5 Bathroom Makeovers in 60 Square Feet or Less
See how designers and remodelers changed layouts and materials to make these bathrooms more stylish and functional
No matter your bathroom’s size, there’s a way to set it up for both style and efficient flow. The following makeovers of five bathrooms — which range from 36½ square feet to 60 square feet — show how a remodel can make a bathroom more attractive and functional. Which before-and-after photos do you find most compelling?
After: One of the homeowners wanted marble tile in the shower, but it was beyond the budget. Porcelain marble-look 12-by-24-inch tiles cost less than $6 per square foot and are placed on the walls and ceiling, elevating the bathroom’s style. Thin white grout lines blend in almost unseen.
Designer Jaimie Nelson used Bianco Puro marble hex tiles on the floor. A floating vanity helps keep the room feeling open.
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Designer Jaimie Nelson used Bianco Puro marble hex tiles on the floor. A floating vanity helps keep the room feeling open.
Shop for floating vanities on Houzz
After: Replacing the old tub with a shorter one created space for a ledge tiled in the same marble-look porcelain as the walls. The ledge can be used to hold shower supplies or even a glass of wine during bathtime. A single glass shower panel helps keep the space feeling open.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Read more about this bathroom makeover
After” photos by Abby Woodman
2. Dowdy Half Bath to Stylish Full Bath
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Overnight guests
Location: Brookline, Massachusetts
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters); 5 by 10 feet
Designer-builders: David Supple, owner of New England Design & Construction, and his team
Before: The existing half bath had missing tiles and water damage around the window. The homeowners created an ideabook on Houzz to share their ideas with their builder, David Supple, owner of New England Design & Construction. His team removed the wall just past the toilet in order to take over space from an adjacent full bathroom and enlarge this bathroom.
2. Dowdy Half Bath to Stylish Full Bath
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Overnight guests
Location: Brookline, Massachusetts
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters); 5 by 10 feet
Designer-builders: David Supple, owner of New England Design & Construction, and his team
Before: The existing half bath had missing tiles and water damage around the window. The homeowners created an ideabook on Houzz to share their ideas with their builder, David Supple, owner of New England Design & Construction. His team removed the wall just past the toilet in order to take over space from an adjacent full bathroom and enlarge this bathroom.
After: In the enlarged full bathroom, a wall-mount vanity and toilet help make the 5-foot-wide space feel more open. The faucet is also wall-mounted. The vanity is teak, as are the open shelves above it.
Graphic encaustic cement tile on the shower wall creates a focal point for the long, narrow room. The shower floor tile continues across the rest of the bathroom floor, helping to make the space feel larger.
Browse wall-mounted vanities in the Houzz Shop
Graphic encaustic cement tile on the shower wall creates a focal point for the long, narrow room. The shower floor tile continues across the rest of the bathroom floor, helping to make the space feel larger.
Browse wall-mounted vanities in the Houzz Shop
A recessed shower niche keeps a squeegee — which helps keep the glass shower enclosure clean — out of sight. The tile’s gray grout is easier to keep clean than white grout.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Read more about this bathroom makeover
3. Bland Look to Custom With Contrast
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Miami
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Designer: Francis Domínguez of EFE Creative Lab
Before: The existing master bathroom in this high-rise loft-style home lacked personality. Since the high-rise loft has shared utility lines, there wasn’t an option to change the layout significantly. But the homeowners worked with designer Francis Domínguez to make the space feel more special and high-end.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Miami
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Designer: Francis Domínguez of EFE Creative Lab
Before: The existing master bathroom in this high-rise loft-style home lacked personality. Since the high-rise loft has shared utility lines, there wasn’t an option to change the layout significantly. But the homeowners worked with designer Francis Domínguez to make the space feel more special and high-end.
After: Domínguez replaced the standard white vanity with a custom-built one in solid American white ash topped with concrete. The counter material echoes the concrete ceilings and polished concrete floors in other parts of the home.
See more industrial bathroom inspiration photos
See more industrial bathroom inspiration photos
After: Swapping out the old tub for a shower helped the bathroom appear larger.
