Basement bathrooms don't get enough credit—and this one in Arlington is a perfect example of what's possible when you stop accepting "good enough." We do a lot of bathroom remodeling in the NOVA area, but this tub-to-shower conversion stuck with us. What started as a dark, cramped corner of a finished basement turned into something the homeowners now call their favorite room in the house. Scroll through the gallery and see for yourself.
The Starting Point: A Bathtub Nobody Was Using
This is a story we hear all the time in older Arlington and Alexandria homes. The basement bathroom had a full-size bathtub taking up the bulk of the floor plan - and nobody had used it in years. On top of that, the plumbing was aging out, ventilation was almost nonexistent (hello, that musty smell), and the finishes were stuck somewhere in the early 2000s. The homeowners knew they wanted something with natural textures and a modern edge. We knew exactly how to get there.
What the Project Actually Involved
This wasn't a cosmetic refresh. We went into the walls, the floor, and the drain lines to build this space correctly from the inside out.
We demolished the old tub and reconfigured the shower footprint to open up the room. The new walk-in shower got dark slate-textured wall tile paired with a glass mosaic accent wall - the kind of detail that makes people stop mid-tour and ask who did this? The shower floor is natural pebble, which gives you that barefoot-on-a-river-stone feeling while keeping things slip-safe. All the old drainage lines came out and were replaced, and we installed brushed nickel fixtures throughout to tie everything together.
For the shower entry, we went with a sliding glass barn-style door (sometimes called a coupé system). It's a smart call in tighter spaces—no swing clearance needed, and it looks sharp. Before any tile went up, we applied professional-grade waterproofing membrane behind the walls, because a beautiful shower that leaks in two years isn't actually beautiful.
The rest of the room got warm wood-look porcelain tile on the floor and a fresh coat of moisture-resistant paint in a deep gray that grounds the whole palette.
How It Turned Out
Removing the tub did two things: it gave the room physical space and it gave it visual breathing room. The sliding glass door reflects light back into the shower, the mosaic wall adds depth, and the contrast between the rough pebble floor and the smooth slate-look tiles creates that organic-meets-polished feel the homeowners were after. This bathroom went from being the afterthought of the house to a genuine selling point.
Thinking About a Similar Bathroom remodel Project?
If your basement bathroom or any bathroom - isn't working for you anymore, we're happy to talk through what's possible. NextDay Remodeling serves Arlington, Alexandria, and the surrounding NOVA region. Give us a call and let's take a look at your space.