Small Bathroom Looks Twice the Size After This Walk-In Shower Remodel
Compact bathrooms often combine framed shower enclosures, small-format tile, and bulky fixtures that divide an already narrow footprint. Even when every fixture works, older layouts can make the room feel smaller than its actual dimensions.
Shared by Reddit user u/Emotional-Check3560, this eight-week renovation stripped a 1990s bathroom back to the studs before rebuilding it with concealed plumbing, a walk-in shower, floor-to-ceiling tile, and a floating vanity. The room kept the same footprint, but almost every visible surface and fixture changed.
1990s Finishes Defined the Original Bathroom
Peach-painted walls, decorative border tile, and a framed shower enclosure reflected a typical bathroom from the 1990s. Small patterned floor tile, a pedestal-style toilet, and a timber vanity introduced several competing finishes within a limited footprint.
Frosted shower glass blocked views across the room while the raised shower base divided the floor into separate sections. Existing layout remained functional, but every fixture emphasized the bathroom’s narrow proportions.
Bathroom Was Reduced to Bare Framing
Walls, flooring, plumbing fixtures, and the original shower enclosure disappeared until only the timber structure remained. Demolition exposed wall cavities, floor framing, and plumbing that had remained hidden for decades.
Removing every finish created the opportunity to relocate services, rebuild the shower, and prepare the room for a completely different layout instead of working around the existing construction.
Hidden Services Replaced Surface Plumbing
Fresh insulation filled every wall cavity before new plumbing and electrical work disappeared behind the framing. Structural blocking prepared the walls for a floating vanity, concealed toilet cistern, and frameless shower installation.
Rebuilding from the framing stage allowed every service to follow the new layout instead of adapting the original bathroom.
Waterproofing Prepared the Shower for Tile
Moisture-resistant drywall enclosed the shower before waterproof membrane covered every wet surface. Grey waterproof coating sealed the walls, shower base, recessed niche, and plumbing penetrations, creating a continuous barrier before tile installation began.
Side-by-side images show the progression from finished drywall to a fully waterproofed shower. Linear drain placement, flush shower floor, concealed plumbing, and the recessed niche were already complete, leaving the room ready for tile rather than structural work.
Frameless Glass and a Linear Drain Changed the Entire Shower
Frameless sliding glass replaced the enclosed shower, allowing the eye to travel from the doorway to the back wall without interruption. Exposed stainless steel rollers and top-mounted hardware eliminate bulky framing while creating a cleaner, more architectural appearance.
Large porcelain tile wraps the floor and shower walls, interrupted only by a recessed niche finished in vertical green tile. A centered linear drain keeps the shower floor almost level, while the floating fluted oak vanity, wall-hung toilet, and concealed cistern expose more floor area, making the compact bathroom feel noticeably more open.
Before and After Show How the Bathroom Became One Continuous Space
Before the renovation, the shower enclosure, patterned floor tile, decorative wall border, and bulky vanity divided the room into several separate sections. Frosted framed glass blocked views across the shower while the floor changed direction at the shower threshold.
After the rebuild, frameless glass, large-format porcelain tile, concealed plumbing, and a floating fluted vanity create uninterrupted sightlines from the doorway to the back wall. Keeping the same footprint while removing visual barriers makes the bathroom appear noticeably wider without moving a single wall.
All image credits go to Reddit user u/Emotional-Check3560.