She Replaced the Old Framed Shower and the Bathroom Started Feeling Like a Spa1
Want a bathroom that feels calmer without covering every surface in white marble? This remodel shared by Reddit user TheActualSherryjenix shows how tile layout, lighting, and hardware can change a narrow builder-grade bathroom.
Before the renovation, the bathroom had brown vanity cabinets, framed shower glass, large white floor tile with dark grout, mirrored medicine cabinets, and pale pink wall tile. The ceiling light pushed harsh light across the room and flattened the space.
After the remodel, green vertical tile, brushed gold hardware, layered lighting, and frameless glass changed the entire room. The bathroom now feels taller, warmer, and more architectural even though the footprint stayed almost the same.
Vertical Green Tile Pulled the Eye Upward
One of the biggest changes came from the shower tile.
Instead of square beige tile stopping halfway up the wall, the remodel used long green ceramic tile installed from floor to ceiling. The vertical layout pulls the eye upward and makes the shower walls feel taller.
Narrow grout lines keep the walls continuous compared to the thick dark grout lines from the original bathroom. The owner also mentioned spending two weeks testing tile and grout combinations before choosing bone grout with the green tile.
Frameless Glass Opened the Bathroom
The original framed shower enclosure cut the bathroom into sections.
Metal framing surrounded every glass panel and blocked sightlines through the room. The remodel replaced it with frameless glass and brushed gold hardware.
Without thick aluminum framing, the eye moves across the full bathroom instead of stopping at the shower wall. The brushed gold rail and handle also connect with the faucet, sconces, mirror frame, and shower fixtures.
The Shower Niche Removed Visual Clutter
Older bathrooms often rely on hanging baskets or corner shelves for storage.
This remodel built a long recessed niche directly into the shower wall using the same green tile across the enclosure. The niche keeps bottles off the floor and avoids adding extra metal shelves inside the shower.
Several Reddit users also pointed out the envelope-cut shower floor. Instead of small mosaic tile, larger floor tiles slope inward toward the center drain, creating cleaner lines across the shower base.
The Lighting Changed the Entire Feeling of the Room
Before the remodel, a single ceiling bulb handled most of the lighting.
After the renovation, sconces were installed on both sides of the mirror along with a recessed shower light and a Kohler Atmos fan/light combo above the toilet area.
The ribbed glass sconces soften the light and help the gold hardware stand out. Several Reddit users also noticed how much taller the ceiling looked after the lighting upgrade.
The Vanity Wall Started Feeling Lighter
The original vanity used dark wood cabinet fronts against a heavy white countertop.
The remodel replaced it with a lighter wood vanity, square sink, brushed gold faucet, and arched mirror. The mirror shape softens the straight cabinet lines and adds another vertical element to the room.
Instead of placing a standing cabinet above the toilet, the remodel added a floating shelf with artwork and trailing greenery. The Totoro artwork became one of the most discussed details in the Reddit thread and helped the bathroom feel more personal instead of staged.
The layout stayed close to the original footprint, but the renovation removed heavy framing, dark cabinetry, harsh lighting, and thick grout contrast. Green tile, warm brass finishes, frameless glass, and layered lighting changed the bathroom from an old apartment setup into something closer to a boutique hotel bathroom.
All credits goes to: @theActualSherryjenix