Small, simple bathroom inspiration?

[dr.girlfriend]

I mentioned we've been waiting three years for our contractor to start our powder room renovation.  It looks like now that I've got him he might actually do our upstairs bathroom as well!  I haven't ordered ANYTHING for up there.  Anyone want to post inspiration for a clean, simple full bath with tub/shower combo?  Here's what it looks like now (also so small it's hard to take photos):






The layout will have to stay mostly the same, I think.  I hate sliding glass doors but I think that's my only option if I want the shower to be glassed in, right?  All the plumbing has to stay on that one wall, so a fixed glass wall would force you to get in and endure freezing water to the face to turn it on.  I stayed in an Air BnB like that over Thanksgiving and I was ready to commit murder by the end of it!

Otherwise, just plain painted walls instead of waistcoating or tile backsplash of any kind?  Tile to the ceiling in the shower area?

ETA:  Thanks everyone!  Here's the moodboard so far -- plan to replace the tub with a shower with a frameless sliding glass door.  Otherwise plain walls.  Slightly pearlescent subway tile in the shower, small herringbone marble tile on the shower floor, and patterned porcelain tile on the rest of the floor.  Hoping to find a sliver of space for between-the-studs recessed storage, but we'll see.  Also still figuring out lighting.  There's no room for sconces to the side or above the medicine cabinet/mirror combo, unless I put something on the slanted ceiling like it is now.  Maybe a bath bar could squeak in, or I could just do recessed lights and maybe even a medicine cabinet with those LED backlights?


Double ETA:  He told me today it would be "a few months" so I definitely don't have to panic as much I was thinking I would have to order everything in the next few days!

[maudefindlay]

This may be a dumb response based on your plumbing, but I have seen shower controls opposite shower heads. You could ask the contractor if you prefer a fixed door.

[rubytue]

I’ve got a fixed door and controls opposite, and I have mastered the reach in, turn on hot, and step out without getting more than a drop. I do this fully dressed and the use the warm up time to get shower ready. But, it’s a shower only, no tub. I doubt I’d be as skilled with a tub. Not sure if you are keeping a tub.

[dr.girlfriend]

Jan 3, 2023 17:58:09 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

This may be a dumb response based on your plumbing, but I have seen shower controls opposite shower heads. You could ask the contractor if you prefer a fixed door.

Yeah, in our new addition we have the controls on the wall perpendicular to the shower head, but this is the 1950's-built part of the house.  The wall on the other side of the showerhead is an exterior wall, and the wall along the length of the tub/shower is the closet on the other side, so I think it would be pretty difficult.

[simpsongal]

I have no inspiration pics but yay for double bathroom renos! I too hate the fixed glass pane - not just b/c of the controls issue but I find them cold.

I don't mind a shower curtain, is a sliding glass door preferable? We need to redo a bath like this soon too so I'll be following for inspiration

[dr.girlfriend]

Jan 4, 2023 11:38:23 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

I have no inspiration pics but yay for double bathroom renos! I too hate the fixed glass pane - not just b/c of the controls issue but I find them cold.

I don't mind a shower curtain, is a sliding glass door preferable? We need to redo a bath like this soon too so I'll be following for inspiration

I feel like as long as you're not worried about modesty it makes the bathroom look almost double the size, because you're seeing through to the far wall of the shower instead of the wall of a curtain. 

I guess I could do it like this where you just have to get in where the shower spray is?

(Not my bathroom, just an example)



We have a frameless shower door in our new bathroom and love it because it's like the walls are hardly there.  But, not sure if it'll work with a tub, and with minimal clearance.  Looks like a bifold glass door is a thing that may be possible?

[simpsongal]

dr.girlfriend, I'd probably go for a set up like the one you posted. It wouldn't be great for bathing little kids, but I don't think either of us needs that at this stage

[dr.girlfriend]

Jan 4, 2023 13:56:58 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

dr.girlfriend , I'd probably go for a set up like the one you posted. It wouldn't be great for bathing little kids, but I don't think either of us needs that at this stage

Yeah, I'm wondering if I should just ditch the tub entirely if that makes a difference.  I am bath-obsessed but I have an amazing tub in the new bathroom so I would never use the one upstairs.

[simpsongal]

Jan 4, 2023 16:31:25 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Jan 4, 2023 13:56:58 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

dr.girlfriend , I'd probably go for a set up like the one you posted. It wouldn't be great for bathing little kids, but I don't think either of us needs that at this stage

Yeah, I'm wondering if I should just ditch the tub entirely if that makes a difference.  I am bath-obsessed but I have an amazing tub in the new bathroom so I would never use the one upstairs.

id keep it for resale. A full shower to tub change is pretty big. But taking out the glass for a curtain is easier for a future buyer. That is unless older folks may use the shower and you think the shower would be easier to use. That’s another consideration. Hmm.

[dr.girlfriend]

Jan 4, 2023 17:42:27 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Jan 4, 2023 16:31:25 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Yeah, I'm wondering if I should just ditch the tub entirely if that makes a difference.  I am bath-obsessed but I have an amazing tub in the new bathroom so I would never use the one upstairs.

id keep it for resale. A full shower to tub change is pretty big. But taking out the glass for a curtain is easier for a future buyer. That is unless older folks may use the shower and you think the shower would be easier to use. That’s another consideration. Hmm.

Yeah, I mentioned that to DH and he pointed out that honestly the ship on worrying about resale sailed when we built our addition.  :-)  We put in way more making a super-amazing primary suite than probably makes sense, but we also built it to age in place so we're not super worried.  If someone is going to fret over a tub versus shower/tub combo upstairs in comparison to this being probably the most expensive three bedroom in teh area we're probably out of luck regardless.  :-)

On the bright side, I found out they make frameless sliding doors which look so much nicer than the terrible 1970s sliding doors I was imagining!

[definitelyO]

we removed the tub shower combo in our en-suite and just did a walk in shower with frameless glass. We still have 1 tub/shower in the hallway bathroom and that was enough in our opinion.

it gave us SO much more space to take the tub out - yay for the reno!

[k3am]

I hate glass with a tub - either sliding or fixed. Much prefer a shower curtain setup, especially in a smaller bathroom. I may have missed it if you had a specific reason for wanting a glass enclosure.

And if you already have one tub in the house, I'd seriously consider just converting it to a shower. Tubs are a PITA. Resale value isn't a huge factor for you, but one tub anywhere in the house seems good enough.

[Roc A Bee]

I’d take out the tub and do a stationary glass wall with a door like the post above.