Primary Bathroom Makeovers: How 10 Sweeten Remodels Reworked the Space
At Century City Baths of the Chicagoland Area, we've seen just about every kind of primary bathroom there is — from cramped 1950s ranch bathrooms in Naperville to awkwardly configured condo suites in Lincoln Park to sprawling but dated master baths in Barrington. And if there's one thing we've learned after years of remodeling bathrooms across the region, it's this: there is no single "right" way to design a primary bathroom.
Some homeowners dream of a freestanding soaking tub beneath a window. Others would happily trade the tub entirely for an oversized walk-in shower with a bench and body sprays. Some want a double vanity above all else. Others want storage — lots and lots of storage.
The best primary bathroom is the one that fits how you actually live.
Below, we're walking through ten transformations that illustrate the range of choices Chicagoland homeowners make when they finally decide to take on their primary bath. Whether you're just starting to gather ideas or you're ready to break ground, we hope these spark something.
1. Two Cramped Bathrooms Became One Generous Suite
One of the most dramatic changes we make doesn't involve adding square footage at all — it involves combining it. In many older Chicagoland homes, especially split-levels and mid-century builds, you'll find two small, inefficient bathrooms sitting back-to-back on the same floor.
By removing the wall between them, we've created primary suites with a double vanity, a curbless shower, a private water closet, and a linen tower — all without touching the home's footprint. If you have a rarely-used hall bath adjacent to your primary, it's worth asking whether one excellent bathroom beats two mediocre ones.
Takeaway: Before you consider an addition, take a hard look at the walls you already have.
2. The Tub Came Out, and the Shower Took Over
This is easily the most requested change we hear about. A builder-grade drop-in tub surrounded by a tile deck eats up enormous floor area — often 40 square feet or more — and in many households, it hasn't been used in years.
Removing it opens the door to a shower that feels like a destination: a 60" or 72" enclosure, a linear drain, a niche that actually fits full-sized bottles, a teak bench, and a handheld sprayer alongside a rain head.
Takeaway: If you genuinely soak, keep the tub. If you can't remember your last bath, reclaim the space.
3. A Freestanding Soaker Became the Focal Point
Not everyone wants to give up the tub — and when the tub is the star, the whole room changes. Swapping a bulky built-in for a sculptural freestanding tub instantly makes a bathroom feel more open, because you can see the floor continue underneath and around it.
We've placed them beneath windows with obscured glass for privacy, tucked them into alcoves with a floor-mounted filler, and paired them with wet-room-style shower enclosures where tub and shower share a single waterproofed zone. That last option is a favorite in tighter Chicago two-flats and condos where every square foot counts.
Takeaway: A freestanding tub reads as luxury, but confirm your floor structure and filler placement early — these details drive cost.
4. A Single Vanity Became a Double
The morning routine is a lot more peaceful when two people aren't sharing one sink. Going from a single to a double vanity usually requires a run of at least 60 inches, and ideally 72 or more if you want meaningful counter space between the basins.
When that width isn't available, we've had great results with a "his and hers" approach — one full vanity plus a separate makeup station or a narrow secondary sink on an adjacent wall. It delivers most of the benefit without forcing the wall to move.
Takeaway: Measure honestly. A cramped double vanity is worse than a spacious single.
5. Storage Was Built Into Every Available Inch
Bathrooms are notorious for having nowhere to put anything. In several of our favorite remodels, the biggest quality-of-life upgrade wasn't the tile or the fixtures — it was the storage.
Recessed medicine cabinets set between studs. A full-height linen tower flanking the vanity. Drawer banks instead of doored cabinets, so nothing disappears into the back. Shallow shelving carved into a non-load-bearing wall. A niche in the shower for every family member.
Takeaway: Plan storage during design, not after. Retrofitting it is expensive and rarely as clean.
6. The Layout Stayed Put — and the Budget Went Into Finishes
Here's an unglamorous truth: moving plumbing is one of the fastest ways to grow a bathroom budget. Relocating a toilet drain or shifting a shower to the opposite wall means opening floors, rerouting waste lines, and coordinating additional inspections.
Some of the most striking transformations we've completed kept every fixture exactly where it was. What changed was everything you touch and see — large-format porcelain tile, a floating walnut vanity, upgraded fixtures in a warm brass finish, heated floors, and layered lighting. Same footprint, unrecognizable room.
Takeaway: If your layout works, keeping it frees up serious budget for materials.
7. A Wall Came Down to Borrow From an Adjacent Closet
Not every expansion requires an addition. In plenty of Chicagoland homes, there's an underused closet, a hallway bump-out, or a dead corner of a bedroom sitting right next to the primary bath.
Borrowing even 18 to 24 inches can be the difference between a 36" shower and a 48" one — or between a toilet crammed beside the vanity and a proper private water closet.
Takeaway: Walk the adjacent rooms with your contractor. The space you need may already be in the house.
8. Curbless Entry Made the Shower Feel Twice as Big
A curbless shower does two things at once: it removes a visual break in the floor, which makes the whole room feel larger, and it eliminates a trip hazard, which makes the space work for decades to come.
It requires careful planning — the subfloor typically needs to be recessed, and waterproofing has to be handled meticulously — but the result is a bathroom that ages with you. For homeowners planning to stay put, we consider it one of the highest-value decisions available.
Takeaway: Aging-in-place features don't have to look clinical. Done well, they just look modern.
9. Natural Light Was Added Where There Was None
Many primary bathrooms, especially those carved out of interior space, have no window at all. We've solved this with skylights, solar tubes, glass block, transom windows above the door, and obscured-glass windows in shower walls.
Even a modest amount of daylight changes how tile and paint colors read, makes the room feel larger, and cuts down on the reliance on overhead fixtures. Where a window truly isn't possible, a well-designed lighting plan — ambient, task, and accent — can get you surprisingly close.
Takeaway: Light is a finish material. Budget for it like one.
10. Comfort Details Turned a Bathroom Into a Retreat
Finally, a category that rarely shows up in before-and-after photos but shows up every single day: comfort.
Radiant heated floors, which are especially appreciated during a Chicago February. A towel warmer. A quiet, high-CFM exhaust fan that actually clears steam. Dimmable lighting for early mornings. A pocket door that stops stealing floor space. An anti-fog mirror. A built-in bench.
These are the details homeowners tell us they'd never go without again.
Takeaway: Small comfort upgrades deliver outsized daily satisfaction. Don't cut them first.
Thinking About Your Own Primary Bathroom?
Every one of these transformations started the same way — with a homeowner standing in a room that wasn't working and wondering what was actually possible.
At Century City Baths of the Chicagoland Area, we specialize in exactly that conversation. We'll walk your space, talk through what's structurally and plumbing-wise realistic, help you prioritize where your budget makes the biggest impact, and manage the project from demolition through final walkthrough.
We serve homeowners throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, and we've worked in everything from vintage bungalows and greystones to newer construction in the collar counties. Whatever your home's age and quirks, we've likely seen it before.
Ready to start? Reach out to schedule a consultation, and let's talk about what your primary bathroom could become.
