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Before and After: 6 Dream Bathrooms That Free the Tub

Freestanding tubs replace bulky built-ins in these beautiful bathroom remodels

Brenna Malmberg
Brenna MalmbergSeptember 1, 2019
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When remodeling a bathroom, the bathtub will be a topic of discussion. Should you ditch it to make room for a large walk-in shower? Should you keep it? Should you upgrade it? If you’re a bathtub lover, and you have room for a separate tub, you’re probably leaning toward the latter. And you aren’t alone. Thirty-seven percent of respondents in a Houzz survey decided to upgrade their tub during their bathroom remodel. Of that group, the majority (43 percent) opted to install a freestanding tub.

To see what that transformation can look like, let’s take a look at six bathrooms that had enough room to replace a built-in tub with a freestanding one. Maybe these examples will give you new ideas for your own bathroom remodel.
Before Photo
1. Uneven to Smooth

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A family of seven with three dogs
Location: Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego
Size: 210 square feet (19.5 square meters)

Before: Multiple levels of flooring abutted the built-in tub.
THE PLACE for Kitchens & Baths
After: A level bathroom floor paved the way for a freestanding tub. By removing the stairs, designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin had room to install a new tub and a larger walk-in shower for the family.

The new layout uses the space better, Bagley Catlin says, and allowed the family to keep the existing windows. In fact, the windows are now highlighted.

Wall paint: Take Five, Sherwin-Williams

Read more about this bathroom remodel

Find a bathroom designer on Houzz
Before Photo
Sasha Kuchinski
2. Cramped to Spa-Like

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple with three children
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Size: 180 square feet (16.7 square meters)

Before: A built-in tub runs right up to the side of the corner shower.
Natalie Clayman Interior Design
After: A freestanding tub sits between a wall and a new glass-walled shower. The freestanding tub and the glass shower walls make the space feel more open, designer Natalie Clayman says.

The bathroom also got a fresh coat of paint and a fun beaded chandelier during the remodel.

Wall paint: Dewy, Sherwin-Williams

Read more about this bathroom remodel

Shop for freestanding tubs on Houzz
Before Photo
Lindsay Chambers Design
3. ’80s to Today

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A young couple in the video gaming industry
Location:
Beverly Hills, California
Size:
168 square feet (15.6 square meters)

Before: The lights, floor tile, clamshell sinks and built-in tub left the homeowners feeling like they were still living in the 1980s.
Lindsay Chambers Design
After: The large windows and chandelier highlight the new freestanding tub at the end of the long, narrow bathroom. Designer Lindsay Chambers created this new luxe look while still keeping one original component: brass. The brass can be found via the lighting, vanity hardware and faucets.

Read more about this bathroom remodel

Browse chandeliers in the Houzz Shop
Before Photo
4. Bulky to Stately

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A young family with kids
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 168 square feet (15.6 square meters)

Before: A walled-in tub took up too much room in the bathroom for the new homeowners.
Sarah Stacey Interior Design
After: A claw-foot tub was the homeowners’ only request, and designer Sarah Stacey delivered that and more in the remodeled bathroom.

Carrara marble floor tiles replaced terra-cotta tiles. The walls went from painted to tile. And a colorful rug adds a little warmth.

Read more about this bathroom remodel

Browse bathroom tile
Before Photo
5. Ineffective to Breathtaking

Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Monument, Colorado
Size: 156 square feet (14.5 square meters)

Before: The homeowners were over this paint color, and wanted a bathroom with more storage and a better layout.
Turk Interiors
After: The new freestanding tub draws the eye to the corner of the room, where the homeowners have a grand view. Plus, by replacing the built-in tub with a slimmer freestanding tub, the homeowners gained space for other bathroom features.

Designer Tricia Turk used that extra space to relocate and enlarge the shower and install additional cabinetry.

Wall paint: Accessible Beige, Sherwin-Williams; custom knotty alder cabinets: Brooks Brothers Cabinetry

Read more about this bathroom remodel
Before Photo
Elizabeth Lawson Design
6. Clunky to Sleek

Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A female professional
Location: Clarksville, Maryland
Size: 128 square feet (11.9 square meters)

Before: The vanity ran up to the edge of a built-in corner tub in the dim bathroom.
Elizabeth Lawson Design
After: A freestanding tub sits in almost the same location as the previous tub, but this shape allows for a double vanity and a larger shower.

Designer Elizabeth Lawson also brightened the room with white paint and porcelain tile flooring, making it feel bigger.

Wall paint: Joa’s White, Farrow & Ball; vanity paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore

Read more about this bathroom remodel

Your turn: Have you swapped your built-in tub for a freestanding one? If so, share the before-and-after photos in the Comments.

More on Houzz
How to Remodel Your Bathroom
How to Lay Out a 100-Square-Foot Bathroom
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