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A bulky step-up tub with oversize architectural details and a dark, narrow shower made this large Nashville, Tennessee, primary bathroom feel smaller than it was. Ready for a change, the empty-nest homeowners enlisted kitchen and bath designer Terri Sears, who had previously updated their kitchen, wet bar and powder room, to reimagine the space.
Working with home building consultant Elizabeth Murphy, Sears transformed the bathroom into a light-filled spa retreat with organic textures and understated luxury. A custom floating double vanity streamlines the layout and boosts storage, while a freestanding hydrotherapy tub frees up room for a larger walk-in steam shower and custom linen cabinet. A hand-painted botanical mural, refreshed bar area and nature-inspired lighting complete the calming makeover.
Before Photo
“After” photos by Melissa M. Mills Photography
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Designers: Terri Sears of Hermitage Kitchen Gallery and Elizabeth Murphy (home building consultant)
Before: Despite its generous size, the traditional-style bathroom felt crowded, dated and awkward to navigate. A dark wood vanity with a small makeup station sat across from a step-up tub framed by decorative columns and a large archway. “I thought that the tub was making too much of a statement and taking up too much floor space,” Sears says. A second vanity stood to the left.
An enclosed shower was tucked into the back corner (see below). The homeowners wanted to keep the large window over the tub and maintain seating in the bathroom but update all the main components, lighting and beige ceramic floor tile. This photo was taken from the doorway connecting the bathroom to a coffee bar and the primary bedroom.
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After: Sears removed the existing vanities, tub, tub deck, shower and flooring to lighten the room and enhance circulation. “We also took out the columns and opened up the shower,” Sears says. Heated towel racks keep fresh towels across from the shower entrance.
A freestanding tub and custom floating double vanity enhance the room’s airier feel. A local artist hand-painted the botanical mural in soft, neutral tones, while a sculptural wood chandelier and coordinating vanity sconces reinforce the nature-inspired design. “With the big window we wanted to bring elements of the outdoors inside,” Sears says.
Large-format porcelain floor tile in a blend of gray and brown grounds the space. “It brings the warm and cool tones of the bathroom together,” Sears says. The dark wood door at the back of the room leads to a closet. The door on the right leads to a closet and a water closet.
Double vanity: Mouser Cabinetry; sculptural wood light fixtures: Littlebranch Farm
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Before Photo
After: The new custom floating maple double vanity has a warm gray finish, inset construction and a mix of recessed and flat-panel drawer fronts. “There are U-shaped drawers underneath the sink that go around plumbing,” Sears says. “And the floating design makes the bathroom feel more open and airy.”
A soapstone countertop and backsplash provide durability and understated character. Rectangular undermount sinks pair with vintage-inspired widespread chrome faucets. A local glass company fabricated the custom frameless mirrors with beveled edges and cut them to size, allowing the sconces to remain a focal point.
Faucets: Perrin & Rowe
Before Photo
Before: This closer view shows the former tub area, where a second vanity was squeezed beside the oversize tub surround. “It was kind of dark over there and there wasn’t much space for that vanity,” Sears says. “Having a double vanity opposite the window is much better.”
After: The new white hydrotherapy freestanding tub pairs with a chrome floor-mounted filler that coordinates with the shower fixtures and vanity faucets. A thick floating soapstone shelf echoes the vanity countertop and provides a spot for a book or extra towels. An upholstered chair creates a comfortable place to relax, enhancing the spa-like feel, while a tall fiddle-leaf fig adds a touch of greenery. A towel warmer is mounted on the shower’s low wall.
Tub: Hydro Systems
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With the second vanity and bulky tub deck removed, Sears was able to add this custom walnut linen cabinet with inset construction and a carbon-colored finish. Drawers and shelves provide storage for books, towels and bathroom essentials, while clear glass-front doors feature cremone bolts. “I have something similar in my showroom that they saw and we created this one together,” Sears says. “They also have cremone bolts in their bedrooms, so it’s a nice detail that goes throughout the space.”
Before Photo
Before: The former enclosed shower was wrapped in beige tile and felt dark and uninviting.
After: The expanded low-curb shower includes steam functionality and a custom frameless tempered glass enclosure with chrome hardware, plus a transom window that can be opened to release heat or steam. Inside, a teak bench pairs with a fixed chrome shower head and hand shower for added flexibility.
The shower walls are finished in 3-by-12-inch white subway tile laid in a modern vertical stack, with horizontal bands of tile and soft white grout. The same tile continues onto the ceiling. “We wanted to keep it bright and airy,” Sears says.
