Before and After: 4 Spa-Like Bathroom Makeovers
See how designers use soaking tubs, spacious showers and luxe materials to make these rooms feel like a day at the spa
With the help of a design professional, you can add more function, storage and style to any bathroom. But if you have the space for it, going the extra mile to transform a master bathroom into a spa-like retreat is a luxury that’s hard to resist. Check out the before-and-after pictures from these four master bathroom remodels with loads of spa-worthy amenities, then let us know which one you most want to make an appointment for.
After: Tepper stayed within the footprint of the room but reshaped the shower — squaring it off, slimming it down and extending its height. “We got rid of the angled door so it would feel larger inside the shower,” she says.
The designer replaced the fading damask wallpaper with taupe wall paint (Patience by Sherwin-Williams), selected to coordinate with the beige porcelain floor tiles, which were made in Italy.
New white custom vanities topped in Taj Mahal quartzite countertops complement the beveled custom mirrors with brushed gold frames. Crystal sconces with champagne-colored drum shades flank the vanity mirrors.
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
The designer replaced the fading damask wallpaper with taupe wall paint (Patience by Sherwin-Williams), selected to coordinate with the beige porcelain floor tiles, which were made in Italy.
New white custom vanities topped in Taj Mahal quartzite countertops complement the beveled custom mirrors with brushed gold frames. Crystal sconces with champagne-colored drum shades flank the vanity mirrors.
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
Before: The built-in whirlpool tub was jammed between a vanity and the shower, making for a tight fit and a crammed visual. The exterior of the tub also looked a bit plain.
After: The reshaped shower allowed Tepper to position a new 66-inch oval soaking tub in a way that added breathing room between the tub and the nearby vanity. “It opened up this side of the bathroom and made the tub more accessible,” she says.
The tub surround is topped in Taj Mahal quartzite to coordinate with the vanity countertops. A trio of wood panels at the base of the tub can open to allow access to the mechanics of the tub.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
The tub surround is topped in Taj Mahal quartzite to coordinate with the vanity countertops. A trio of wood panels at the base of the tub can open to allow access to the mechanics of the tub.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
2. Black-and-White Beauty
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three young children
Location: A suburb of Seattle
Size: 217 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Alinda Morris Interior Design
Before: Desiring a fresh and hip remodel for their master bathroom, these Seattle homeowners searched Houzz and found designer Alinda Morris, who helped make their dream a reality.
Morris introduced a black-and-white color palette with touches of warm wood to modernize the look. She also removed the shower-tub combo in favor of a spacious new double shower and a jet-black freestanding tub.
The original master bathroom in the 1981-built home had a muddy brown vanity and heavy brown-stained wood floor. “Everything just seemed dark,” Morris says. “It had a lot of visual weight for a space that size.”
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three young children
Location: A suburb of Seattle
Size: 217 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Alinda Morris Interior Design
Before: Desiring a fresh and hip remodel for their master bathroom, these Seattle homeowners searched Houzz and found designer Alinda Morris, who helped make their dream a reality.
Morris introduced a black-and-white color palette with touches of warm wood to modernize the look. She also removed the shower-tub combo in favor of a spacious new double shower and a jet-black freestanding tub.
The original master bathroom in the 1981-built home had a muddy brown vanity and heavy brown-stained wood floor. “Everything just seemed dark,” Morris says. “It had a lot of visual weight for a space that size.”
After: This photo (taken from the opposite direction of the previous photo) shows off the new black-and-white color palette. The floors are now covered in 12-by-24-inch carbon-colored porcelain. “The pattern of the floor tile helps draw your eye in,” she says. “When you have a light room and go darker on the floor, it visually helps push the space out.”
The vanity wall features 3-by-12-inch tile in a herringbone pattern with dark grout lines. Two round mirrors with black metal frames contrast nicely with the straight lines of the vanity. “I knew I wanted to go with round mirrors from the beginning,” Morris says. “And if I went with chrome instead of black, it wouldn’t have been as dramatic.”
