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Showers
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8 Ways to Design a Better Shower
See the ingredients of a perfect shower, from the rainshower head and bench to the nook for shampoo and soap
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
We recently went away for a long weekend and stayed at a nice condo with a view of the Gulf of Mexico. But as nice as the condo is, the shower design left a lot to be desired. The controls were positioned in the wrong place, the shower head was set too low for a taller person, the clunky glass door was all wobbly and unattractive, there wasn't a place for soap and shampoo, and more. So taking a shower wasn't enjoyable at all.
What bothered me most about this was that, with a little forethought and no extra cost, the shower could have been quite nice. There was ample space and lots of natural light in the bathroom. So my guess is that the shower wasn't nicer only because the designer and builder didn't think about the shower at all.
So here are 8 tips on how to avoid this when you decide to remodel your bathroom.
What bothered me most about this was that, with a little forethought and no extra cost, the shower could have been quite nice. There was ample space and lots of natural light in the bathroom. So my guess is that the shower wasn't nicer only because the designer and builder didn't think about the shower at all.
So here are 8 tips on how to avoid this when you decide to remodel your bathroom.
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1. Right sizing. I hate showers that are too small and are claustrophobic. It's like those showers at summer camp when we were kids. Fine for when I was 10 but not now. So to get the optimum size I'll ask clients to stand with their arms outstretched and then turn in a circle. This circle will be the absolute minimum size shower the client will want. If you have the space, a good rule of thumb to follow is that the shower should be a minimum of 60" by 36". Of course the shower can get bigger as we add things like a bench or other feature.
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2. An easy reach to the controls. Another pet peeve is when the shower controls are placed such that I have to walk into the shower to turn the water on or off. That initial burst of ice cold water getting me wet is something we can all do without. Setting the controls in a location that's can be accessed from outside the shower area is easy and well worth the few feet of extra piping.
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3. Bench. Whether this is a place to sit and relax (especially if it's in a steam shower) or a prop that enables you to easily shave your legs, benches are essential components of a well designed bath. This bench, placed where the is the least ceiling height, makes the shower all the more usable and enjoyable.
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And, lest we forget, shower benches can be fun.
Shower benches can also be made to fold up to be out of the way as well.
4. A place for shampoo and soap. A small, recess in the shower wall with a shelf or two works magic when there are multiple bottles of shampoo, conditioner, gel and more. Size the niche to accommodate the tallest bottle you'll use and make sure to slope the shelf towards the shower to allow it to shed water easily.
5. A deluge of shower heads. From the standard, wall mounted head to a rain head to body sprays to hand held showers, there's an amazing wealth of shower heads available today. Just make sure that there's enough hot water and water pressure to accommodate all of these. Certainly a tankless hot water heater near a shower like this will come in handy when the showering goes on for awhile.
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Or when the dueling handhelds are at battle.
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6. Keep it bright with natural light. Showers don't have to be at the darkest corner of the bathroom. But when they are, add some glass block to brighten up the space.
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And use a glass door so the light filters into the bathroom.
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Or a skylight when there's no window.
7. Consider an open shower. You want a separate shower and tub but you only have a narrow, tight space. Consider an "open shower" that places the tub after the shower, as shown here.
8. Go curbless. A curbless shower isn't just for those with difficulty getting around. A curbless shower can turn the entire bathroom into a showering room.
More shower design inspiration:
Your Shower: Make Room for a Bench
Step Into a Refreshing Outdoor Shower
The No-Threshold Shower: Accessibility With Style
More shower design inspiration:
Your Shower: Make Room for a Bench
Step Into a Refreshing Outdoor Shower
The No-Threshold Shower: Accessibility With Style
Ideabook updated on Nov. 15, 2011.
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We remodeled our master bath a few years ago; after years of having to stoop over to wash his hair, my 6' 7" hubby now loves the luxury of an extra high shower head. Such a tiny detail can make daily life so much more enjoyable!
And although most shower niches (for shampoo and soap) are intended to be recessed, it's not illegal to install them flush on a wall.
@Bud - most of those showers are bigger than my whole bathroom.
1- Hold out your arms and turn in a circle to determine minimum size of shower? Please- how many people have that much space to work with? The marble shower pictured is lovely, but how is the steam escaping? Hopefully there is an exhaust fan inside the glass enclosure.
2- The controls in that shower are certainly not placed in the most accessible location. The door opening should be such that you can reach in and turn the water on, not have to go inside as in the one pictured. Also, the shower head looks low, and the dark finish of the fixtures is not pleasing (just an opinion)- plus they get spotty and lime-y in no time.
3- Hopefully, this is just a steam shower, as the head is placed low on the wall.
-second illustration of #3. Take a look at that curvy bench and think about climbing up and down off it in a slippery environment. I hope it's heated, and that some type of padding is provided.
4- The proportions of those niches are undesirable. The top one is way too tall to be of any practical value. The products look lost and it is a waste of space. A shelf within it, or smaller niches make more sense.
5- Talk about overkill! The number of controls make one's head spin. Who wants to get in there and spend 10 minutes figuring out what controls what. More is not always better!
-Second photo under #5- The heads are too low and the bench is placed too far away from the water source
7- That wood window trim won't last long in that shower environment!
8- I'm with spinnergirl and bluebridge- it looks like a jail cell or a rest stop bathroom- the mirror is probably not even glass!
Open water environments in general are less fun in reality than in theory: think wet toilet paper, water condensation everywhere, and cold air. Hey, if we're talking an outdoor bathroom in a sensual tropical environment, count me in- otherwise give me a door!