Bath Crashers

Abundant square footage in a bathroom is no advantage if the layout is predictable and uninspired. In this episode, a big box of a bathroom is re-imagined as an elegant spa. Fixtures scaled to size are installed including a free-standing tub, large slide-in shower, and double vanity. The biggest spa indulgence comes from luxurious plumbed-in foot bath topped by a throne-like chair. Add a classic tiled floor anchored by an intricate medallion and it's a way to walk and soak your dogs in style.

Whoever heard of a kitchen transformed into a bathroom? That's what you'll see here as an old, outdated cooking and dining area once used for boarders is reconfigured and transformed into a huge bath space with a touch of Asian influence. A rusty metal sink cabinet gives way to a custom-made double-sink vanity with attached makeup table.

You'd think it would be hard to find a 1980s bathroom in a 2006 home, but the Bath Crashers found one in the nation's No. 1 community and went to work transforming "ugh" to "aah." A gi-normous 90-inch vanity with double grey sinks and contractor's grade fixtures, as well as a formica countertop gives way to a sleek and smaller vanity with oval sinks mounted beneath a Silestone countertop. A separate make-up area with French accents is built next to the vanity with floor-to-ceiling storage for plenty of towels and linens alongside of it. Those spaces are grabbed by removing the overly large whirlpool tub, making room to build a privacy wall to hide the new toilet area. The shower is expanded lengthwise with fixtures on each wall and a new quick drain system is installed to whisk away the water faster. The coup de grace is the intimate adult hot tub/spa the homeowners access through a new exterior door that leads onto a brand new privacy deck.

Aaron and Amber just bought their first house. They fixed up what they could, but the bathroom was beyond them. The room was ugly, the plumbing was sketchy and the walls were a mess of torn off wallpaper and old sizing. The goal of the Bath Crashers team: To give this couple a clean, modern space with a punch of color. Another is to bring in light and be as "green" as possible in the process.

A charming farmhouse built in the 1920s has lots to offer, except in the bathroom. No air conditioning, radiator heat, and a tub the homeowners won't touch, let alone use, this bathroom is in serious need of some help. The challenge is to keep the farmhouse look without the barn-like feel. The Bath Crashers team opens up the room by utilizing closet space on either side. New wood floor replaces the rotting one. A copper tin ceiling with copper hardware to match adds a punch of color to the room. A vintage-looking chandelier and fixtures sheds light on the beautiful pull-toilet, custom vanity and period appropriate claw foot tub help shape this one-of-a-kind space. A DIY project especially for the homeowners also has them constructing shutters made from wood out of their own barn.

Joe and Greg live in a house they've mostly redone. They love everything about it except the bathroom situation. They have reluctantly been sharing a small, moldy bathroom in the basement with their two cats because their one tiny upstairs bathroom has a tub that doesn't work. The Bath Crashers team transforms this former cat house into a man cave. They expand the room just enough to give them a nice walk-in shower and move the toilet into an alcove. Instead of masking the fact that this is a basement bathroom, the team embraces the whole cave "thing." The walls are stacked slate, the shower floor is pebble and the rest of the tile is a variety of earth hues. Another addition is a super cool "flame in a tub" feature built into the credenza. As for the cats, they are banished to the gross part of the basement and the guys get their own space.

The Mennen family's bathroom was big and blah. Dull earth tones with a tub too big for the space didn't match the young, fresh feel this couple deserves to have. Tossing out the tub and adding storage in a smart way makes this room feel larger than it is. Stone shower tile transitions into an all-natural chocolate cork floor. Add "floating" vanities with some amazing hidden organization pieces, chrome fixtures and a heated towel rack, and you have one bold bathroom.

Two tiny bathrooms are combined to become one spa-like getaway adorned with teak wood vanities and accents throughout. An oversized custom tub is poured out of concrete, wrapped in smooth pebble tile and topped off with hand showers and a lighted rain showerhead above. Privacy glass that goes from clear to frosted at the flip of a switch and a music system turn up the high-tech factor in this urban oasis.

This boring master bathroom with a plywood floor gets a complete transformation from its builder-grade roots with gorgeous marble floors and a high-tech in-wall toilet. The standard shower enclosure is super-sized and kicked up with elegant fixtures and unique mosaic tile. The showpiece of the room is the 12-foot vanity with massive custom cabinets on each end and a motorized mirror that retracts to reveal a high-def television.

The problem: a large, ugly, pink and taupe bathroom made small by an oversized glass block shower, whirlpool lounging tub, and the need for some accessible space for a disabled son. The solution: rip everything out and make it a fashionable, functional room for Mom, Dad and son.

For this Minneapolis family of four, one sink, one toilet and one shower is just not enough. Expanding into a bedroom helps solve this problem. Simple yet functional, this new bath brings the outdoors in by incorporating copper, concrete, stone and wood textures into the look. A fire feature separates an elevated soaking tub and shower, and a commode and pedestal sink separated from the larger concrete vanity helps give parents and children their own space. Heated limestone floors add comfort to this rugged look. And an in-floor laundry chute is functional and fun for the whole family.

This young couple gets their boring master bath upgraded to a chic retreat featuring a massive pebble-lined shower with fixtures fit for a water park. The old carpet is replaced with teak flooring that goes up the wall to provide a backdrop for the new floating vanity with painted glass countertops. Each closet is reorganized and customized with new doors, and the water closet becomes a focal point, with an artistic metal pivot door.

This flowery wallpaper nightmare is flipped into an urban, eco-friendly master bath. The old linoleum floors are stripped and finished with a sleek concrete overlay that spills right into the shower floor, surrounded by slabs of recycled glass and concrete. Bamboo is used as an accent throughout the room, in custom-built cabinets and a see-through fireplace wall that's wrapped in bamboo flooring.