Before and After: 4 Bathrooms That Ditched the Tub
See how designers removed bathtubs in favor of sleek walk-in showers in these bathroom remodels
Deep soaking tubs and large walk-in showers are favorite features in many dream bathrooms. But when the size of a bathroom limits your choices to either a shower-tub combo, a stall shower and a small tub, or a large walk-in shower and no tub, the no-tub option might be the way to go. Check out the before-and-after photos from these four bathroom remodels that got rid of the tub in favor of roomy walk-in showers, and let us know if you’d make the same choice.
After: Maney didn’t remove or change any walls, but she eliminated the tub to create a roomy shower that includes a built-in bench. “It’s such wasted space if you don’t use a tub,” says Maney, who used Houzz ideabooks to exchange design ideas with her clients.
The spacious 38-by-72-inch low-curb shower features a variety of tiles that add depth and interest to the space. “She wanted less seams and grout lines, and some of her [Houzz] inspiration photos showed bathrooms that used different-size tiles for interest,” Maney says.
The spacious 38-by-72-inch low-curb shower features a variety of tiles that add depth and interest to the space. “She wanted less seams and grout lines, and some of her [Houzz] inspiration photos showed bathrooms that used different-size tiles for interest,” Maney says.
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Before: The location of the toilet between the built-in tub and the shower stall made for a tight fit.
After: By relocating the shower to the former tub space, Maney had enough room to add a full-height cabinet for storing towels, linens and toiletries.
Soft gray walls (San Antonio Gray by Benjamin Moore) with off-white trim (Distant Gray by Benjamin Moore) provide a soothing, classic backdrop for the pops of crisp white in the cabinetry and marble-look porcelain floor tiles.
Shop for porcelain floor tiles on Houzz
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Soft gray walls (San Antonio Gray by Benjamin Moore) with off-white trim (Distant Gray by Benjamin Moore) provide a soothing, classic backdrop for the pops of crisp white in the cabinetry and marble-look porcelain floor tiles.
Shop for porcelain floor tiles on Houzz
Read more about this bathroom remodel
2. Timeless Transformation
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple
Location: Nyack, New York
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Designer: Nicole Viola of Ivory & Oak
Before: These New York owners wanted an updated take on traditional style for their master bathroom remodel. They hired designer Nicole Viola to create a space that balances classic materials and contemporary lines. “The house is Victorian, so the young couple who live here wanted us to honor the architecture in the bathroom’s design. But they also wanted it to feel young, luxurious, upscale and special,” Viola says.
The old bathroom was in rough shape and didn’t feel the least bit Victorian in style. A dark and cramped shower stall (to the left of the vanity) made the homeowners yearn for a spa-like open shower. They also weren’t interested in having a bathtub in the 60-square-foot space, which opened up the possibilities.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple
Location: Nyack, New York
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Designer: Nicole Viola of Ivory & Oak
Before: These New York owners wanted an updated take on traditional style for their master bathroom remodel. They hired designer Nicole Viola to create a space that balances classic materials and contemporary lines. “The house is Victorian, so the young couple who live here wanted us to honor the architecture in the bathroom’s design. But they also wanted it to feel young, luxurious, upscale and special,” Viola says.
The old bathroom was in rough shape and didn’t feel the least bit Victorian in style. A dark and cramped shower stall (to the left of the vanity) made the homeowners yearn for a spa-like open shower. They also weren’t interested in having a bathtub in the 60-square-foot space, which opened up the possibilities.
After: The new walk-in shower features timeless materials such as marble wall tiles and antiqued brass shower fixtures that suit the period home’s architecture. But more contemporary touches like the geometric-pattern floor tiles and the glass shower panel lend an updated look.
“The faucet, sconces and shower fixtures are special, and we wanted them to stand out. So we kept everything else clean and simple,” Viola says.
The designer turned the former stall shower into a water closet (not pictured).
Read more about this bathroom remodel
“The faucet, sconces and shower fixtures are special, and we wanted them to stand out. So we kept everything else clean and simple,” Viola says.
The designer turned the former stall shower into a water closet (not pictured).
Read more about this bathroom remodel
3. Modern Farmhouse Makeover
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Preston and Brittany Munsch and their three kids
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Size: 98 square feet (9.1 square meters)
Designer: Megan Tennant of Forte Design Studios
Before: The laminate countertops and salmon-brown walls in their master bathroom didn’t fit these Colorado owners’ idea of a welcoming space. They rarely used the bathtub, and the one-person shower felt crammed in like an afterthought. “It was a space you got in and out of as quickly as you can,” owner Preston Munsch says.
