Before and After: 5 Bathroom Makeovers With Fresh Palettes
See how pros helped homeowners update these spaces with new colours and materials
Erin Carlyle
7 November 2019
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
A colour palette goes a long way in setting the mood for a room, particularly bathrooms, which typically lack upholstered items like sofas and chairs or soft bedding. The pros who revamped the following five bathrooms dramatically shifted the colour palettes of four of the rooms; in one case, simply offering a new take on an old palette worked just as well. Which bathroom transformation most inspires you?
1. Dark Wood and Teal to Grey and White
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two preteens
Location: A suburb of Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 198 square feet (18 square metres)
Designer: Terri Sears of Hermitage Kitchen Design Gallery
Before: The existing bathroom had darker finishes than the homeowners preferred, and some of the room’s architectural details weren’t to their taste. They wanted the bathroom to feel brighter and larger.
Find a designer near you
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two preteens
Location: A suburb of Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 198 square feet (18 square metres)
Designer: Terri Sears of Hermitage Kitchen Design Gallery
Before: The existing bathroom had darker finishes than the homeowners preferred, and some of the room’s architectural details weren’t to their taste. They wanted the bathroom to feel brighter and larger.
Find a designer near you
Photo by Melissa M. Mills
After: Pale grey cabinets and wall paint give the space a brighter, airier look, and warm metal finishes soften all the grey. The vanity top is Carrara marble, as is the mosaic tile floor. Light fixtures are placed directly on the mirrors, amplifying the glow.
Cabinets: Macchiato classic finish, Medallion; cabinet hardware: Top Knobs
After: Pale grey cabinets and wall paint give the space a brighter, airier look, and warm metal finishes soften all the grey. The vanity top is Carrara marble, as is the mosaic tile floor. Light fixtures are placed directly on the mirrors, amplifying the glow.
Cabinets: Macchiato classic finish, Medallion; cabinet hardware: Top Knobs
Photo by Melissa M. Mills
A freestanding tub and separate shower stall in white materials continue the light and bright look. The designer chose grey grout for the shower tile to give it some definition but also because it’s easier to keep clean than white grout.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
A freestanding tub and separate shower stall in white materials continue the light and bright look. The designer chose grey grout for the shower tile to give it some definition but also because it’s easier to keep clean than white grout.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
2. Bland Yellow to Soothing Blue
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with a little boy
Location: Montclair, New Jersey
Size: About 80 square feet (7.4 square metres)
Designer: Tracey Stephens Interior Design
Before: Dark brown window blinds, yellow wall tiles and terra-cotta floor tiles made this space darker than the homeowners liked. They found showering in their freestanding tub to be a hassle and didn’t like that the shower curtain would wrap around them and water would get on the floor.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with a little boy
Location: Montclair, New Jersey
Size: About 80 square feet (7.4 square metres)
Designer: Tracey Stephens Interior Design
Before: Dark brown window blinds, yellow wall tiles and terra-cotta floor tiles made this space darker than the homeowners liked. They found showering in their freestanding tub to be a hassle and didn’t like that the shower curtain would wrap around them and water would get on the floor.
Photo by Wing Wong of Memories TTL
After: A new freestanding tub has no shower curtain and is intended only for soaking, not showering.
To brighten the room, the designer removed the dark blinds and replaced them with shades in a translucent fabric that lets in natural light. White subway tiles on the lower portion of the wall give the room a crisp and clean feel. The homeowners love blue, so the designer painted the upper part of the walls in Blue Ice by Benjamin Moore, which complements the penny tiles on the bathroom floor.
After: A new freestanding tub has no shower curtain and is intended only for soaking, not showering.
To brighten the room, the designer removed the dark blinds and replaced them with shades in a translucent fabric that lets in natural light. White subway tiles on the lower portion of the wall give the room a crisp and clean feel. The homeowners love blue, so the designer painted the upper part of the walls in Blue Ice by Benjamin Moore, which complements the penny tiles on the bathroom floor.
Photo by Wing Wong of Memories TTL
The same penny tiles cover the new walk-in shower’s floor and walls.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
The same penny tiles cover the new walk-in shower’s floor and walls.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
3. Beige and Basic to Colourful and Fun
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A family that includes three sisters between the ages of 7 and 9 (two are twins) who share this bath
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square metres); 12 by 5 feet
Designer: Lieve Saether of Turnstyle Design
Before: While the three sisters who share this bathroom often come and go at different times, the family wanted the space to accommodate all of them at once as needed. The shower-tub combo cluttered the room, and the single-sink vanity wasn’t large enough for all three sisters; it also lacked storage.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A family that includes three sisters between the ages of 7 and 9 (two are twins) who share this bath
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square metres); 12 by 5 feet
Designer: Lieve Saether of Turnstyle Design
Before: While the three sisters who share this bathroom often come and go at different times, the family wanted the space to accommodate all of them at once as needed. The shower-tub combo cluttered the room, and the single-sink vanity wasn’t large enough for all three sisters; it also lacked storage.
Photo by Twist Tours
After: The designer and family didn’t change any walls during the renovation, which allowed them to spend more on high-end, durable materials. New lighting, mirrors and bright finishes help the room feel spacious and vibrant.
