They Replaced the Gold-Framed Shower and the Bathroom Started Feeling Twice as Wide
Want a bathroom that feels larger without moving walls? This DIY remodel shared by Reddit user redhotjose9 shows how changing tile scale, shower framing, and color contrast can completely reshape a narrow bathroom.
Before the renovation, the room relied on beige floor tile, olive wainscoting, heavy gold shower framing, and bulky visual breaks across every surface. The layout felt divided into smaller sections instead of one continuous space.
After the remodel, matte black hex tile, vertical blue wall tile, frameless glass, and a floating wood vanity changed the entire flow. Even with the same footprint, the bathroom now feels longer, taller, and far more custom built.
Gold Shower Framing Made the Room Feel Smaller
Before the renovation, thick gold metal framing surrounded every side of the shower enclosure. Frosted glass panels blocked visibility through the back wall and cut the room into separate zones.
Large beige floor tile added another layer of visual weight. Combined with the darker green lower wall paint, the bathroom felt compressed from floor to ceiling.
Frameless Glass Opened the Entire Layout
Frameless shower glass became one of the biggest upgrades in the remodel. Without bulky metal framing, sightlines now move across the entire bathroom instead of stopping at the shower corner.
Black shower hardware also ties directly into the faucet, mirror frame, hooks, and vanity pulls. That repeated finish creates structure without adding extra materials or colors.
Black Hex Floor Tile Grounded the Space
Large matte black hex tile changed the entire floor plane.
Instead of small square beige tile with heavy grout lines, the new floor creates stronger geometric movement across the room. Larger tile scale also reduces visual clutter and helps the narrow bathroom feel cleaner.
Several Reddit users specifically pointed out the flooring as one of the strongest upgrades in the remodel.
Vertical Blue Tile Pulled the Walls Higher
Long vertical blue tile changed how the wall height reads.
Rather than stopping at random breaks or decorative trim, the narrow stacked layout pulls attention upward and stretches the room visually. The floor-to-ceiling shower tile also makes the shower wall feel integrated instead of added afterward.
White grout softens contrast between tiles and keeps the wall surface continuous.
Floating Vanity Removed Bulk From the Floor
Replacing the older dark vanity with a floating wood cabinet opened visible floor space below the sink.
That single change makes the bathroom feel less crowded near the entry. Black pulls connect with the rest of the hardware while the warm wood finish prevents the black floor from making the room feel cold.
The arched mirror also breaks up the straight tile lines across the room.
Demolition Exposed Structural Problems Behind the Shower
Once demolition started, the old shower wall exposed damaged framing, plumbing access, and open wall cavities behind the enclosure.
Part of the rebuild included reframing sections of the shower wall and rebuilding surfaces before waterproofing and tile installation began.
The renovation took around three months and cost roughly $6,000 according to the original Reddit post.
Waterproofing and Tile Prep Changed the Final Finish
Before the finished tile installation, the shower walls received orange waterproof membrane panels and a rebuilt shower base.
Large black hex floor tile already showed how much stronger the layout would become compared to the original beige floor. Even during construction, the bathroom started reading as one connected design instead of several unrelated finishes.
The owner later mentioned two mistakes still bothered them: the shower curb measurement almost missed alignment with the glass door, and the recessed niche landed lower than planned because of tile layout spacing.
Ceiling and Lighting Simplified the Entire Room
Older ceiling textures and oversized fixtures often pull attention away from the actual remodel work. During construction, the ceiling layout and ventilation system were reworked before finishing the final surfaces.
The completed bathroom now uses simpler overhead lighting that keeps attention on the tile, glass, and vanity instead of the ceiling itself.
The remodel kept almost the same footprint, but removing gold framing, beige tile, heavy cabinetry, and segmented surfaces completely changed how the bathroom feels. Black hex flooring, vertical blue tile, frameless glass, and floating storage pushed the space closer to boutique hotel design than builder-grade bathroom renovation.
All credits go to Reddit user redhotjose9.