This Makeover Convinced Me That Hula Hoops Are a Bathroom Staple

Sarah EverettHome Projects Editor
Sarah EverettHome Projects Editor
I organize the Before & After series and cover DIY and design. I joined AT in October 2020 as a production assistant. I have an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri and a BA in Journalism from Belmont University. Past editorial stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and local magazines in my hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
published May 16, 2025
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Before: a white tub, sink, and toilet
Credit: Janette Smith

Sure, there are certain shopping list items you know you’ll probably need for a bathroom renovation, like a mirror, a faucet, a towel bar, tiles, etc. But what about a hula hoop? I’d never seen that in a bathroom reno before — that is until I saw this bathroom makeover from 2023 by Janette Smith.

In Janette’s bathroom transformation, which took her tiny, tan cottage bathroom from a cramped space to a colorful stunner, a hula hoop actually doubled as a shower curtain rod. Because the bathroom is only 4.5×5.5 feet, with a sloped ceiling that makes it feel even smaller, Janette had to get a little creative when it came to the shower area. 

Credit: Janette Smith
Credit: Janette Smith

How a Hula Hoop Helped This Small Bathroom

She knew she wanted to rework the layout because before, the tub was actually placed underneath the lowest part of the ceiling slope. “Any showering had to take place sitting or kneeling in the bath,” she described.

In the “after,” the shower moved to the right-hand wall of the bathroom, and Janette found a short-but-deep tub that she painted pink (Farrow & Ball’s Rangwali) that fit snugly in the space. As for the shower curtain and rod, “I couldn’t find any actual rails that I liked that could accommodate the sloping ceiling,” Janette says. A large hoop was the best option, and its bamboo material will hold up well to water. Genius!

See More Hula Hoop DIY Inspiration

Since seeing this bathroom makeover, I’ve also seen a clever outdoor shower that uses a hula hoop. 

DIYer and TikToker Whitney Leigh Morris used a hula hoop (any 3- to 5-foot water-resistant hoop will work, she says), garden chain, and an outdoor curtain to create a quick setup to rinse off after a day spent in the pool, in the garden, or playing outside. Is a hula hoop perhaps the home improvement tool you’ve been missing all along? Check out this canopy DIY project for yet another project you can do with a hula hoop or embroidery hoop.