Before and After: 5 Bathroom Makeovers Bring Spa Style Home
Tap into the wellness features and other dreamy details that turned these baths into posh personal retreats
If you’ve ever wished you could visit a four-star spa without leaving home, this one’s for you. These designers removed blocky tubs, rethought awkward layouts and brought in elements such as steam showers, wet rooms and even a sauna and a cold plunge to give the homeowners an upscale spa experience they can enjoy daily. See the bathroom designs they created to soothe the soul and recharge the spirit, then let us know in the Comments if any inspire you to add self-care features to your own bath.
Photo by Ian Parrish of Parrish Real Estate Photography
After: The big window now anchors a new wet room at the back of the space, composed of an open shower and a graceful freestanding tub. Both are set on a low platform that adds an organic curve. The toilet is less visible, tucked next to one of the new vanities, and the new in-ceiling lighting furthers the streamlined look. The new palette of earthy browns, beiges and creams, with wood elements crafted from a yellow birch tree on the homeowners’ family farm, radiates calm.
Structural work involved getting rid of an existing beam and vaulting half the ceiling, as well as changing out a small window on one wall for a skylight above. The team also added plenty of closed storage to keep items neatly hidden away. And aside from the overall spa-like palette and airy setup, the shower has a 10-inch rain shower head, a handheld shower on a slide bar and a pressure-balanced valve.
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After: The big window now anchors a new wet room at the back of the space, composed of an open shower and a graceful freestanding tub. Both are set on a low platform that adds an organic curve. The toilet is less visible, tucked next to one of the new vanities, and the new in-ceiling lighting furthers the streamlined look. The new palette of earthy browns, beiges and creams, with wood elements crafted from a yellow birch tree on the homeowners’ family farm, radiates calm.
Structural work involved getting rid of an existing beam and vaulting half the ceiling, as well as changing out a small window on one wall for a skylight above. The team also added plenty of closed storage to keep items neatly hidden away. And aside from the overall spa-like palette and airy setup, the shower has a 10-inch rain shower head, a handheld shower on a slide bar and a pressure-balanced valve.
Read more about this project
Photos from Tara Lenney Design
2. Sauna, Steam Shower and Cold Plunge
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Grant and Angela Morris and their three kids
Location: Dallas
Size: 260 square feet (24 square meters)
Designer: Tara Lenney Design
Before: Cluttered countertops and wasted space characterized this Texas en suite primary bath. The homeowners, who have three kids, wanted to tidy up and enhance the look, make the space more efficient and storage-savvy, and incorporate a sauna, a cold-plunge tub and a steam shower. They brought on designer Tara Lenney for the wellness-minded makeover.
2. Sauna, Steam Shower and Cold Plunge
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Grant and Angela Morris and their three kids
Location: Dallas
Size: 260 square feet (24 square meters)
Designer: Tara Lenney Design
Before: Cluttered countertops and wasted space characterized this Texas en suite primary bath. The homeowners, who have three kids, wanted to tidy up and enhance the look, make the space more efficient and storage-savvy, and incorporate a sauna, a cold-plunge tub and a steam shower. They brought on designer Tara Lenney for the wellness-minded makeover.
After: Lenney removed a large step-up built in tub, which you can see a corner of in the lower right of the first photo, and moved a closet door so a custom double vanity would fit against the far left wall (not seen). The new infrared sauna, handcrafted of Douglas fir, now sits where one of two old vanities was. Right next to it, a shower clad in watery blue and navy tiles has a steam generator, a Kohler pressure-balanced shower system and, near a separate handheld shower head, a bench for leisurely bathing.
Sauna: custom, Finnleo Sauna; shower ceiling and wall tile: Enigma in Ash Blue, 2 by 8 inches, TileBar
5 Hot Tips for Home Saunas
Sauna: custom, Finnleo Sauna; shower ceiling and wall tile: Enigma in Ash Blue, 2 by 8 inches, TileBar
5 Hot Tips for Home Saunas
The new tub can act as a cold plunge, thanks to a cooler on shelving tucked away to the right of the shower. Or it can be filled with hot water for a traditional steamy bath. Completing the spa look are a blue iron chandelier with handmade papier-mâché flowers and, against the back wall, an abstract artwork in cheerful, relaxing tones.
To the right of the tub, the water closet got an update with deep blue walls. The overall palette, a base of white with blue accents and the sauna’s light wood, creates a clean and airy look that’s just right for a relaxing retreat.
Tub: Brainpod 2.0, Polar Monkeys; tub filler: Purist, Kohler; chandelier: Terrell Swann, Stray Dog Designs; water closet paint: Bunglehouse Blue, Sherwin-Williams
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To the right of the tub, the water closet got an update with deep blue walls. The overall palette, a base of white with blue accents and the sauna’s light wood, creates a clean and airy look that’s just right for a relaxing retreat.
