The 5 Most Popular Bathroom Makeovers of 2024
Bold moves and smart space planning helped make these the most-viewed bathroom makeover stories of the year
A dramatic accent wall or unexpected tile is pretty much a guaranteed attention-getter in a bathroom. But design details that don’t immediately grab the eye — a reeded vanity front, a high-contrast shower frame, textural tile that attracts the light and gently tosses it back — can make just as big an impact. You’ll see both types of moves in this countdown of the five most-viewed bathroom makeovers of the year, along with ideas for saving space and enhancing flow.
4. Suite Victory
Moms deserve something better than a basic beige shoebox for a bathroom. So for this 45-square-foot bath in a Michigan in-law suite, Leah Velzen of Delight in Designs upped the style ante with back-and-white mosaic porcelain floor tiles that look like aged Carrara marble, a soft black vanity with satin brass bar pulls, and textured shower tiles that reflect light and bring a modern touch, thanks to their vertical orientation. In the shower, a niche sports dark penny tile to match the flooring and pull the eye toward the back of the room.
The former shower-tub combo wasn’t safe for aging in place, so Velzen swapped it for a low-curb shower sans tub. The main floor tiles have plenty of grout lines for slip resistance, and a pressure-balanced shower head valve ensures no sudden changes in water pressure or temperature.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Moms deserve something better than a basic beige shoebox for a bathroom. So for this 45-square-foot bath in a Michigan in-law suite, Leah Velzen of Delight in Designs upped the style ante with back-and-white mosaic porcelain floor tiles that look like aged Carrara marble, a soft black vanity with satin brass bar pulls, and textured shower tiles that reflect light and bring a modern touch, thanks to their vertical orientation. In the shower, a niche sports dark penny tile to match the flooring and pull the eye toward the back of the room.
The former shower-tub combo wasn’t safe for aging in place, so Velzen swapped it for a low-curb shower sans tub. The main floor tiles have plenty of grout lines for slip resistance, and a pressure-balanced shower head valve ensures no sudden changes in water pressure or temperature.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
3. Black-and-White Delight
While the main issue in this Seattle-area primary bath was doors — there weren’t any between it and the bedroom and the toilet closet — the awkward layout and the space-hogging tub deck weren’t ideal, either. The homeowners had been working with interior designer Harmony Weihs of Design Harmony for more than a decade, so they trusted her to make their 150-square-foot bath feel as spacious as possible while including a large shower, a separate tub and a vanity with ample storage, as well as an expanded linen closet.
Weihs switched the location of the shower and used a no-curb glass enclosure for an open look. Its black frame joins other black elements (tub, faucet and hardware) in contributing to the high-contrast design without weighing it down. A custom gray double vanity lies just out of frame to the left of the tub. The space now has the doors it needed, along with snazzy style and fun smart features: a voice-activated shower and LED motion-activated lights below the vanity. The shades are motorized too.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
How to Decorate With Black and White in the Bathroom
While the main issue in this Seattle-area primary bath was doors — there weren’t any between it and the bedroom and the toilet closet — the awkward layout and the space-hogging tub deck weren’t ideal, either. The homeowners had been working with interior designer Harmony Weihs of Design Harmony for more than a decade, so they trusted her to make their 150-square-foot bath feel as spacious as possible while including a large shower, a separate tub and a vanity with ample storage, as well as an expanded linen closet.
Weihs switched the location of the shower and used a no-curb glass enclosure for an open look. Its black frame joins other black elements (tub, faucet and hardware) in contributing to the high-contrast design without weighing it down. A custom gray double vanity lies just out of frame to the left of the tub. The space now has the doors it needed, along with snazzy style and fun smart features: a voice-activated shower and LED motion-activated lights below the vanity. The shades are motorized too.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
How to Decorate With Black and White in the Bathroom
2. Clean Slate
A DIY makeover didn’t give these Southern California homeowners the bathroom they’d been hoping for. The 110-square-foot space still had a monolithic tub that jutted out near the door, with a hip-high surround. The vanity storage was still insufficient. Light gray walls and wood-look laminate flooring felt like a misstep.