The vanity wall features 3-by-12-inch tile in a herringbone pattern with dark grout lines. Two round mirrors with black metal frames contrast nicely with the straight lines of the vanity. “I knew I wanted to go with round mirrors from the beginning,” Morris says. “And if I went with chrome instead of black, it wouldn’t have been as dramatic.”
Before: The original raised shower-tub combo had a hazardous stepped entry into a deep tub. The shower head extended out of a box, and a pair of shower curtains didn’t provide the clean-lined look the owners wanted.
After: Morris replaced the shower-tub combo with a spacious 7-foot-long shower that has a tempered-glass enclosure. A half wall supports shower niches and divides the space between the shower and the new freestanding tub.
The subway tile-clad shower includes an articulating shower head on the left and an adjustable handheld shower on the right. “This allows two people to use the shower at the same time,” Morris says. “We used the exact same plumbing locations, which helped save a lot of money.”
The oval 59-inch-long acrylic freestanding tub features a shiny black exterior and a wall-mounted tub filler. The black-and-white tub, picked by the homeowners early on, helped inspire the overall color palette in the room. “They’re the hippest people,” Morris says of the couple. “They’re well-traveled and had specific ideas of what they wanted for this space. We wanted it to feel special, like they were on a vacation when they’re here.”
Read more about this bathroom remodel
The subway tile-clad shower includes an articulating shower head on the left and an adjustable handheld shower on the right. “This allows two people to use the shower at the same time,” Morris says. “We used the exact same plumbing locations, which helped save a lot of money.”
The oval 59-inch-long acrylic freestanding tub features a shiny black exterior and a wall-mounted tub filler. The black-and-white tub, picked by the homeowners early on, helped inspire the overall color palette in the room. “They’re the hippest people,” Morris says of the couple. “They’re well-traveled and had specific ideas of what they wanted for this space. We wanted it to feel special, like they were on a vacation when they’re here.”
Read more about this bathroom remodel
3. Warm and Refined Remodel
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Merigan Barton, a real estate agent; her husband, Tim, a mechanical engineer at Disney; and their two children
Location: Orlando, Florida
Size: 69 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Designer: Julie Lampe of Paradigm Interiors
Before: To help transform their tired and cramped master bathroom, a pair of Orlando homeowners reached out to Julie Lampe of Paradigm Interiors. The designer moved the entrance to increase the bathroom by 15 square feet and then reconfigured the layout to make it feel more open, even with the inclusion of a new double vanity, a larger shower and a soaking tub.
The existing bathroom felt cramped due to an angled wall with French doors that ate up floor space and pushed the vanity, built-in bathtub and shower toward one corner.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Merigan Barton, a real estate agent; her husband, Tim, a mechanical engineer at Disney; and their two children
Location: Orlando, Florida
Size: 69 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Designer: Julie Lampe of Paradigm Interiors
Before: To help transform their tired and cramped master bathroom, a pair of Orlando homeowners reached out to Julie Lampe of Paradigm Interiors. The designer moved the entrance to increase the bathroom by 15 square feet and then reconfigured the layout to make it feel more open, even with the inclusion of a new double vanity, a larger shower and a soaking tub.
The existing bathroom felt cramped due to an angled wall with French doors that ate up floor space and pushed the vanity, built-in bathtub and shower toward one corner.
After: By removing the tub from the corner, Lampe was able to place a new toilet and a custom double vanity, which significantly increased storage in the bathroom. The warm, wood double vanity cabinet is topped with a slab of Arabescato Venato marble that adds a refined touch.
The other side of the bathroom includes a freestanding soaking tub and an enlarged shower. The shower has a steam feature, wall and overhead jets, a rain shower head, a handheld shower wand, ambient lighting and Bluetooth speakers.
Lampe covered the floors, shower and walls around the tub in nonslip marble-look porcelain tile for a unified, luxurious look.