The couple hired designer Megan Tennant to take down divider walls, remove an oversize corner tub and create a more open layout with a spacious new shower.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Preston and Brittany Munsch and their three kids
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Size: 98 square feet (9.1 square meters)
Designer: Megan Tennant of Forte Design Studios
Before: The laminate countertops and salmon-brown walls in their master bathroom didn’t fit these Colorado owners’ idea of a welcoming space. They rarely used the bathtub, and the one-person shower felt crammed in like an afterthought. “It was a space you got in and out of as quickly as you can,” owner Preston Munsch says.
The couple hired designer Megan Tennant to take down divider walls, remove an oversize corner tub and create a more open layout with a spacious new shower.
After: Tennant removed the room divider, stall shower, built-in tub and water closet to create a simpler, more open layout.
Getting rid of the tub allowed her to create a 4-by-7-foot steam shower behind an enclosure of black steel and glass. The shower also features a built-in bench, two shower heads and two new operable windows that offer light, ventilation and views of the backyard.
The designer used reclaimed hardwood boards to cover the ceiling and 10-inch matte black hexagonal porcelain tiles for the floor to create a modern farmhouse look.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
Getting rid of the tub allowed her to create a 4-by-7-foot steam shower behind an enclosure of black steel and glass. The shower also features a built-in bench, two shower heads and two new operable windows that offer light, ventilation and views of the backyard.
The designer used reclaimed hardwood boards to cover the ceiling and 10-inch matte black hexagonal porcelain tiles for the floor to create a modern farmhouse look.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
4. Crisp, Clean Lines
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Zane and Savanna Rodriquez and Savanna’s brother, David Sitz
Location: Universal City, Texas
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Designers: Julie Risman and Amanda Silva of The Inside Story Design
Before: Texas homeowner Savanna Rodriquez had grown so tired of the world map wallpaper in her hall bathroom that she started peeling it off herself. “I hated looking at it,” she says. She also took issue with the aging beige-pink tile surrounding the combination shower and bathtub and the frosted glass window that filtered out too much natural light.
She and her husband hired designers Julie Risman and Amanda Silva to transform the dated space by removing the tub to create an airy shower enclosure and brighten the room with more natural light and lots of white tile.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Zane and Savanna Rodriquez and Savanna’s brother, David Sitz
Location: Universal City, Texas
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Designers: Julie Risman and Amanda Silva of The Inside Story Design
Before: Texas homeowner Savanna Rodriquez had grown so tired of the world map wallpaper in her hall bathroom that she started peeling it off herself. “I hated looking at it,” she says. She also took issue with the aging beige-pink tile surrounding the combination shower and bathtub and the frosted glass window that filtered out too much natural light.
She and her husband hired designers Julie Risman and Amanda Silva to transform the dated space by removing the tub to create an airy shower enclosure and brighten the room with more natural light and lots of white tile.
After: The designers ditched the shower-tub combo and created a bright, airy shower with a frameless glass divider and curbless entry.
The clear clerestory window allows more natural light inside and captures views of the majestic live oaks on the property. “The shower completely opens up this space and is one of the reasons it looks so much larger,” Risman says. “We went with a partial panel instead of a panel with a door, to be as minimalist as possible and not take away from the space visually.”
The shower also includes a rain shower head on a gooseneck, as well as a handheld shower for easy cleanup for the homeowners’ two dogs, a blind Cockapoo named Stella and a rescue mutt named Honey.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
Look for a bathroom designer near you
Shop for shower faucets
The clear clerestory window allows more natural light inside and captures views of the majestic live oaks on the property. “The shower completely opens up this space and is one of the reasons it looks so much larger,” Risman says. “We went with a partial panel instead of a panel with a door, to be as minimalist as possible and not take away from the space visually.”
The shower also includes a rain shower head on a gooseneck, as well as a handheld shower for easy cleanup for the homeowners’ two dogs, a blind Cockapoo named Stella and a rescue mutt named Honey.
Read more about this bathroom remodel
More on Houzz
Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
Look for a bathroom designer near you
Shop for shower faucets
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with three young adult sons
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota
Size: 80 square feet (7.4 square meters)
Designer: Mary Maney of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Before: These Minnesota homeowners were frustrated with their master bathroom’s rarely used, oversize jetted tub taking up valuable real estate and the toilet crammed between the tub and tight shower stall. They hired designer Mary Maney to transform the bathroom within the existing footprint.