4 New Bathrooms With a Low-Curb Shower in 64 Square Feet or Less
Designers share how they used this popular feature to contain water and create an open look in moderately sized spaces
A low-curb shower helps create an open and airy look in a bathroom, which is especially important with a relatively small footprint. The low-profile barrier also keeps water contained in the shower, is easier to construct than a curbless design and offers a natural delineation point for switching up flooring materials. Here, designers share why they chose a low-curb shower design, and what materials and features they used to create an appealing look and feel in less than 65 square feet.
2. Victorian Expansion
Designer: Taylor Grup of Concetti
Location: Detroit
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A young couple had previously updated rooms in their home, in Detroit’s Indian Village neighborhood, designed by notable local architect Albert Khan. But they struggled with this primary bathroom. “Despite their extensive remodeling experience, the bathroom’s schematic challenges had them stumped and motivated them to engage our team,” designer Taylor Grup says. The former setup connecting the primary bedroom and the couple’s daughter’s nursery had a cramped layout. The couple’s daughter didn’t need access to the bathroom, so Grup removed the door to the nursery and absorbed space from two nearby bedroom closets to gain more space for the new primary en suite.
Shower details. Blue-gray wall tile. Penny tile flooring. Gold plumbing fixtures. HydroRail shower column that’s “reminiscent of the historic plumbing and adds efficiency, as the shower head and handheld are connected to the same water source,” Grup says.
Other special features. Rich wood double vanity. Wall-mounted faucets. Large-scale hex tile flooring. The countertop is clipped and rounded at one end to accommodate the shower entrance. Below is an open shelf area with an outlet for plugging in toothbrushes and other devices. The arched mirrors complement an arched niche in the shower that’s backed by the same material as the countertop. Moth-themed wallpaper clads the main ceiling, emphasized by stacked crown molding with a thick tambour detail, all painted in Mega Greige by Sherwin-Williams. “The thick Victorian-inspired crown molding detail is one of the most prominent ways we helped [the homeowners] achieve an authentically historic look,” Grup says.
Designer tip. “Don’t forget about the fifth wall,” Grup says. “The ceiling is such a forgotten opportunity for design, especially in a small space like a bathroom. Design decisions can oftentimes feel limited to tile, plumbing fixtures and lights, but adornment on the ceiling can truly elevate the space.”
Wall tile: Fez in graphite, 2½ by 5 inches, Wow; floor tile: Inyo hexagon in Ink, 8 inches, Marazzi USA; sconce: Clove in antique gold leaf, Regina Andrew; wallpaper: Moth in Night, Milton & King
Find a bathroom designer near you
Designer: Taylor Grup of Concetti
Location: Detroit
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A young couple had previously updated rooms in their home, in Detroit’s Indian Village neighborhood, designed by notable local architect Albert Khan. But they struggled with this primary bathroom. “Despite their extensive remodeling experience, the bathroom’s schematic challenges had them stumped and motivated them to engage our team,” designer Taylor Grup says. The former setup connecting the primary bedroom and the couple’s daughter’s nursery had a cramped layout. The couple’s daughter didn’t need access to the bathroom, so Grup removed the door to the nursery and absorbed space from two nearby bedroom closets to gain more space for the new primary en suite.
Shower details. Blue-gray wall tile. Penny tile flooring. Gold plumbing fixtures. HydroRail shower column that’s “reminiscent of the historic plumbing and adds efficiency, as the shower head and handheld are connected to the same water source,” Grup says.
Other special features. Rich wood double vanity. Wall-mounted faucets. Large-scale hex tile flooring. The countertop is clipped and rounded at one end to accommodate the shower entrance. Below is an open shelf area with an outlet for plugging in toothbrushes and other devices. The arched mirrors complement an arched niche in the shower that’s backed by the same material as the countertop. Moth-themed wallpaper clads the main ceiling, emphasized by stacked crown molding with a thick tambour detail, all painted in Mega Greige by Sherwin-Williams. “The thick Victorian-inspired crown molding detail is one of the most prominent ways we helped [the homeowners] achieve an authentically historic look,” Grup says.
Designer tip. “Don’t forget about the fifth wall,” Grup says. “The ceiling is such a forgotten opportunity for design, especially in a small space like a bathroom. Design decisions can oftentimes feel limited to tile, plumbing fixtures and lights, but adornment on the ceiling can truly elevate the space.”
