Before and After: 4 Blue-and-Wood Bathrooms With a No-Curb Shower
Curbless glass-framed showers and soothing palettes suffuse these baths with serenity
A curbless shower can be just the thing to make a bath more accessible or give it a cleaner look. Add a glass shower enclosure and now you’re talking a more open feel too. Then combine white with a splash of blue and a dash of wood, and the bathroom will sing a delightfully fresh tune that matches the cleanliness and openness note for note. Check out these four baths whose designers followed that threefold plan and see if they inspire any ideas for refreshing your own bathroom design.
After: The team took the space down to the studs and rejiggered the layout for both accessibility and a more open feel. Gone are the monolithic tub, the dysfunctional vanity and the traffic-impeding water closet to the right of the entrance. The new shower has grab bars, no curb and plenty of clearance. A custom double vanity has a lower sink, and both it and a makeup area have knee space underneath. Grooved floor tiles help reduce slippage.
The handheld shower’s adjustable slide bar doubles as a grab bar.
Wood and warm beige walls (Alpaca by Benjamin Moore) ground the fresh design, while translucent blue tiles add an energetic accent.
Shower wall tiles: Cypress in Natural, 9 by 48 inches, Happy Floors; blue accent tiles: Brook Stacked in Sky, Soho Studio
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The handheld shower’s adjustable slide bar doubles as a grab bar.
Wood and warm beige walls (Alpaca by Benjamin Moore) ground the fresh design, while translucent blue tiles add an energetic accent.
Shower wall tiles: Cypress in Natural, 9 by 48 inches, Happy Floors; blue accent tiles: Brook Stacked in Sky, Soho Studio
Read more about this project
Before Photo
“After” photo by Saleme Fayad
2. Adapting to Change
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their toddler daughter
Location: London, Ontario
Size: 73 square feet (6.8 square meters)
Design-build firm: Ben + Britt at Home
Before: With a toddler who has a potentially mobility-affecting condition, these Canadian homeowners looked to Houzz and found Brittany Zazula and Ben Davis, whom they brought on to adapt the whole house, including this bath, for wheelchair use.
Davis and Zazula are a husband-and-wife design-build team who used Houzz Pro software for this project. While functionality came first in the redesign, they also wanted to give the family a soothing and bright space.
2. Adapting to Change
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their toddler daughter
Location: London, Ontario
Size: 73 square feet (6.8 square meters)
Design-build firm: Ben + Britt at Home
Before: With a toddler who has a potentially mobility-affecting condition, these Canadian homeowners looked to Houzz and found Brittany Zazula and Ben Davis, whom they brought on to adapt the whole house, including this bath, for wheelchair use.
Davis and Zazula are a husband-and-wife design-build team who used Houzz Pro software for this project. While functionality came first in the redesign, they also wanted to give the family a soothing and bright space.
After: The bath gained 4 feet of width, expanding into the primary bedroom and closet (behind the original vanity wall). This created room for wheelchair access. The shower is curbless and open on one side, and its door is on hinges that swing both ways. The handheld shower can be adjusted via a slide bar, and the team installed supports for grab bars, which are part of the future plan.
Generous swaths of white bring the brightness, tempered by a semicustom white oak vanity and serene blue tiles that recall calming water. The new palette, along with a glass shower enclosure and the extra space, give the design an airy feel.
Shower tile: Ceramic in Opal Sky, Elon Tile and Stone
Read more about this project
Generous swaths of white bring the brightness, tempered by a semicustom white oak vanity and serene blue tiles that recall calming water. The new palette, along with a glass shower enclosure and the extra space, give the design an airy feel.