Wall paint: Drift of Mist, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Lampe covered the floors, shower and walls around the tub in nonslip marble-look porcelain tile for a unified, luxurious look.
Wall paint: Drift of Mist, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this bathroom remodel
4. Biophilic Bliss
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple with two young children
Location: Encinitas, California
Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 12 feet by 9 feet
Designer: Bonnie Bagley Catlin
of Signature Designs Kitchen & Bath
Before: After moving from Salt Lake City to Southern California, these homeowners looked to Houzz to find a local interior designer to remodel their master bathroom. They chose Bonnie Bagley Catlin of Signature Designs Kitchen & Bath, who transformed their main bathroom into an eclectic take on modern farmhouse, with biophilic elements that connect the room to nature.
The standard beige tile floors and wood vanity in the existing bathroom didn’t cut it for the new owners. “They had worked with a designer on their Salt Lake City home, so they were used to the process,” Catlin says. “She had a clear vision for what she wanted — something bold and more interesting than the usual.”
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple with two young children
Location: Encinitas, California
Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 12 feet by 9 feet
Designer: Bonnie Bagley Catlin
of Signature Designs Kitchen & Bath
Before: After moving from Salt Lake City to Southern California, these homeowners looked to Houzz to find a local interior designer to remodel their master bathroom. They chose Bonnie Bagley Catlin of Signature Designs Kitchen & Bath, who transformed their main bathroom into an eclectic take on modern farmhouse, with biophilic elements that connect the room to nature.
The standard beige tile floors and wood vanity in the existing bathroom didn’t cut it for the new owners. “They had worked with a designer on their Salt Lake City home, so they were used to the process,” Catlin says. “She had a clear vision for what she wanted — something bold and more interesting than the usual.”
After: The new eclectic space includes green cabinetry, large-scale botanical wallpaper, a bold black bathtub and smart storage solutions.
A pair of floating shelves above the tub are lined with potted plants that receive the natural light they need from the window. The wallpaper, plants, natural wood tones and green paint on the vanities are all elements of biophilic design. This means it helps people feel connected to nature, which is thought to promote wellness.
Cabinet color: Eucalyptus, Medallion Cabinetry
A pair of floating shelves above the tub are lined with potted plants that receive the natural light they need from the window. The wallpaper, plants, natural wood tones and green paint on the vanities are all elements of biophilic design. This means it helps people feel connected to nature, which is thought to promote wellness.
Cabinet color: Eucalyptus, Medallion Cabinetry
After: The bold black freestanding tub was one of the first suggestions Catlin made to the homeowners. “She was dying to do it, but he was a little reluctant. We had to do some convincing,” she says.
The black tub pops against the new floors covered in porcelain, stone and glass mosaic tiles in white with a tawny zigzag pattern through it. The new black-framed shower to the left of the tub adds another bold touch.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
How to Declutter Your Bathroom to Get a Spa Look
Look for a bathroom designer near you
Shop for freestanding tubs
The black tub pops against the new floors covered in porcelain, stone and glass mosaic tiles in white with a tawny zigzag pattern through it. The new black-framed shower to the left of the tub adds another bold touch.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
How to Declutter Your Bathroom to Get a Spa Look
Look for a bathroom designer near you
Shop for freestanding tubs
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Empty nesters Ron and Lynn Zera
Location: Dallas
Size: 143 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Amanda Tepper for Hatfield Builders & Remodelers (she’s now with Amanda Tepper Design)
Before: The original master bathroom in this Dallas home had served the owners well, but after 18 years its finishes were starting to look a little drab and it was time for a makeover. The couple brought in designer Amanda Tepper to create a relaxing space that features luxurious materials and a traditional aesthetic.
The existing bathroom included damask wallpaper, plain white wall tile, a brass-framed shower enclosure and a hulking corner whirlpool bathtub. “It was not the best use of space,” Tepper says.
Find a bathroom designer near you