Black hexagon tiles on the shower accent wall and the floor offset the white subway tile and add drama to the room. Dark gray grout complements both types of tile.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Black hexagon tiles on the shower accent wall and the floor offset the white subway tile and add drama to the room. Dark gray grout complements both types of tile.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
“After” photos by Mochie Snyder of Jon + Moch Photography
4. Dated Beige to Modern White
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jason and Shannon Langer, who both work in the tech industry
Location: Kent, Washington
Size: About 55 square feet (5.1 square meters); 5 by 11 feet
Designer: Holly Bero Interiors
Before: The homeowners moved into the wife’s childhood home in 2007. The home was built in 1978, and the owners felt its beige guest bathroom looked ‘blah.’ They did not care for the unusual curved cutout separating the vanity from the toilet and shower-bath area.
4. Dated Beige to Modern White
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jason and Shannon Langer, who both work in the tech industry
Location: Kent, Washington
Size: About 55 square feet (5.1 square meters); 5 by 11 feet
Designer: Holly Bero Interiors
Before: The homeowners moved into the wife’s childhood home in 2007. The home was built in 1978, and the owners felt its beige guest bathroom looked ‘blah.’ They did not care for the unusual curved cutout separating the vanity from the toilet and shower-bath area.
After: Designer Holly Bero removed the half wall and took the bathroom down to the studs to create a more open layout. The black-and-white patterned floor tile was the starting point for the new design. The walls are white (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and the vanity slate-gray.
An existing skylight was upgraded during a previous roof renovation and allows natural light into the room.
An existing skylight was upgraded during a previous roof renovation and allows natural light into the room.
After: The new vanity has a Carrara marble countertop, chrome hardware and hidden adjustable hinges.
Read more about this bathroom makeover
Read more about this bathroom makeover
“After” photos by Whitney Kidder Photography
5. Cramped Style to Room to Stretch
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple’s two sons and occasional overnight guests
Location: Summit, New Jersey
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Designer: Alison Griffin of Griffin Designs
Contractor: Adam Seelig of Hacklebarney Contracting
Before: This home was built in 1912, but the bathroom had been renovated since. The space didn’t work for the homeowners, who are tall, because the tub was too short and shallow for them and there was not enough legroom between the toilet and the radiator. This space is used by the homeowners’ two sons as well as overnight guests, and it is the only bathroom in the house with a tub.
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5. Cramped Style to Room to Stretch
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple’s two sons and occasional overnight guests
Location: Summit, New Jersey
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Designer: Alison Griffin of Griffin Designs
Contractor: Adam Seelig of Hacklebarney Contracting
Before: This home was built in 1912, but the bathroom had been renovated since. The space didn’t work for the homeowners, who are tall, because the tub was too short and shallow for them and there was not enough legroom between the toilet and the radiator. This space is used by the homeowners’ two sons as well as overnight guests, and it is the only bathroom in the house with a tub.
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After: The homeowners wanted a long soaking tub, so designer Alison Griffin fit a new 72-inch-long tub along the bathroom’s back wall. The new layout makes the room feel more open. The tub is surrounded by 6-by-12-inch Thassos marble tiles. Griffin replaced the old vertical window with a new awning window that offers more privacy.
The metal towel rack on the left side of the room has a warming element.
Shop for a towel warmer on Houzz
The metal towel rack on the left side of the room has a warming element.
Shop for a towel warmer on Houzz
The floating vanity has two drawers — one for each son — and a Thassos marble countertop. The medicine cabinet offers more storage.
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Read more about this bathroom makeover
More on Houzz
See more before-and-afters
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Find a pro to work on your project
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1. Tight Fit to Bright Open Space
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A nanny, a hockey player and their pug
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 36½ square feet (3.4 square meters); 7 feet 4 inches by 5 feet
Designer: Jaimie Nelson Design
Before: The existing bathroom lacked storage other than a recessed medicine cabinet, and the couple stored toiletries on the shower grab bars. The wall, floor and grout were not in great condition.