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Bathroom

5 Tips for Designing the Perfect Shower

by Andrew Saladino
June 17, 2021

The bathroom may not seem like a substantial room in your home, but it’s a place where you can go to unwind and clear your mind after a long day — especially when you have a perfectly designed shower. If all you want to do is sit back and relax, there’s nothing more frustrating than a bathroom with a poor layout or inadequate design. So instead of dreading stepping foot into your master bath, follow these helpful tips for designing a relaxing, spa-like shower.

1) Determine the Ideal Size & Layout

Glass enclosure walk-in shower with blue accent tile shower surround.
Whether you’re renovating an existing space or starting fresh, you need to take the bathroom’s configuration and size into account. How large is the square footage you’re working with? Are there any nuances related to the layout that will dictate the size and placement of your shower?

If you’re working with an existing space, the best option is to fit your new designer-inspired shower in the same place where the previous one was. Moving the necessary plumbing to another area of the bathroom is an additional cost. Instead, you can utilize that budget elsewhere to get you the shower of your dream.

Factoring in the space of your bathroom, you may opt for a standing shower or a tub — or a combination of the two. The most common shower widths are 32, 36, and 60 inches, typically achieving the desired look and feel in your bathroom. However, if you’re working with a smaller space, you can install a high-end shower as small as 32 by 32 inches. When possible, opt for a larger, open shower that will truly make you feel as though you’re spending the day in the spa and not your own home.

Make sure you factor in any other elements of your bathroom. While the shower you picked out may fit, it needs to fit amongst the vanity, toilet, and other elements. If the shower is too large for the space, you may run into issues with opening the shower door. Understanding how the different elements work together allows you to decide if you need to compromise on the size of your shower or vanity.

2) Decide on the Shower Style

Curbless shower with beautiful black and white tile throughout bathroom.
Close your eyes and picture your dream bathroom oasis. Are you envisioning a curbless shower with a glass door entry? Maybe you’re picturing a shower with a subtle shower curb for ease of maintenance? You may even have your eye on a shower-tub combo because of your love of baths but limited square footage. With so many types of showers available, it’s important to choose the one that suits your family’s needs.

Curbless showers offer a seamless transition from the bathroom floor into the shower, sometimes even continuing the same flooring throughout! A major benefit of a curbless shower is that the lack of a shower lip not only makes the shower accessible but reduces the chance of tripping while stepping over the curb. These are some of the most aesthetically pleasing shower options on the market.

Another option is a shower curb, which has a slight lip that acts as a barrier between the bathroom flooring and the shower. Along with visually separating the two spaces, it creates a barrier that helps keep the water from the shower from escaping onto the bathroom floor. Thus, minimizing the risk of slipping and falling.

You may dream of sinking into a hot and steamy bath before bed. But if you’re cramped for space, you might think you need to choose between a shower and a tub. Luckily, you can install a shower-tub combination that gives you the best of both worlds. When you’re in the mood for a quick rinse, you can hop into the shower. If you have an hour to spare in a bubble bath, you can do that as well!

3) Choose a Door Type

Spa-like shower-tub combination with no door.
From shower curtains to glass doors to no doors — the options to outfit your shower are virtually endless! Your desired aesthetic and the style of shower you choose will likely determine the best door type for the shower.

For a luxurious spa-like appearance, most homeowners opt for a glass enclosure that allows you to show off your high-end shower without even stepping foot inside of it. The door opens and closes on a hinge similar to a standard door, and can swing inward, outward, or both directions depending on your preference. Glass doors are a great option for a larger bathroom but might have too large of a swinging radius in a cramped space — no one wants the glass door to get damaged from slamming into the toilet, vanity, or towel bar. If you’re working with limited square footage but crave the look of glass, you can opt for a sliding glass door instead. This allows you to get the desired look without having to worry about how far the door opens into the bathroom.

In some instances, you may opt for no shower door as well for an open and airy shower experience. This is the perfect option for a modern space, preventing the shower door from interrupting the traffic flow in the bathroom and allowing the room to feel more open and roomy.

4) Add Spa-Like Elements

Open and airy bathroom with natural light featuring a shower bench and niche.
Whether standing on your feet all day or working a 9 to 5 desk job, you may find yourself needing a space to relax each evening. Instead of standing in the shower, consider adding functional seating that offers a place to sit, shave legs, and store bath products. A shower bench is a perfect addition to take your shower from drab to fab.

Instead of storing your bath products on your shower bench, on the shower floor, or a rack attached to the showerhead, you may decide to add a niche. A niche is essentially a cutout in the shower wall that creates a ledge for storing any products you may need. The size of your shower will determine how big of a niche you should install.

5) Pick the Perfect Showerhead

Colorful bathroom with wall-mounted and ceiling-mounted showerheads.
Your bathroom’s showerhead needs to be considered for both form and function — you can’t have one without the other! Along with matching the colors of your fixtures and showerhead to the rest of the bathroom’s hardware, you need to determine which type of showerhead will bring your vision to life. Do you want the showerhead mounted on the wall, like a standard showerhead, or would you prefer it be mounted on the ceiling?

Ultimately your choice comes down to preference and how you like to rinse off and wash your hair. In some instances, you may even opt to install two showerheads or jets in the wall for a completely custom, high-end shower.

Shower Design Frequently Asked Questions

What is a standard size shower?

Showers are available in all shapes and sizes, meaning that you can find the ideal size for your bathroom’s specific dimensions. In most cases, your shower should be 48″ x 36″ at a minimum for optimal comfort, but a lack of space may leave you looking for smaller options. It isn’t recommended to install a shower smaller than 32″ x 32″. If you have a lot of square footage to work with, the best size to go with is 60″ x 36″.

Is it better to install a bath or shower?

There isn’t a right or wrong answer when determining if you should install a bath or a shower — ultimately it comes down to how you plan to use the space! If you’re looking to use your bathroom as a relaxing environment to unwind and escape from the hustle and bustle, you may prefer a bath. However, if your goal is to create a bathroom that promotes easy and convenient hygiene, a shower is your best bet.

Does a bath or shower add more value?

In most cases, a high-end shower redesign is going to automatically increase the value of your home — especially when you’ve designed it down to every last detail. However, if you live in a family-friendly neighborhood and think that future buyers of your home will be raising children in the home, you may want to consider a shower-tub combination (if there isn’t a tub already in the house). A tub can be a major selling point for families during the home selling process. Overall, you can’t go wrong with installing a new shower or bathtub — the quality of the materials can make more of an impact on the value than the shower itself!

Can you install a walk-in shower in a small bathroom?

When redesigning a small bathroom, you need to find ways to make the room appear larger than it is. An easy way to do this is to install a walk-in shower that is enclosed in glass. The glass door allows the appearance of the room to remain open, preventing any areas from feeling cut off, thus making the bathroom appear smaller. However, you will need to factor in how much space you have to open the shower door. While a walk-in shower will work in a small bathroom, you may need to opt for a sliding door or no door to ensure that you have room to freely move about the space.

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