The black ceiling square is a chromotherapy light, while LED cove lighting highlights the tile and creates a softer nighttime mood. A wall-mounted control panel manages steam and integrated audio streaming. Mosaic pebble flooring adds texture underfoot and a subtle nature-inspired pattern while improving grip.
Shower fixtures: Perrin & Rowe
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Before Photo
Before: This bar area off the bathroom included a below-counter refrigerator and small sink, along with dated upper cabinets that felt heavy.
After: The below-counter refrigerator was repurposed in the revamped bar area, with painted maple inset cabinetry and soapstone counter and backsplash. “It just complements the bathroom,” Sears says. “Those upper cabinets felt heavy and weren’t really needed with the other storage they have now. They use this space for enjoying coffee, tea and wine.”
A custom live-edge wood shelf for mugs and supplies lightens up the area, inspired by the bathroom’s celebration of nature. “There’s a ton more storage in the bathroom and more square footage to walk around in,” Sears says. “It’s relaxing and feels like you’re going to a spa.”
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3. Smarter Workstation Sinks
Workstation sinks are continuing to gain traction for their ability to streamline prep, cleanup and entertaining in a single zone. Typically defined by built-in ledges and sliding accessories — such as cutting boards, colanders and racks — they maximize counter space while improving workflow. At KBIS 2026, the category expanded with larger sizes, more refined materials and accessories designed to move easily from sink to table.
A strong example is Kohler’s new Synthos workstation sink system. Featuring oversize stainless steel basins, multilevel ledges and smoothly sliding accessories, it’s designed to support prepping, rinsing, soaking and serving in one continuous workflow. Available in widths up to 72 inches, Synthos reflects how workstation sinks are becoming more customizable, more social and more central to how today’s kitchens function.
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These Austin, Texas, homeowners dreamed of a chic, contemporary en suite with natural warmth, but their existing bathroom was anything but. The dated traditional-style space felt cramped and awkward, with a dark vanity, bulky corner shower, decked tub and a confusing maze of doors leading to closets and the bedroom.
To untangle the dysfunction, they hired designer Samantha Bailey, who reimagined the bath as a bright, streamlined retreat. A new wet room with freestanding tub and open shower anchors the space, while a longer white oak double vanity with tower storage lightens the look. Brass and bronze accents, layered neutral tiles and a striking Calacatta Viola marble countertop add texture and richness. Smart reworking of the floor plan improved flow and connection, transforming the primary suite into a stylish, highly functional escape.
Before Photo
“After” photos by Square Foot Photography
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two kids and another on the way
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Design: Samantha Bailey of Samantha Kate Design
Before: The bathroom leaned traditional, with cream-colored walls, beige tile floors and a dark brown double vanity topped in black granite. A bulky corner shower crowded the vanity, making the whole area feel tight and uninviting. “The shower was a funny shape,” Bailey says.
Across the room, a built-in tub with matching dark finishes sat under a window the homeowners hoped to keep. An awkward step-up led to the primary bedroom door. “When we got into construction, the general contractor said we could remove it,” Bailey says.
After: Bailey stripped the bathroom to the studs, removed the awkward step-up and shifted the bedroom door for better flow. (See before-and-after floor plans below.) The built-in tub gave way to a new wet room, where a 67-inch freestanding tub and open shower share a sleek glass enclosure with champagne bronze hardware. “Wet rooms are so space-efficient and give you that wow factor,” Bailey says. Creamy white ceramic tiles cover the walls and arched entry. “I loved their handmade look and the variety of color,” Bailey says.
The tub’s high-gloss acrylic design and wall-mounted bronze filler bring comfort and style. A Calacatta Viola marble shelf and low curb complement the vanity countertop and, paired with a limestone mosaic floor, add texture. The existing window brings in natural light from the wooded lot outside. When the bedroom door is open, more natural light spills into the room, enhancing the bright, airy feel of this rejuvenated retreat.
Wall tile: Cloe in Creme, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; tub: Zoey, Vintage Tub & Bath; tub filler: Broderick, Delta
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Removing the corner shower made room for a longer stained white oak double vanity to the right of the bedroom door, with a tower cabinet taking the shower’s former spot. “We wanted that whole vanity wall to be unique with lots of texture and pattern,” Bailey says. “We added a fluted detail to the toekick that adds another unexpected touch.”
