Woodland Tub-Shower Tile Remodel: Before & After

Name: Oakwood Remodeling Group
Address: Rocklin, CA, 95677, US
Telephone: (916) 907-8782
Price range: $$-$$$

Project at a Glance

Location: Woodland, CA
Project type: Shower Remodeling
Key materials: Large-format porcelain tile, grey onyx pattern (three walls); White alcove bathtub; Bronze metal edge profile at niche
Contractor: Oakwood Remodeling Group, Rocklin, CA (Lic #1125321)
Permit authority for Woodland: City of Woodland Building Division

Before & After

BEFORE

AFTER

After: close-up of the recessed shower niche with bronze metal edge trim set into onyx-look porcelain tile — The recessed niche is finished with a bronze metal edge profile instead of bullnose, so the tile pattern wraps cleanly into the pocket.

The Challenge

This Woodland bathroom had a standard alcove tub-shower that was showing its age. Framed aluminum sliding doors with clouded glass closed off the tub, the surround stopped short of the ceiling with painted drywall above it, and a seam had opened along the top of the wall. Towels hung over the door track because there was nowhere else to put them. The homeowners wanted to keep a bathtub in this bathroom, so a walk-in shower conversion was off the table. The brief was a tub-to-tub replacement with tile walls that would last, a place to keep shampoo off the tub deck, and a shower head that actually worked for rinsing the tub.

Our Solution

We pulled the sliding doors, the old tub and the surround down to the framing, then set a new white alcove tub. The three walls were tiled floor to ceiling in large-format porcelain with a grey onyx pattern, laid in a stacked horizontal layout so the veining reads as continuous bands around the alcove. A recessed niche was framed into the back wall and finished with a bronze metal edge profile rather than a bullnose, which keeps the pattern unbroken into the pocket. The old fixed shower head gave way to a brushed nickel handheld on a slide bar with a matching tub spout and trim. Brushed finishes were a deliberate choice for Woodland, where the city supply is moderately hard and polished chrome spots quickly. The doors were not replaced, leaving an open entry that makes the small room feel noticeably larger.

Scope of Work

1Remove framed sliding glass doors, existing tub and wall surround
2Install new white alcove bathtub
3Tile three walls floor to ceiling in large-format onyx-look porcelain
4Frame and tile a recessed shower niche with bronze metal edge trim
5Install brushed nickel handheld shower head on slide bar, tub spout and valve trim
6Open the tub alcove with no doors

Materials Used

✓Large-format porcelain tile, grey onyx pattern (three walls)
✓White alcove bathtub
✓Bronze metal edge profile at niche
✓Brushed nickel handheld shower head with slide bar
✓Brushed nickel tub spout and valve trim

Key Features

✓Floor-to-ceiling tile on all three walls
✓Recessed shower niche
✓Handheld shower on slide bar
✓Open, door-free tub alcove
✓Veining matched across tile joints

Questions About This Woodland Project

Was the bathtub replaced or removed in this Woodland remodel?

Replaced. The homeowners wanted to keep a bathtub, so this was a tub-to-tub project: the old fiberglass tub came out and a new white alcove tub went in, with the surround rebuilt in tile rather than converting the space to a walk-in shower.

Why were brushed nickel fixtures chosen instead of chrome?

Woodland's water is moderately hard, about 4 grains per gallon according to the city's own water quality report. Brushed finishes hide the mineral spotting that shows quickly on polished chrome, so they stay looking clean between wipe-downs.

Why is there no shower door on the finished tub?

The framed sliding doors were removed and not replaced. In a bathroom this small an open alcove makes the room feel noticeably larger, and there is no door track to clean. A curtain rod can be added at any time if the homeowners prefer one.