These Bathrooms Play All the Angles
Vaulted-ceiling skylights, alcove showers and built-in storage put these 10 spaces to good use
Laying out a bathroom is tricky enough in a standard-size space. Add in sloping ceilings and unexpected nooks, and bathroom designers face particular challenges. Of course, one-of-a-kind rooms also present creative opportunities for storage, shower shape, natural light and more. Here are 10 bathrooms that put their interesting lines to work.
2. All Angles and a Patterned Floor
Tucking in the tub next to an angular window in this Portland, Oregon, bathroom created a secluded soaking space overlooking the home’s lush backyard.
Designer Mairi Kidd of Kidd Panoscha Architecture & Design worked with Hamish Murray Construction on the project and livened up the new master suite bathroom with cement-look patterned porcelain floor tile and plenty of natural light.
Tucking in the tub next to an angular window in this Portland, Oregon, bathroom created a secluded soaking space overlooking the home’s lush backyard.
Designer Mairi Kidd of Kidd Panoscha Architecture & Design worked with Hamish Murray Construction on the project and livened up the new master suite bathroom with cement-look patterned porcelain floor tile and plenty of natural light.
3. Windows and Wood That Wow
With soaring ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass shower to match, this architectural Michigan space, designed by Allison Schatz of Parallax Design—who also owns the home—makes for a dramatic bathroom setting.
“When we purchased the home, the bathroom had a large enclosed shower that was reminiscent of a dark cave,” Schatz says. “It had charcoal-colored walls, no natural light, and was claustrophobic to us. We wanted to open the whole space up and let the natural light in.”
For the prominently placed tub, Schatz wanted something that would make a statement. “I wanted to choose something aesthetically interesting and almost sculptural,” she says. Grasscloth added to the walls is meant to balance out the starkness of the space’s unique angles—“a kind of organic counterpoint to the otherwise modern lines,” Schatz says.
Before and After: 6 Dream Bathrooms That Free the Tub
With soaring ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass shower to match, this architectural Michigan space, designed by Allison Schatz of Parallax Design—who also owns the home—makes for a dramatic bathroom setting.
“When we purchased the home, the bathroom had a large enclosed shower that was reminiscent of a dark cave,” Schatz says. “It had charcoal-colored walls, no natural light, and was claustrophobic to us. We wanted to open the whole space up and let the natural light in.”
For the prominently placed tub, Schatz wanted something that would make a statement. “I wanted to choose something aesthetically interesting and almost sculptural,” she says. Grasscloth added to the walls is meant to balance out the starkness of the space’s unique angles—“a kind of organic counterpoint to the otherwise modern lines,” Schatz says.
Before and After: 6 Dream Bathrooms That Free the Tub
4. Unexpected Shower Shape
An interesting alcove with a leaded window serves as a striking shower in this Washington, D.C.-area home. With its glass panel divider, curbless entry and movable bench, the shower blends seamlessly into the room.
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An interesting alcove with a leaded window serves as a striking shower in this Washington, D.C.-area home. With its glass panel divider, curbless entry and movable bench, the shower blends seamlessly into the room.
Find a local bathroom designer
5. Warm Wood and a Shower Alcove
Geometric details in this New Jersey master bathroom extend from the hexagonal floor tile to the cove ceiling in the roomy shower. Design studio Kitchen Intuitions and G&L and Sons Renovations warmed up the space with a walnut double vanity accented with black-and-brass fixtures.
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Geometric details in this New Jersey master bathroom extend from the hexagonal floor tile to the cove ceiling in the roomy shower. Design studio Kitchen Intuitions and G&L and Sons Renovations warmed up the space with a walnut double vanity accented with black-and-brass fixtures.
Shop for brass bathroom fixtures
6. Nautical Nook
The slope of the ceiling makes this Alabama bathroom feel cozy but still spacious. By echoing the ceiling’s peak, the round hanging mirror draws eyes upward, while the rope detail adds texture and a nautical vibe. A custom-designed vanity with a bottom shelf, by Wellborn Cabinet, and a pair of woven baskets round out the tidy, efficient setup.
The slope of the ceiling makes this Alabama bathroom feel cozy but still spacious. By echoing the ceiling’s peak, the round hanging mirror draws eyes upward, while the rope detail adds texture and a nautical vibe. A custom-designed vanity with a bottom shelf, by Wellborn Cabinet, and a pair of woven baskets round out the tidy, efficient setup.