Tub: Brainpod 2.0, Polar Monkeys; tub filler: Purist, Kohler; chandelier: Terrell Swann, Stray Dog Designs; water closet paint: Bunglehouse Blue, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this project
3. Tranquil Modern-Traditional Mix
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three boys
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 240 square feet (22 square meters)
Designer: Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Contractor: Watershed Builders
Before: Although it was spacious, this North Carolina bath had a heavily traditional style and ornate touches that didn’t suit the homeowners. And although it’s hard to tell from this view, the way the angled shower met the blocky tub (on the left) looked awkward. Designer Jennifer Bula of Delphinium Design asked the homeowners, who have three children, to put together a Houzz ideabook for the room. Then she delivered a tranquil, nature-inspired space that melds the husband’s modern tastes and the wife’s more traditional ones.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three boys
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Size: 240 square feet (22 square meters)
Designer: Jena Bula of Delphinium Design
Contractor: Watershed Builders
Before: Although it was spacious, this North Carolina bath had a heavily traditional style and ornate touches that didn’t suit the homeowners. And although it’s hard to tell from this view, the way the angled shower met the blocky tub (on the left) looked awkward. Designer Jennifer Bula of Delphinium Design asked the homeowners, who have three children, to put together a Houzz ideabook for the room. Then she delivered a tranquil, nature-inspired space that melds the husband’s modern tastes and the wife’s more traditional ones.
“After” photos by Tiffany Ringwald
After: A glass-walled shower cube with marble-look porcelain, a rain shower head and a woven basket nearby anchors the refreshing design. Next to it sits a new freestanding tub, with a modern shape but more traditional trim, under a window with a linen Roman shade. The flooring is wood-look porcelain, marrying natural beauty with practicality.
How to Make Your Bathroom Feel Like a Spa
After: A glass-walled shower cube with marble-look porcelain, a rain shower head and a woven basket nearby anchors the refreshing design. Next to it sits a new freestanding tub, with a modern shape but more traditional trim, under a window with a linen Roman shade. The flooring is wood-look porcelain, marrying natural beauty with practicality.
How to Make Your Bathroom Feel Like a Spa
Across from the shower and tub, two vanities with matching storage towers in a serene gray-green have bigger-than-standard mirrors for a special touch. Traditional-style elements here include the overall symmetry as well as the tower crown molding and panels, while the light fixtures, matte black cabinet hardware and mirror frames skew modern.
Bula used Houzz Pro throughout the project, particularly for staying organized, communicating with her clients and invoicing.
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See why you should hire a designer who uses Houzz Pro
Bula used Houzz Pro throughout the project, particularly for staying organized, communicating with her clients and invoicing.
Read more about this project
See why you should hire a designer who uses Houzz Pro
4. Tinted Steam Shower
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Size: 248 square feet (23 square meters)
Design-build team: Steve Minor and Raul Bautista Perez of Noble Renovation
Before: A coffered ceiling and bulky drop-in tub already gave this North Carolina bath a heavy feel. Add in a very narrow shower entrance, seen here just before the doorway to the water closet and linen closet, plus a blocky granite vanity and traditional tile and lighting, and the result was an awkward, dated space. The homeowners, who love to travel, brought in Steve Minor and Raul Bautista Perez of Noble Renovation to create a bath right out of a luxury retreat.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Size: 248 square feet (23 square meters)
Design-build team: Steve Minor and Raul Bautista Perez of Noble Renovation
Before: A coffered ceiling and bulky drop-in tub already gave this North Carolina bath a heavy feel. Add in a very narrow shower entrance, seen here just before the doorway to the water closet and linen closet, plus a blocky granite vanity and traditional tile and lighting, and the result was an awkward, dated space. The homeowners, who love to travel, brought in Steve Minor and Raul Bautista Perez of Noble Renovation to create a bath right out of a luxury retreat.
“After” photos by Bob Fortner Photography
After: The team took the bathroom down to the studs, updated the electrical and plumbing systems and lowered the ceiling from 13 feet to 11 feet to level it out. Tinted glass defines a new wet room in the former shower area. The new tub inside is 5 inches lower than the old one, and the area also has a state-of-the art steam shower system and a heated bench and flooring.
A large backlit mirror balances out the wet room volume and highlights the textural interlocking marble panels cladding the wall. Fluted wood-look porcelain tiles below the wet room’s tinted glass enhance the spa vibe.
Accent wall panels: Splitface collection in Impero Reale, Anatolia; wood-look tile: Kenridge Ribbon in Maple Brown, TileBar
7 Steps to a Stellar Shower Design
After: The team took the bathroom down to the studs, updated the electrical and plumbing systems and lowered the ceiling from 13 feet to 11 feet to level it out. Tinted glass defines a new wet room in the former shower area. The new tub inside is 5 inches lower than the old one, and the area also has a state-of-the art steam shower system and a heated bench and flooring.