Wall tile: Fez in graphite, 2½ by 5 inches, Wow; floor tile: Inyo hexagon in Ink, 8 inches, Marazzi USA; sconce: Clove in antique gold leaf, Regina Andrew; wallpaper: Moth in Night, Milton & King
Find a bathroom designer near you
3. Showhouse Design
Designer: Theresa Dorlini of Circle Design Studio
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Size: 55 square feet (5.1 square meters); 5½ by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This was a showhouse for a builder who wanted to highlight brands they offered in their design center,” designer Theresa Dorlini says. “This second-floor bathroom sits on floor trusses, which makes framing go quicker than stick-framing a recessed floor for a curbless shower,” she adds. “When the construction schedule is important, this is more convenient for framers.”
Shower details. Glossy gray porcelain mosaic wall tile in a horizontal stacked pattern. Blue-green circle mosaic tile for shower flooring and niche.
Other special features. Flat-panel vanity with marble-look quartz countertop. The main flooring, shower curb and vanity wall are wood-look porcelain tile.
Designer tip. “Tie a space together with a bath runner,” Dorlini says.
Shower tile: Fanfare stacked mosaic in Ash (walls) and Fanfare circle mosaic in Lagoon (floor and niche), Architessa; flooring: Braxton Blanca, 10 by 40 inches, MSI; wall and ceiling paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
15 Bathroom Vanities Packed With Style and Storage
Designer: Theresa Dorlini of Circle Design Studio
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Size: 55 square feet (5.1 square meters); 5½ by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This was a showhouse for a builder who wanted to highlight brands they offered in their design center,” designer Theresa Dorlini says. “This second-floor bathroom sits on floor trusses, which makes framing go quicker than stick-framing a recessed floor for a curbless shower,” she adds. “When the construction schedule is important, this is more convenient for framers.”
Shower details. Glossy gray porcelain mosaic wall tile in a horizontal stacked pattern. Blue-green circle mosaic tile for shower flooring and niche.
Other special features. Flat-panel vanity with marble-look quartz countertop. The main flooring, shower curb and vanity wall are wood-look porcelain tile.
Designer tip. “Tie a space together with a bath runner,” Dorlini says.
Shower tile: Fanfare stacked mosaic in Ash (walls) and Fanfare circle mosaic in Lagoon (floor and niche), Architessa; flooring: Braxton Blanca, 10 by 40 inches, MSI; wall and ceiling paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
15 Bathroom Vanities Packed With Style and Storage
4. Midcentury Moment
Designers: Nichole Schulze and Mark Cutler of cutlerschulze
Location: Altadena, California
Size: 64 square feet (5.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The bathroom was in need of a complete overhaul,” designer Nichole Schulze says. “The storage was outdated and lacked functionality. The original vanity was in poor condition, and there was a lack of a cohesive design for the space. With very little natural light, we felt the space could be brightened up with a larger expanse of mirror, better lighting, a light and neutral color palette, and thoughtful storage.”
Shower details. “The homeowners wanted the shower curb to have as minimal a footprint as possible, which worked well for the midcentury home, where simplicity and clean lines were emphasized,” Schulze says. “The shower wasn’t big enough to be completely curbless, so the low-profile curb was perfect to protect from water leakage. To play up the shower, we used a small-format geometric Ann Sacks tile and Waterworks shower fittings.”
Other special features. “We wanted to emphasize the beauty of natural textures and quality materials and let that shine, especially since the bathroom is modest in size,” Schulze says. “The custom-made vanity in rift-sawn oak was designed to increase the homeowners’ functional storage space, and we selected a natural marble slab to fabricate the vanity top and backsplash. A large medicine cabinet also increased the storage options.”
Designer tip. “When working with a small space, try to keep it light and bright,” Schulze says. “Also, avoid any pattern or color that will overwhelm. Try to use any deeper colors on the floor to ground the space and go lighter as you move up to the walls.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “With older homes, you sometimes don’t know what you are looking at until you open up the walls,” Schulze says. “Besides some questionable older electrical wiring, we realized that we would not be able to install a recessed medicine cabinet as we had hoped. We really needed the cabinet for storage but did not like the idea or look of a wall-hung model. So we ended up furring out the wall and backsplash, and making the vanity extra deep to create the illusion of everything being on the same plane. It 100% worked.”