The new curbed walk-in shower featuring geometric-pattern ceramic tile is more functional than the old tub-shower combo. The shower floor and the bathroom walls outside the shower are clad in Calacatta Gold marble hexagonal tiles.
Shower fixtures: Phylrich; shower tile: Instinct Karioca ceramic tile, TileBar
After: The designer and family didn’t change any walls during the renovation, which allowed them to spend more on high-end, durable materials. New lighting, mirrors and bright finishes help the room feel spacious and vibrant.
The new curbed walk-in shower featuring geometric-pattern ceramic tile is more functional than the old tub-shower combo. The shower floor and the bathroom walls outside the shower are clad in Calacatta Gold marble hexagonal tiles.
Shower fixtures: Phylrich; shower tile: Instinct Karioca ceramic tile, TileBar
Photo by Twist Tours
A new painted double vanity (Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball) better fits the room and gives the sisters an extra sink. The tall pink cabinet to its right offers extra storage.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
A new painted double vanity (Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball) better fits the room and gives the sisters an extra sink. The tall pink cabinet to its right offers extra storage.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
4. Birds and Vines to Clean Black and White
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two daughters, ages 2 and 6
Location: Queens, New York
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square metres)
Designer: Saoli Chu of Block
Before: The owners of this prewar co-op in Queens, New York, strongly disliked their black-and-white tile with depictions of birds and vines.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two daughters, ages 2 and 6
Location: Queens, New York
Size: 45 square feet (4.2 square metres)
Designer: Saoli Chu of Block
Before: The owners of this prewar co-op in Queens, New York, strongly disliked their black-and-white tile with depictions of birds and vines.
Here’s a bigger view of the bathroom prior to the renovation (the bird-and-vine tile can be seen above the towel bar). Though the homeowners weren’t happy with the look or function of the space, the fact that they were planning to move again in five to seven years originally held them back from renovating.
Photo by Ed Israel
After: Ultimately, the homeowners worked with Block, a company that keeps options for things like tile and vanities to just a handful to streamline decision-making and help keep costs low. Black hexagonal porcelain tile on the floor, white ceramic subway tile in a herringbone pattern on the shower wall, and a vanity with a warm wood veneer create a fresh, classic look that should appeal to potential buyers down the road.
Technically, the palette of the more permanent elements in this room hasn’t changed; it’s still black and white. But the finishes are current and have a broader appeal in terms of resale. Meanwhile, the homeowners can enjoy more storage and a more pleasant space.
Read more about this bathroom
After: Ultimately, the homeowners worked with Block, a company that keeps options for things like tile and vanities to just a handful to streamline decision-making and help keep costs low. Black hexagonal porcelain tile on the floor, white ceramic subway tile in a herringbone pattern on the shower wall, and a vanity with a warm wood veneer create a fresh, classic look that should appeal to potential buyers down the road.
Technically, the palette of the more permanent elements in this room hasn’t changed; it’s still black and white. But the finishes are current and have a broader appeal in terms of resale. Meanwhile, the homeowners can enjoy more storage and a more pleasant space.
Read more about this bathroom
5. Red to Cream and Green
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: An artistic couple
Location: Montclair, New Jersey
Size: 62.5 square feet (5.8 square metres); 11¾ by 5⅓ feet
Designer: Tracey Stephens Interior Design
Before: The artistic homeowners didn’t care for the awkward layout of their existing bathroom; they needed more storage space; and, since they were bothering to remodel, they wanted to celebrate the vintage elements of their 1906 home but have more attractive finishes.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: An artistic couple
Location: Montclair, New Jersey
Size: 62.5 square feet (5.8 square metres); 11¾ by 5⅓ feet
Designer: Tracey Stephens Interior Design
Before: The artistic homeowners didn’t care for the awkward layout of their existing bathroom; they needed more storage space; and, since they were bothering to remodel, they wanted to celebrate the vintage elements of their 1906 home but have more attractive finishes.
Photo by Wing Wong of Memories TTL
After: Swapping the location of the toilet and vanity made the bathroom layout much more appealing. A Craftsman-style vanity offers plenty of storage. The reconfigured shower stall can be seen in the foreground on the left side of this photo.
The homeowners created their own cheery tile pattern using 1-inch hexagonal porcelain tiles in black, gold, green and white.
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Ice Milk (walls) and Misted Fern (trim); toilet: Toto
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Tell us
Which bathroom makeover impressed you? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
After: Swapping the location of the toilet and vanity made the bathroom layout much more appealing. A Craftsman-style vanity offers plenty of storage. The reconfigured shower stall can be seen in the foreground on the left side of this photo.
The homeowners created their own cheery tile pattern using 1-inch hexagonal porcelain tiles in black, gold, green and white.
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Ice Milk (walls) and Misted Fern (trim); toilet: Toto
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Tell us
Which bathroom makeover impressed you? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
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Thank you so much for featuring 2 of our bathroom projects!
To those concerned about landfills (myself included): In all our renovation projects (bathrooms #2 and #5 here) we donate as much as we can and then use Newark, NJ based Evergreen Recycling for all demolition/construction debris. Evergreen recycles the majority of waste, eg lumber is shredded into alternative fuel and masonry, tile, toilets etc are crushed for road paving. See more here: http://www.werecyclenj.com/dumpsters-nj/ and here: https://www.houzz.com/pro/evergreen110/evergreen-recycling-solutions