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This view looks toward the bedroom door from the updated closet entrance. The door on the left leads to the water closet. The wet room is on the left. The homeowners were initially concerned the bathroom would feel smaller because of how much the wet room would extend into the floor space. “But because the wet room has that entire glass wall, it didn’t turn out feeling as small as they were concerned it would,” Bailey says.
The floor now consists of sand-colored, large-format (24-by-48-inch) porcelain tiles with almond-colored grout, a matte finish and a limestone look. “We wanted the floor to be the supporting player in the space,” Bailey says.
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The vanity top and short backsplash are polished Calacatta Viola marble with bold burgundy veining. “I presented it early in the design, because it would be such a striking look here,” Bailey says. “It was almost like the price didn’t matter, because she had to have it.”
Wall-mounted champagne bronze faucets were also a client must-have, Bailey says. Brass cabinet pulls in two sizes add texture, while bronze and hand-rubbed antique brass sconces flank dark-framed mirrors. The wall behind the mirrors features the same creamy white ceramic tile used in the wet room. “There’s nothing basic about this bathroom,” Bailey says. “All of the details in here are organic-looking, and we wanted to keep the mirrors organic-looking too.”
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The wet room’s shower has two champagne bronze multifunction heads with pressure-balanced valves, plus a niche lined in matching ceramic tile for easy access to products.
A new pocket door opens to the expanded walk-in primary closet, while a slim paneled door behind the shower leads to the water closet. Rotating the toilet footprint 90 degrees made room for the larger closet. “We needed to keep the toilet in place for plumbing purposes but rotated it so we could keep a larger primary closet footprint as well,” Bailey says.
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Before Photo
Before: This floor plan shows the former bathroom layout at the top right. The built-in tub sat in the upper right corner, with the angled shower below it. The bedroom door swung out between the two, while the double vanity was positioned to the left of the shower. The water closet sat to the left of the tub, and two doors on the left opened to separate closets the homeowners wanted to consolidate.
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After: The updated layout merges the tub and shower into a wet room in the former tub’s location. Rotating the toilet created space for a larger primary closet. A new double vanity spans the opposite wall, with a storage tower where the corner shower once stood. A single pocket door on the left connects the bathroom to the spacious walk-in closet. “I’m happy I was able to solve the flow and access issues and give them everything they wanted in their bathroom,” Bailey says.
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Bathroom Layout Ideas
The cutaway plan shows dimensions for functions and fixtures in the layout. Consider whether you need to cross your bath to reach your closet, or if your space needs to accommodate one or two people. Give yourself some extra room where possible to help make the space feel generous. The tub surround in the plan has extra space for towels, candles and baskets on its platform.
Sinks. Position sinks so that they are readily accessible upon entering the room and from closets. The most common configuration aligns two sinks within a cabinet, while more luxurious and larger spaces may be arranged with independent cabinets, giving each person a personal countertop.
Tubs. Place beautiful tubs where they can be featured as focal points if possible. Whether they are used frequently or not, they remain desirable for and even essential to the design of a large bath. Leave as much open floor space as possible in front of tubs so that entering and exiting are not hindered.
Showers. Showers must be positioned so that moisture and overspray are contained to water-resistant areas. Consider whether you want your shower to be more open to the space and mostly enclosed with glass, for example, or more enclosed and private, as in the plan here. Placement depends on these factors, but you want to have devoted floor space immediately in front of the shower door where being wet is not a problem.
Toilets. Place water closets where they are out of sight lines, whether or not they have their own small rooms. Windows in these rooms are desirable, but if they are not possible, exhaust fans will work.
Linen closets. There never seems to be enough storage, so having a dedicated linen closet in a bathroom can be a good idea. Ideally position it away from the wettest areas. You will still have storage in cabinets and drawers around the sink unless you choose a pedestal-style version. In that case a storage cabinet of some type will be required.
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The upgraded shower includes a rain shower head, a standard shower head and a handheld wand. Heated floors, controlled by a dedicated thermostat separate from the rest of the bathroom, add comfort underfoot. To permanently resolve the moisture issues, Boyd installed a high-efficiency exhaust fan with integrated sensors that automatically detect humidity and run as needed.
Extending the tile to the ceiling enhanced the room’s boutique hotel feel while protecting the drywall from tub splashes. Lienhard grounded the space with wainscoting made from the same large-format marble-look porcelain tile used on the floor. Above it, she wrapped the walls in the elongated subway tile featured at the vanity, connecting the two tile styles with a delicate pencil liner.
Floor and wainscoting tile: Magnifica Pietra Bianca, Bedrosians; grout color: Warm Gray, Prism