A Small, Windowless Bathroom Expands With New Tiling, Sliding Barn Door

Project: Rip and replace a bland windowless bathroom on the Upper West Side

Before: Credit a steady diet of renovation TV shows with inspiring this 22nd-floor bathroom makeover. Owner Charlie Wintczak occupied the apartment for the better part of a decade, relishing its central location—between the Hudson River and Central Park. But he came to see the boring, under-40-square-foot bathroom as ho-hum. “I wanted it to look bigger,” he recalls.

After: He interviewed three Sweeten contractors and chose his contractor based partly on his shopping advice. One of those suggestions led to a Long Island City showroom for the vanity and tiles used throughout.

The previous owner’s amateurish tiling got swapped out for new large-format tiles behind the vanity and toilet. That same tile continues into the shower stall, which replaced an old tub. Upgrades include frameless glass shower partitions and a low stone curb that allows the mosaic tile shower floor inside to slope, for drainage.

The replacement toilet has buttons for a water-conserving half-flush, a prized green-design feature. The contractor also suggested the website that yielded Charlie’s hardware and accessories. A final recommendation supplied the metal barn door hardware fitted on-site with a new white-painted panel door that matches others in the apartment.

Bonus: Welcome energy is delivered by the owner’s idea of a pop of color: soft green paint for one bathroom wall.

Style finds: Inspiration and accessories sourced through Build.com, thermostatic shower control from Hansgrohe.