Wall tile: Savoy Hive mosaic in Rice Paper, Ann Sacks; shower floor tile: Stark Grigio mosaic porcelain, Walker Zanger; sconce: Bauhaus, Sonneman
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom design stories
Browse and save bathroom photos
Find bathroom remodelers
Shop for bathroom products
Designers: Nichole Schulze and Mark Cutler of cutlerschulze
Location: Altadena, California
Size: 64 square feet (5.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The bathroom was in need of a complete overhaul,” designer Nichole Schulze says. “The storage was outdated and lacked functionality. The original vanity was in poor condition, and there was a lack of a cohesive design for the space. With very little natural light, we felt the space could be brightened up with a larger expanse of mirror, better lighting, a light and neutral color palette, and thoughtful storage.”
Shower details. “The homeowners wanted the shower curb to have as minimal a footprint as possible, which worked well for the midcentury home, where simplicity and clean lines were emphasized,” Schulze says. “The shower wasn’t big enough to be completely curbless, so the low-profile curb was perfect to protect from water leakage. To play up the shower, we used a small-format geometric Ann Sacks tile and Waterworks shower fittings.”
Other special features. “We wanted to emphasize the beauty of natural textures and quality materials and let that shine, especially since the bathroom is modest in size,” Schulze says. “The custom-made vanity in rift-sawn oak was designed to increase the homeowners’ functional storage space, and we selected a natural marble slab to fabricate the vanity top and backsplash. A large medicine cabinet also increased the storage options.”
Designer tip. “When working with a small space, try to keep it light and bright,” Schulze says. “Also, avoid any pattern or color that will overwhelm. Try to use any deeper colors on the floor to ground the space and go lighter as you move up to the walls.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “With older homes, you sometimes don’t know what you are looking at until you open up the walls,” Schulze says. “Besides some questionable older electrical wiring, we realized that we would not be able to install a recessed medicine cabinet as we had hoped. We really needed the cabinet for storage but did not like the idea or look of a wall-hung model. So we ended up furring out the wall and backsplash, and making the vanity extra deep to create the illusion of everything being on the same plane. It 100% worked.”
Wall tile: Savoy Hive mosaic in Rice Paper, Ann Sacks; shower floor tile: Stark Grigio mosaic porcelain, Walker Zanger; sconce: Bauhaus, Sonneman
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom design stories
Browse and save bathroom photos
Find bathroom remodelers
Shop for bathroom products
Designer: Milena Fay of Matte & Gloss Interiors
Location: Chicago
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters); 5 by 8 feet
Homeowner’s request. “The homeowner envisioned a contemporary, airy and fresh update for their guesthouse bathroom,” designer Milena Fay says. “Since it’s a rental property, they prioritized maximizing space, user-friendliness and an elevated style. They were open to suggestions for achieving these goals.”
Shower details. Watery blue ceramic wall tile in a vertical stacked pattern. Mosaic Bianco Marea marble floor tile. Recessed niche. “While curbless showers offer a seamless look and easy entry, they can sometimes allow water to escape the shower area, especially if the shower floor isn’t properly sloped toward the drain,” Fay says. “A low curb helps to contain water within the shower stall while still providing a more accessible entry than a traditional high curb.”
Other special features. Freestanding 24-inch oak vanity (Bahia by MOD) with a stone countertop and built-in outlets. The outlets “freed up counter space for storing toiletries and appliances, keeping the bathroom organized and visually clean,” Fay says. A wall-mounted toilet allows the gray marble tile flooring to run underneath to create a sense of more space.
Designer tip. “I used a combination of space-saving features to maximize storage in a small guest bathroom,” Fay says. “A vanity with built-in outlets is a great way to free up counter space and avoid unsightly cords. A wall-mounted toilet not only saves floor space but also makes cleaning the bathroom easier. A medicine cabinet mirror provides additional storage for toiletries and other essentials without sacrificing wall space. By utilizing these space-saving solutions, you can create a more functional and visually open bathroom, even in a limited footprint.”
Fay uses Houzz Pro business software to manage her projects. “Houzz Pro has been my one-stop shop for everything — onboarding new clients, creating mood boards, invoicing, 3D rendering … you name it,” she says. “I started with Houzz in 2017 and migrated to Houzz Pro when it became available. I love the program. It’s the best place for me to conduct my business, and I highly recommend it. I also use Houzz for some sourcing as well. They have a good selection and pricing.”
Vanity: Bahia, 24 inches, MOD; wall tile: Alchemist in Pool, 2 by 6 inches, Wow; shower floor tile: Bianco Marea, 1 inch square, Home Carpet One; main floor tile: Grigio Delicato, 12 by 24 inches, Chadwick’s Surfaces International; medicine cabinet: Maxstow, Kohler; toilet: Toto
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz