The bathroom is no longer just a functional space to take care of business. If designed correctly, the bathroom can be an indulgent and relaxing retreat where you can escape from your worries. Shower rooms have become an essential feature in the ideal bathroom, but before you install a shower room in your home, ask yourself these questions to make sure you have considered every detail. A poorly designed shower room will never be the heavenly retreat you expect.
1. How will your shower room affect the rest of the bathroom?
Glass is ideal for this type of space as it does not take up any space on the bathroom and vanity and allows natural light to penetrate the entire space. If your home is not suitable for a full glass room, don’t despair. Bathrooms don’t have to be bright to look good. This shower room combines glass with solid walls, which are painted in charcoal grey, which is both elegant and comfortable. The glass used in this shower room ensures that it does not feel closed in, and the marble tiles and excellent lighting make it attractive. If you want to fill the space with natural light instead of artificial light, you can consider changing the exterior walls to glass walls. Of course, in addition to glass walls, privacy is also a question to consider.
2. Which type of door is best?
A pivoting door isn’t the only option for a shower room, although it may be the first thing that comes to mind. If you want to make the most of limited space, a barn-style sliding door like this one is the way to go. The tones of the ceiling, floor and wall tiles also make this bathroom look larger and brighter than it otherwise would be.
If the shower room is designed properly, not having a door is also a viable option. Careful consideration must be given to the floor slope and shower head angle if such a design is to work without flooding the rest of the space. Or why not let the shower door be the highlight of the bathroom? As long as you can protect the material on the inside of the shower door to prevent damage, the options are endless. If your bathroom is a family bathroom that needs to be used by multiple people at once, a solid door that provides privacy is worth considering.
3. Should you install a bathtub?
A shower room doesn’t have to be just for showers. If it is well waterproofed, it can accommodate both a shower and a bathtub, making it a wet room. This wet room is just as gorgeous, but the use of marble gives it a completely different look and feel.
4. Do you want to sit in the shower?
Placing a bench along one wall, or along three like this one, can add character to your shower while also providing functionality. This bench doubles as a steam shower stall—which is awesome. A shower doesn’t need to be huge, as long as there’s somewhere to sit, so don’t dismiss this option too quickly. If you don’t have the luxury of adding a built-in shower stall, you can even go with a waterproof bench.
Bubble Bath
5. What kind of showerhead do you want?
A showerhead can give your bathroom the five-star luxury of a high-end resort, but plumbing considerations must be made. The cavity created by the lowered ceiling height in a shower may be just what you need to fit the plumbing and electrical equipment behind the scenes. Overhead lighting in a shower can make the space feel more welcoming. This shower stall takes the same considerations. A stunning overhead showerhead is hard to resist, but there are two other showerheads to choose from, depending on your mood.
6. How’s the ventilation?
If cleaning mold and mildew from your shower walls, floor, and ceiling isn’t something you find enjoyable, plan for plenty of air circulation to ensure your shower dries quickly after use. If you live in a humid climate, consider floor heating, and use windows and exhaust fans to increase ventilation.
7. How do you keep water out?
The threshold at the door to your bathroom can keep water out of the way, but just like a regular shower, the floor needs to be waterproofed and tiled correctly to direct the water where you want it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with unpleasant water pooling on your shower floor. DIY tilers take note – this might be a job for an expert.
What kind of shower do you want? Do you have a shower cubicle or a bathroom, or both? Let us know in the comments section below.