A large backlit mirror balances out the wet room volume and highlights the textural interlocking marble panels cladding the wall. Fluted wood-look porcelain tiles below the wet room’s tinted glass enhance the spa vibe.
Accent wall panels: Splitface collection in Impero Reale, Anatolia; wood-look tile: Kenridge Ribbon in Maple Brown, TileBar
7 Steps to a Stellar Shower Design
A long custom double vanity finished in white oak veneer stretches across one wall. Its oversize flat black bar pulls complement the matte black faucets here as well as the wet room’s door handle. Two backlit mirrors above the vanity speak to the larger one nearby, and a makeup station with an upholstered stool sits below a streamlined black iron pendant.
The flooring outside the wet room is composed of white onyx-look porcelain tiles with Wi-Fi-enabled radiant heat, completing the spa vibe.
Mirrors: Grand Mirrors Eclipse, Evervue; faucets: Vivenis in matte black, Hansgrohe; vanity pulls: Princetonian in flat black, Top Knobs
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The flooring outside the wet room is composed of white onyx-look porcelain tiles with Wi-Fi-enabled radiant heat, completing the spa vibe.
Mirrors: Grand Mirrors Eclipse, Evervue; faucets: Vivenis in matte black, Hansgrohe; vanity pulls: Princetonian in flat black, Top Knobs
Read more about this project
Before Photo
5. Sunny Indoor-Outdoor Sanctuary
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two grown children and four grandchildren
Location: Los Gatos, California
Size: About 193 square feet (18 square meters)
Designer: Nicole Burton of Design Matters
Contractor: Burton Design & Construction
Before: Despite being near a handful of windows, the shower and tub in this Northern California primary bath didn’t feel immersed in the beautiful garden just beyond. And the door to the bath was just to the right of the tub, making for an awkward layout. The homeowners, who are grandparents, hired Nicole Burton of Design Matters to create a sumptuous indoor-outdoor sanctuary that both they and their grandkids could enjoy.
Check out our guide to get started on your home project
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two grown children and four grandchildren
Location: Los Gatos, California
Size: About 193 square feet (18 square meters)
Designer: Nicole Burton of Design Matters
Contractor: Burton Design & Construction
Before: Despite being near a handful of windows, the shower and tub in this Northern California primary bath didn’t feel immersed in the beautiful garden just beyond. And the door to the bath was just to the right of the tub, making for an awkward layout. The homeowners, who are grandparents, hired Nicole Burton of Design Matters to create a sumptuous indoor-outdoor sanctuary that both they and their grandkids could enjoy.
Check out our guide to get started on your home project
Photo by Bernardo Grijalva
After: As the backyard of this hillside home is gated and can’t be seen from neighboring properties, Burton was able to design a space with two large retractable glass doors that can be opened to a newly extended deck. A freestanding tub now allows for leisurely soaks in the fresh air, but when the glass doors are closed, motorized Hunter Douglas Duet shades can cover them as needed. Anyone enjoying the tub can gaze out not just at the garden but at the greenhouse one of the homeowners tends to at the top of the slope.
To the left of the tub, a curbless shower has marble-look porcelain tiles that match the backsplash and the countertop of the new rift-cut white oak vanity. A skylight caps off the newly bright and open design.
Tub: Elise, MTI Baths; tub filler, sink and shower fixtures: Levoir, Brizo
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After: As the backyard of this hillside home is gated and can’t be seen from neighboring properties, Burton was able to design a space with two large retractable glass doors that can be opened to a newly extended deck. A freestanding tub now allows for leisurely soaks in the fresh air, but when the glass doors are closed, motorized Hunter Douglas Duet shades can cover them as needed. Anyone enjoying the tub can gaze out not just at the garden but at the greenhouse one of the homeowners tends to at the top of the slope.
To the left of the tub, a curbless shower has marble-look porcelain tiles that match the backsplash and the countertop of the new rift-cut white oak vanity. A skylight caps off the newly bright and open design.
Tub: Elise, MTI Baths; tub filler, sink and shower fixtures: Levoir, Brizo
Read more about this project
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Size: 137 square feet (13 square meters)
Design-build pros: Susan Davidson and Logan Lawrence of Blue Ridge Design Build
Before: While this Virginia bath had a big window with a lovely view, it didn’t feel truly serene. A massive step-up tub hogged space, and the layout felt choppy. On the side where this photo was taken from, opposite the tub and toilet, a big open-shelving unit, a shower stall with a curtain, two vanities and a makeup station added to the cluttered feel. Plus, the homeowners plan to stay in the home for years to come and wanted a design that would work well for them as they age. After turning to Houzz for ideas, they hired Blue Ridge Design Build to handle the makeover.
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