Shower tile: Ceramic in Opal Sky, Elon Tile and Stone
Read more about this project
Before Photo
“After” photo by Ron Simpson
3. Covering the Angles
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Size: 68½ square feet (6.4 square meters)
Contractor: Cory Simpson of Gilded Contractors
Designer: Vanessa Papadas of VI Designs
Before: Installing a curbless shower as part of a remodel isn’t always possible, because the shower floor needs to slope toward the drain. For this bath in Canada, contractor Cory Simpson demolished the shower floor down to the joists, as there was no waterproofing anyway. Water had been leaking into the basement and causing mold.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
3. Covering the Angles
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Size: 68½ square feet (6.4 square meters)
Contractor: Cory Simpson of Gilded Contractors
Designer: Vanessa Papadas of VI Designs
Before: Installing a curbless shower as part of a remodel isn’t always possible, because the shower floor needs to slope toward the drain. For this bath in Canada, contractor Cory Simpson demolished the shower floor down to the joists, as there was no waterproofing anyway. Water had been leaking into the basement and causing mold.
10 Bathroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
After: The new no-threshold shower has a bench and snazzy teal tile laid at 90-degree angles in a herringbone pattern, lending a contemporary look. Both the tile and a new wood-faced double vanity stand out against the white walls and floor, while a glass shower enclosure creates a more open feel.
Designer Vanessa Papadas had the floating vanity custom-made with book-matched wood veneer and a floating shelf for added storage. Since this bathroom is smaller than 70 square feet, storage was especially important. Simpson also transformed a small closet across from the vanity into an open alcove.
Shower tile: Opal series by Cifre Ceramica, Euro Tile & Stone
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Designer Vanessa Papadas had the floating vanity custom-made with book-matched wood veneer and a floating shelf for added storage. Since this bathroom is smaller than 70 square feet, storage was especially important. Simpson also transformed a small closet across from the vanity into an open alcove.
Shower tile: Opal series by Cifre Ceramica, Euro Tile & Stone
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“After” photo by Bethany Nauert for Big Leo Productions
4. Watercolor Set
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young kids
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Kara Piepmeyer of Studio Kosma
Before: This dark, busy and chopped-up bath in Los Angeles felt disconnected style-wise from the otherwise light and airy midcentury modern home. Across from the blocky tub seen here sat two small circular black vanities without enough storage or countertop space. A slim living-room-style storage tower between them didn’t help much.
4. Watercolor Set
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young kids
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Kara Piepmeyer of Studio Kosma
Before: This dark, busy and chopped-up bath in Los Angeles felt disconnected style-wise from the otherwise light and airy midcentury modern home. Across from the blocky tub seen here sat two small circular black vanities without enough storage or countertop space. A slim living-room-style storage tower between them didn’t help much.
After: Designer Kara Piepmeyer went for an elevated modern look, with two walls featuring handmade ceramic tiles in soft watercolor-feeling blues. The new curbless shower has a frameless glass enclosure, and a freestanding white tub replaced the former chunky attached one. Both create a spacious, open feel.
The new double vanity is custom and has a white oak veneer that adds warmth, as well as a tucked-in seat below a makeup area. A large custom mirror runs the length of the vanity and bounces light around, adding to the bright, airy vibe.
Wall tile: Claypaper handmade field tile in Sea Glossy, 3 by 6 inches, Waterworks
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The new double vanity is custom and has a white oak veneer that adds warmth, as well as a tucked-in seat below a makeup area. A large custom mirror runs the length of the vanity and bounces light around, adding to the bright, airy vibe.
Wall tile: Claypaper handmade field tile in Sea Glossy, 3 by 6 inches, Waterworks
Read more about this project
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
1. Accommodating Type
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A pair of retirees
Location: Davis, California
Size: 125 square feet (12 square meters)
Design team: Penny Lorain (design) and Matthew Laughlin (project management) of Lorain Design Associates
Builder: Nader Faris and John Rieboldt of AMA Construction
Before: Accessibility for the coming years was the focus of this bathroom makeover in California. The homeowners, who are retired, tasked designer Penny Lorain and project manager Matthew Laughlin with creating a room that could accommodate a wheelchair or walker, while also transforming the dated style and blocky, awkward layout.
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