Before and After: 4 Stylish Bathrooms With New Curbless Showers
See how pros added barrier-free showers to bathrooms of between 55 and 72 square feet
It’s not unusual to see curbless showers in large primary bathrooms. But designers of these four baths found ingenious ways to add no-threshold showers and other accessibility and aging-in-place features in spaces that are between 55 and 72 square feet in size. Additionally, the bathrooms’ attractive tiles, bright paint and elegant fixtures show that style doesn’t have to be sacrificed for safety and functionality. Read on to see how easy-to-access showers can be created even in medium-size spaces.
Before Photo
Photo by Ashley S. George of AK7 Productions
After: After having her client show her how she navigates the bathroom, Lewis, who uses Houzz Pro, considered safety first when it came to reimagining the space. Also keeping style in mind, she installed ADA-compliant grab bars with a champagne bronze finish next to the toilet and on the pony wall inside the shower, which is now curbless and has a wide opening.
She included a handheld shower head and an outdoor-rated teak stool that can withstand water. To satisfy her client’s desire for a tranquil, soothing feel in the bath, she used elongated blue tiles in a vertical pattern, continuing them on the shower ceiling.
There’s artwork of a rabbit, a creature Lewis says leads to good fortune and prosperity, “a happy animal that brings joy.”
Read more about this bathroom makeover
After: After having her client show her how she navigates the bathroom, Lewis, who uses Houzz Pro, considered safety first when it came to reimagining the space. Also keeping style in mind, she installed ADA-compliant grab bars with a champagne bronze finish next to the toilet and on the pony wall inside the shower, which is now curbless and has a wide opening.
She included a handheld shower head and an outdoor-rated teak stool that can withstand water. To satisfy her client’s desire for a tranquil, soothing feel in the bath, she used elongated blue tiles in a vertical pattern, continuing them on the shower ceiling.
There’s artwork of a rabbit, a creature Lewis says leads to good fortune and prosperity, “a happy animal that brings joy.”
Read more about this bathroom makeover
2. Easy Access
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple and their adult son with special needs
Location: North Wales, Pennsylvania
Size: 72 square feet (6.7 square meters); 5½ by 13 feet
Designer: Grace Arndt of Custom Craft
Before: These Pennsylvania homeowners wanted to address their and their family members’ future needs in the home. One of the rooms they remodeled was this bathroom in the in-law suite. The shower-tub combo presented accessibility issues. The low toilet was also a problem, and square tiles on the floor and wall had abundant grout that was difficult to keep clean. A heating and cooling vent on the floor was a tripping hazard.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple and their adult son with special needs
Location: North Wales, Pennsylvania
Size: 72 square feet (6.7 square meters); 5½ by 13 feet
Designer: Grace Arndt of Custom Craft
Before: These Pennsylvania homeowners wanted to address their and their family members’ future needs in the home. One of the rooms they remodeled was this bathroom in the in-law suite. The shower-tub combo presented accessibility issues. The low toilet was also a problem, and square tiles on the floor and wall had abundant grout that was difficult to keep clean. A heating and cooling vent on the floor was a tripping hazard.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
Photo by Dara N King Photography
After: Designer Grace Arndt of Custom Craft replaced the shower-tub combo with a spacious curbless shower for easier access. Large marble-look porcelain tiles in a matte finish on the shower walls and floor are nonslip and, with fewer grout lines, easier to clean. ADA-compliant grab bars span the back wall and underneath the shower. Arndt installed a new chair-height toilet and moved the vent to the wall.
Tile: Contessa in Dama, Emser Tile
Read more about this bathroom makeover
After: Designer Grace Arndt of Custom Craft replaced the shower-tub combo with a spacious curbless shower for easier access. Large marble-look porcelain tiles in a matte finish on the shower walls and floor are nonslip and, with fewer grout lines, easier to clean. ADA-compliant grab bars span the back wall and underneath the shower. Arndt installed a new chair-height toilet and moved the vent to the wall.
Tile: Contessa in Dama, Emser Tile
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Before Photo
3. Teal-and-White Delight
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Size: 68.5 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Contractor: Cory Simpson of Gilded Contractors
Designer: Vanessa Papadas of VI Design
Before: A couple bought a house that needed remodeling and enlisted contractor Cory Simpson, who ended up taking the leaky primary bathroom down to the studs.
Simpson figured the bathroom was the result of a previous DIY remodeling project. There was no waterproofing in the low-curb shower, which leaked into the basement, and there was mold.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Size: 68.5 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Contractor: Cory Simpson of Gilded Contractors
Designer: Vanessa Papadas of VI Design
Before: A couple bought a house that needed remodeling and enlisted contractor Cory Simpson, who ended up taking the leaky primary bathroom down to the studs.
