Before and After: 4 White-and-Wood Bathrooms With New Vanities
A fresher palette and smarter storage give these revived baths a calm, coordinated feel
When the vanity isn’t quite right, it’s hard for a bathroom to feel right overall. Add in outdated finishes, an awkward layout or overwhelming cleaning needs, and it’s makeover time. See how designers gave these four baths a newly clean yet warm look with a white-and-wood palette and brought in vanities and other features that truly suit the needs and tastes of the homeowners.
After: The shower now occupies the back of the space and enjoys natural light from two windows. (Privacy isn’t an issue, thanks to the remote location.) Its low curb, grab bar and built-in bench boost accessibility, while the frameless glass creates an open feel.
Because they’re large-format, the porcelain tiles on the main floor and shower walls have less grout to clean. But the shower floor is composed of 2-by-2-inch tiles, as the extra grout helps create a nonslip surface.
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Because they’re large-format, the porcelain tiles on the main floor and shower walls have less grout to clean. But the shower floor is composed of 2-by-2-inch tiles, as the extra grout helps create a nonslip surface.
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The roomy new double vanity offers plenty of storage and has soft-close drawers as well as a seat that can be tucked away. Made of Eastern black walnut, it adds an earthy touch to all the white and strongly contributes to the warm modern feel the couple were after. The sinks are concrete, coordinating with the new freestanding tub (seen in the previous photo).
Vanity: Custom, Oak Ridge Cabinets; cabinet hardware: Anwick pull in brushed pewter, Hardware Resources
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Vanity: Custom, Oak Ridge Cabinets; cabinet hardware: Anwick pull in brushed pewter, Hardware Resources
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“After” photos by Robert Norman Photography
2. Aligned Design
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple
Location: Killingworth, Connecticut
Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Lana Nguyen of Design by the Jonathans
Builder: Stephen Miskell of WestWay Construction
Before: Although its curvature here is due to the camera’s panorama setting, this vanity — which sits directly across from the doorway — didn’t make a fabulous first impression for the bath. And the rest of the space, in a Connecticut home owned by a young couple, lacked storage, style and an open feel. The homeowners brought in Lana Nguyen to give them a bath that would be brighter, airier and more welcoming.
2. Aligned Design
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple
Location: Killingworth, Connecticut
Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Lana Nguyen of Design by the Jonathans
Builder: Stephen Miskell of WestWay Construction
Before: Although its curvature here is due to the camera’s panorama setting, this vanity — which sits directly across from the doorway — didn’t make a fabulous first impression for the bath. And the rest of the space, in a Connecticut home owned by a young couple, lacked storage, style and an open feel. The homeowners brought in Lana Nguyen to give them a bath that would be brighter, airier and more welcoming.
After: Made of German white oak, the new double vanity has better storage and a clean, inviting look. All the symmetry feels soothing too: Note how the vanity, mirrors and wall sconces are all centered.
To the left of the vanity, a freestanding tub takes the place of a massive built-in jetted tub, clearing floor space. And the generous use of white beautifully sets off the pale wood.
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
To the left of the vanity, a freestanding tub takes the place of a massive built-in jetted tub, clearing floor space. And the generous use of white beautifully sets off the pale wood.
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
To the right of the vanity, the team removed a wall separating the shower and toilet area, eliminating the claustrophobic feel in both. A frameless glass shower replaced the previous three-sided shower, which was awash in brown tile.
The same white ceramic tiles extend from the shower walls to the toilet area’s walls, creating cohesiveness and a bigger, brighter vibe.
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The same white ceramic tiles extend from the shower walls to the toilet area’s walls, creating cohesiveness and a bigger, brighter vibe.
Read more about this project
Before Photo
“After” photo by Kim Pritchard Photography
3. Tower Power
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Redondo Beach, California
Size: 110 square feet (10 square meters)
Designer: Tiffany Lauer Interiors
Before: A blocky tub in this Southern California bath was begging to be bumped into. Plus, the overall style of the space was lackluster, even though the homeowners had tried to update it themselves, and the vanity lacked adequate storage despite its size. Designer Tiffany Lauer knocked everything back to the studs and started fresh.
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3. Tower Power
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Redondo Beach, California
Size: 110 square feet (10 square meters)
Designer: Tiffany Lauer Interiors
Before: A blocky tub in this Southern California bath was begging to be bumped into. Plus, the overall style of the space was lackluster, even though the homeowners had tried to update it themselves, and the vanity lacked adequate storage despite its size. Designer Tiffany Lauer knocked everything back to the studs and started fresh.
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After: Moving the entryway over to the right allowed for a much more open — and safer — layout. The locations of all the big fixtures stayed about the same, but all-new fixtures in a soothing white-and-wood palette make a world of difference. These include a glass-enclosed shower and a freestanding tub that allows for a clear pathway.
The new double vanity, made of white oak, has simple Shaker-style doors; a reeded detail along the top sections adds unobtrusive interest. And a tower cabinet atop the vanity has adjustable shelves as well as two drawers and a hidden electrical outlet.
Custom double vanity: Selvin; cabinet hardware: Cumberland knobs and pulls in honey bronze, Top Knobs
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The new double vanity, made of white oak, has simple Shaker-style doors; a reeded detail along the top sections adds unobtrusive interest. And a tower cabinet atop the vanity has adjustable shelves as well as two drawers and a hidden electrical outlet.
Custom double vanity: Selvin; cabinet hardware: Cumberland knobs and pulls in honey bronze, Top Knobs
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Before Photo
“After” photos by Jessica Brydson
4. Small Wonder
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Danville, California
Size: 83 square feet (7.7 square meters); about 8 by 10½ feet
Designer: Natalia Avalos Interiors
Before: The footprint of this 83-square-foot bathroom in California was fine, but the finishes were showing their age. A wall between the toilet and tub-shower, which you can see in the mirror’s reflection, was also blocking the light. The homeowners brought on designer Natalia Avalos for the makeover.
Shop for a vanity on Houzz
4. Small Wonder
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Danville, California
Size: 83 square feet (7.7 square meters); about 8 by 10½ feet
Designer: Natalia Avalos Interiors
Before: The footprint of this 83-square-foot bathroom in California was fine, but the finishes were showing their age. A wall between the toilet and tub-shower, which you can see in the mirror’s reflection, was also blocking the light. The homeowners brought on designer Natalia Avalos for the makeover.
Shop for a vanity on Houzz
After: The new palette sets a fresh, bright tone, while artwork and an antique-looking rug add character. Two wall mirrors replaced one long mirror running the length of the previous vanity, allowing for more light via sconces on either side of both.
The new white oak double vanity has been customized with reeded fronts for a bit of interest. It also has a thick white quartz countertop, lending a modern look.
The new white oak double vanity has been customized with reeded fronts for a bit of interest. It also has a thick white quartz countertop, lending a modern look.
A glass partial wall replaced that solid one seen in the first photo, letting more light into the shower-tub. And the new alcove tub is easier to step into than the previous one. Ivory tile to the ceiling keeps the bath’s bright look going.
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Your turn: Show us your own white-and-wood bath in the Comments!
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Your turn: Show us your own white-and-wood bath in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
1. Please Be Seated
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Durham, California
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Lori Wallick of Lori K Design Studio
Before: A daunting array of hard-to-clean grout lines, a glass block wall that lived up to its name by blocking light and views, and a narrow floor area and constricted feel — those were the issues that the homeowners, a retired couple in California, asked designer Lori Wallick to address. Also on the to-do list: better storage and lighting and an accessible shower.