile Shop
Read more about this project
Your turn: What are the elements in your dream bathroom makeover? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
1. White and Wood With an Airy Feel
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Zane and Savanna Rodriquez and David Sitz, Savanna’s brother
Location: Universal City, Texas
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Designers: Julie Risman and Amanda Silva of The Inside Story Design
Before: The homeowners took issue with the original 50-square-foot bathroom’s world map wallpaper and the aging beige-pink tile surrounding a combination shower and bathtub. Medium-tone cabinetry and a lack of light were other frustrations.
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