Designer Tiffany Lauer took the space down to the studs and moved the door for better flow but kept the main elements in about the same locations. She also lightened the look, creating a calm and clean white-and-wood design with beautiful details. Creamy handmade zellige tiles add texture and a bit of gloss. The new vanity has a reeded detail stretching along the top portion and a space-saving tower atop the counter. A woven pendant light adds a warm and unexpected touch. Also note how Lauer emphasized the room’s length with a freestanding tub opposite the vanity, leaving a clear pathway to the spacious glass-enclosed shower.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
A DIY makeover didn’t give these Southern California homeowners the bathroom they’d been hoping for. The 110-square-foot space still had a monolithic tub that jutted out near the door, with a hip-high surround. The vanity storage was still insufficient. Light gray walls and wood-look laminate flooring felt like a misstep.
Designer Tiffany Lauer took the space down to the studs and moved the door for better flow but kept the main elements in about the same locations. She also lightened the look, creating a calm and clean white-and-wood design with beautiful details. Creamy handmade zellige tiles add texture and a bit of gloss. The new vanity has a reeded detail stretching along the top portion and a space-saving tower atop the counter. A woven pendant light adds a warm and unexpected touch. Also note how Lauer emphasized the room’s length with a freestanding tub opposite the vanity, leaving a clear pathway to the spacious glass-enclosed shower.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
1. Dark Magic
Two teenage boys in Texas got this bathroom makeover, the most popular one on Houzz this year, courtesy of their designer mom, Jennifer Kizzee. Before, the space had an unappealing shower-tub combo and issues with the window, ventilation and water pressure. Now it has an attractively moody look featuring bold black wall tile, and it offers much better functionality.
Kizzee treated the boys like regular clients, using Houzz Pro business software to manage the project and visualize ideas, such as bringing in that dramatic dark tile to help a weathered-wood vanity stand out. The vanity is floating to create a more spacious feel in the 45-square-foot room. A low-curb shower with a steam feature replaced the old shower-tub, and its floor-to-ceiling glass front has metal striping that creates modern-looking grids. For a bit of natural warmth, slatted wood-look tile clads two of the shower walls. Two tube pendant lights add both illumination and an artistic finishing touch.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Your turn: Do you have a favorite Houzz bathroom makeover of 2024? Share a link to the story in the Comments.
More on Houzz
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Two teenage boys in Texas got this bathroom makeover, the most popular one on Houzz this year, courtesy of their designer mom, Jennifer Kizzee. Before, the space had an unappealing shower-tub combo and issues with the window, ventilation and water pressure. Now it has an attractively moody look featuring bold black wall tile, and it offers much better functionality.
Kizzee treated the boys like regular clients, using Houzz Pro business software to manage the project and visualize ideas, such as bringing in that dramatic dark tile to help a weathered-wood vanity stand out. The vanity is floating to create a more spacious feel in the 45-square-foot room. A low-curb shower with a steam feature replaced the old shower-tub, and its floor-to-ceiling glass front has metal striping that creates modern-looking grids. For a bit of natural warmth, slatted wood-look tile clads two of the shower walls. Two tube pendant lights add both illumination and an artistic finishing touch.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Your turn: Do you have a favorite Houzz bathroom makeover of 2024? Share a link to the story in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Everything originally felt crammed into this 125-square-foot North Carolina bathroom. A soaking tub with a big deck left only a small corner space for the shower, and the vanity looked clunky and had two inoperable drawers due to the plumbing. Plus, the room’s faded light blue walls, dark wood vanity and basic beige finishes felt neither soothing nor interesting.
Interior designer Melissa Rieser gave all the elements the heave-ho but kept the footprint, creating a spa-style space with a breathtaking wavy accent wall. In place of the old tub and shower lies a wet-room area with a frameless and curbless shower; its glass makes the most of the natural light from the single window. The new vanity has updated plumbing, a sleeker profile and plenty of storage. Curves via the tub, sinks and mirror edges balance all the straight lines and complement the striations of the shower wall tile.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
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