Creating A Unique Shower Experience at Home

Many homeowners are opting to create a spa-like experience at home. One component of a luxurious experience is a beautiful, functional shower. Whether it's a more traditional tub shower combo or a low-thresh hold open shower perfect or aging-in-place, many homeowners are upgrading their bathrooms with a new luxurious shower.

In this article, we look at shower design options for a bathroom remodeling project. From choosing the optimal shape to exploring the many surface options to examining the many fixtures available to create your dream shower, we have a look at the many shower shapes available.

Shower Design Options: Shower Shapes

Showers have been with us almost forever. Historically, the Egyptians used clay urns wielded by servants to bathe. Remnants of the aqueduct-fed Roman public showers can still be seen in Italy. The first mechanical shower was powered by a hydraulic pump and invented by a stove manufacturer from London in 1767.

Learn The Cost Of A Bathroom Remodel in Greater Madison, Wisconsin

Today, homeowners have plenty of shower design options when remodeling a bathroom. Modern manufacturing has given us a variety of shower enclosures to meet the needs of every homeowner. Here are the eight most common shower shapes available.

1. The Bathtub/Shower Combo

Because a bathroom with a bathtub already has all the necessary plumbing, the bathroom/tub combo was the first popular option for homeowners. They still make sense for many homeowners today. They require no modifications other than installing a faucet to divert the water from the tub to the showerhead and enclosing the tub to keep the bathroom dry. 

2. Custom Shower

 As the name says, custom showers are custom-built to fit into the available space in your bathroom. They can range in size from a large wet room designed to house a standalone tub and shower to a smaller footprint. Building code mandates a minimum of a 30-inch square enclosure, while to meet ADA compliance, the shower enclosure must be 36 inches square. Custom showers are built from scratch. They start with a mortar bed and waterproof cement board sheathing on the walls. The walls can be covered with many materials (which we will explore in part two!).

3. The Prefabricated Shower

For the budget-conscious homeowner or those short on time, prefabricated showers are an affordable option. These come from the supplier/manufacturer ready to be dropped into a pre-framed alcove. Most are made of fiberglass or acrylic.

4. Stand-Up Shower

If you want to put a shower in your basement or a space that lacks the necessary plumbing, a stand-up shower might be an option. Also known as a freestanding shower, it requires no framing, and you can put it anywhere you can install a drain and water supply plumbing.

5. Walk-In Shower

A standard shower pan has a curb that prevents water from spilling out. If you eliminate the curb, you have a no threshold walk-in shower. No curb makes it more accessible for the disabled and senior citizens choosing to remain in their homes and age in place. The absence of a curb means that the bathroom flooring you choose must be waterproof and meet the shower pan at the same level.

6. Corner Shower

A space-saving option for smaller spaces, a corner shower consists of glass panels extending from the corner of the bathroom to form a square enclosure. One of the panels includes a pivoted door. You can install one with a prefabricated shower pan or build your own custom pan.

7. Neo-Angle Shower

The Neo-Angle shower is a variation on the corner shower. It uses three glass panels instead of two. Two panels meet the back wall and extend far enough to accommodate the third panel that contains the door. The result is a polygon-shaped shower that looks more sophisticated and modern than the square-shaped shower and complements a higher-end bathroom design. A curved enclosure is a variation on the No-Angle shoer. It has curved glass panels and a curved shower pan, adding a contemporary twist to any bathroom.

8. Rectangular Shower

A rectangular shower gives you much more room than a traditional square enclosure allowing you to get out of the spray while soaping up or shampooing your hair. A rectangular shower is especially beneficial for those in a wheelchair or someone who needs a walker because it has plenty of room to maneuver.

Shower Design Options: Choosing the Right Shower Shape

As you can see, when designing your dream bathroom, you have many shower design options for the size and shape of your enclosure. Ultimately the decision rests on several key factors. First is your available space. You can't fit a roomy rectangular shower into a 6 x 8-foot bathroom. A corner or Neo-Angle shower might be a better choice. The next factor is your budget. Your remodeling budget will often dictate size, finishes, and fixtures. Finally, your style, needs, and personal aesthetic will also factor into your shower design.

If you're considering a bathroom remodeling project, let us show you all your shower design options! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. Let us help you to take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.