7. Slanted Style
The design team at Matter Planning + Design reconfigured the walls in this second-floor bathroom in Aspen, Colorado, to expand the space and complement the existing architecture. Positioned along an exterior wall where rooflines converge, the room already had unusual angles when the remodeling project got underway. Matter played up those details with the mirror and the large horizontal-grain tile that stretch into the room’s corners and extend up the wall.
“The new space feels clean, organized and spacious,” principal designer Soraya Gallego says. “The linear structure and soft gray palette help to lighten and showcase the interesting lines of the home.”
The design team at Matter Planning + Design reconfigured the walls in this second-floor bathroom in Aspen, Colorado, to expand the space and complement the existing architecture. Positioned along an exterior wall where rooflines converge, the room already had unusual angles when the remodeling project got underway. Matter played up those details with the mirror and the large horizontal-grain tile that stretch into the room’s corners and extend up the wall.
“The new space feels clean, organized and spacious,” principal designer Soraya Gallego says. “The linear structure and soft gray palette help to lighten and showcase the interesting lines of the home.”
8. Curvy, Bright and Glam
In this bright white bathroom, on the top floor of a landmark Chicago building overlooking Lake Michigan and the city’s downtown, the high, angular ceiling and unique rounded elements are used to great dramatic effect. Designer Ruth Johnson’s glamorous touches, like the chandelier and metallic accent table, elevate the room’s posh atmosphere.
See more marble bathroom inspiration photos
In this bright white bathroom, on the top floor of a landmark Chicago building overlooking Lake Michigan and the city’s downtown, the high, angular ceiling and unique rounded elements are used to great dramatic effect. Designer Ruth Johnson’s glamorous touches, like the chandelier and metallic accent table, elevate the room’s posh atmosphere.
See more marble bathroom inspiration photos
9. Geometric in Georgetown
When Four Brothers Design + Build was enlisted to add a third story to a home in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., they created a new space with distinct architectural lines.
To keep the addition from looking too bulky, the team configured the new third floor with a pitched roof and dormers, Four Brothers principal Leroy Johnson says.
As a result, the new bathroom, located on the end of the addition without a dormer, has a sloped ceiling and a long, narrow layout. The design team embraced those features and took the geometric details a few steps further with patterned cement floor tile, a herringbone-pattern tile accent wall in the shower and a trapezoidal window.
When Four Brothers Design + Build was enlisted to add a third story to a home in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., they created a new space with distinct architectural lines.
To keep the addition from looking too bulky, the team configured the new third floor with a pitched roof and dormers, Four Brothers principal Leroy Johnson says.
As a result, the new bathroom, located on the end of the addition without a dormer, has a sloped ceiling and a long, narrow layout. The design team embraced those features and took the geometric details a few steps further with patterned cement floor tile, a herringbone-pattern tile accent wall in the shower and a trapezoidal window.
10. Cozy Spa Vibe
Levels and angles dominate this minimalist spa-like bath, designed by Vertebrae Architecture, in a historic California Craftsman home. A cathedral ceiling, a skylight and sleek wood details flood the room with light and warmth, while contrasting large-format floor tiles have a grounding effect.
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Levels and angles dominate this minimalist spa-like bath, designed by Vertebrae Architecture, in a historic California Craftsman home. A cathedral ceiling, a skylight and sleek wood details flood the room with light and warmth, while contrasting large-format floor tiles have a grounding effect.
More on Houzz
The Right Height for Your Bathroom Sinks, Mirrors and More
11 Tips for Building a Bathroom in the Attic
See more bathroom inspiration photos
Shop for bathroom products
Designer Tinsa Schweitzer and her team at Corvallis Custom Kitchens & Baths crafted this refreshed space within the footprint of the home’s existing upstairs bathroom. It had been remodeled before Schweitzer’s clients moved in, but the style didn’t fit the historic Victorian house.
“Our client loved the original character of the home and wanted to improve the use of space in the bathroom while bringing back the charm of the home,” Schweitzer says.
Updates included expanding the shower on the other side of the room, swapping in new finishes and adding storage. Against the backdrop of the room’s pitched ceiling and the charming porcelain mosaic tile floor, the freestanding tub is a space-savvy showpiece.
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