Simpson figured the bathroom was the result of a previous DIY remodeling project. There was no waterproofing in the low-curb shower, which leaked into the basement, and there was mold.
Photo by Ron Simpson
After: Simpson worked with designer Vanessa Papadas to remake the bathroom into a clean-lined space with style and high-contrast hues.
For the shower, Papadas chose teal elongated subway tile and had it laid in a 90-degree herringbone pattern for a contemporary look. Bright white paint and sinks contrast with black matte fixtures and hardware.
One of the big challenges for Simpson was replacing the low-curb shower with a curbless shower. This required the pros to create a slope in the floor toward the drain, seen in the photo along the back of the shower.
There’s a new custom double vanity with a floating shelf at the bottom for extra towels and toilet paper.
Shower tile: Opal series by Cifre Ceramica, Euro Tile & Stone; wall paint: Intense White, Benjamin Moore; quartz: Venatino polished, Vicostone
Read more about this bathroom makeover
After: Simpson worked with designer Vanessa Papadas to remake the bathroom into a clean-lined space with style and high-contrast hues.
For the shower, Papadas chose teal elongated subway tile and had it laid in a 90-degree herringbone pattern for a contemporary look. Bright white paint and sinks contrast with black matte fixtures and hardware.
One of the big challenges for Simpson was replacing the low-curb shower with a curbless shower. This required the pros to create a slope in the floor toward the drain, seen in the photo along the back of the shower.
There’s a new custom double vanity with a floating shelf at the bottom for extra towels and toilet paper.
Shower tile: Opal series by Cifre Ceramica, Euro Tile & Stone; wall paint: Intense White, Benjamin Moore; quartz: Venatino polished, Vicostone
Read more about this bathroom makeover
4. Craftsman Style
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 70s
Location: Newton, Massachusetts
Size: 69 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Design-build firm: Steveworks
Before: This couple in Massachusetts loved their 1923 Craftsman house but realized it wasn’t ideal for aging in place. They hired design-build firm Steveworks to make single-level living a priority by transforming a first-floor bathroom and moving laundry units up from the basement.
The existing bathroom had nice features, but the tub-shower setup was getting difficult to access, the sink faucet leaked, and the pedestal sink didn’t provide storage.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 70s
Location: Newton, Massachusetts
Size: 69 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Design-build firm: Steveworks
Before: This couple in Massachusetts loved their 1923 Craftsman house but realized it wasn’t ideal for aging in place. They hired design-build firm Steveworks to make single-level living a priority by transforming a first-floor bathroom and moving laundry units up from the basement.
The existing bathroom had nice features, but the tub-shower setup was getting difficult to access, the sink faucet leaked, and the pedestal sink didn’t provide storage.
Photos by Robert Umenhofer Photography
After: Designer Tova Greenberg reconfigured the bathroom’s layout by creating a roomy new walk-in shower where the tub-shower had been and moving the location of the sink across the room. The new bathroom vanity has plenty of storage, and the mirrored medicine cabinet, which the owners loved, is now on the wall above it. A compact one-piece washer-dryer is tucked in next to the shower. The designer refinished the radiator, which keeps the space nice and toasty.
Craftsman details include subway tiles and black trim tile for the walls and new matte white hexagonal tiles on the floor, for improved traction. New botanical wallpaper (April Blossom by York Wallcoverings) taps into the Craftsman era’s nature-inspired designs.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
More on Houzz
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After: Designer Tova Greenberg reconfigured the bathroom’s layout by creating a roomy new walk-in shower where the tub-shower had been and moving the location of the sink across the room. The new bathroom vanity has plenty of storage, and the mirrored medicine cabinet, which the owners loved, is now on the wall above it. A compact one-piece washer-dryer is tucked in next to the shower. The designer refinished the radiator, which keeps the space nice and toasty.
Craftsman details include subway tiles and black trim tile for the walls and new matte white hexagonal tiles on the floor, for improved traction. New botanical wallpaper (April Blossom by York Wallcoverings) taps into the Craftsman era’s nature-inspired designs.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos for ideas
Find a bathroom remodeler
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: New Orleans
Size: 55 square feet (5.1 square meters)
Designer: Tiara Lewis of Nsight Designs Nola
Before: This photo shows a previous attempt to renovate a bathroom in a 100-year-old Craftsman house in New Orleans. The two daughters of the woman who lived there wanted to have it adapted for their mother to age in place.
The space was tight. Tucked into a corner opposite this window was a small, circular high-curb shower stall that designer Tiara Lewis describes as “claustrophobic.” Its doorway was only 24 inches wide.
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