When it comes to bathroom remodeling, the shower is often the centerpiece of the entire project. As such, keeping up with the latest shower design trends can help you create a modern, functional, and stylish space that meets your needs and reflects your personal style. Whether you’re looking to create a spa-like sanctuary or simply want to update your shower to a more contemporary design, there are several exciting shower design trends to explore. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular shower design trends in bathroom remodeling and how you can incorporate them into your own project.
Why is a Shower Remodel Popular?
If you spend each morning dreaming of a luxurious space, we understand! In addition to the kitchen, the master bathroom is the second most popular space to renovate because it impacts how you start and end each day. The bathroom is the first place you go to jump-start your morning and the last place you visit before getting a good night’s rest. It’s essential to create a space tailored to your specific needs – from the layout, organization, and a look and feel that reflects your style.
What’s on Your Bathroom Wish List?
A new shower is often the most anticipated aspect of a master bathroom remodel. Whether you’re reworking the layout or gutting your space and starting over, there are countless details to consider to get it right.
- Do you have a tub but are more of a shower person?
- Wish you had a soaking tub to relax in after a long day?
- What shower features do you want?
The list goes on and on. Luckily, we’ve been there, designed that, and worked through all these scenarios to help our clients come up with personalized solutions.
Space Planning
Shower or Tub?
One of the most common bathroom layouts our clients ask to change is removing a massive, tiled bathtub surround and a small stall shower. Tubs can take up a lot of real estate in the bathroom – especially in the 1980s/90s/2000s designs. If you’re not a tub person, the tub surround feels like a lot of wasted space. The goal for most of our clients is to enlarge the existing shower.
Curb or Curbless?
There are choices to make when it comes to designing a shower – both size and construction:
- Do you want a curbless shower – as in no threshold?
- Would you prefer a walk-in shower with a curb?
- Do you want a glass door? No door – open to the rest of the room?
The curbless shower in this Northwest Portland bathroom remodel uses large format tile and a smaller version for the shower floor. The tub was removed from this Portland master bathroom to enlarge the shower.
It’s possible to change to a curbless shower during your remodel, but special modifications are needed, so it requires some investigating. We consider floor heights, slope, tile types, and overall shower size. Curbless showers have become popular as more and more homeowners plan to stay in their homes and age in place. A curbless shower is an excellent solution for any future accessibility challenges. It’s also easier to clean. Often larger-format tiles are used throughout the bathroom so that you can run them right into the shower.
Shower Size
Everyone wants to know how they can make their shower larger. Your bathroom size and layout impact what you can do, but you must start with what you want and how you want to use the space.
Heather Wood, owner, and designer at Mountainwood Homes, questions: “Do you really need a five-person shower? Showers don’t need to be huge. Think about how you use the space.” She adds, “It’s personal. Usually, only one person showers at a time, but sometimes it’s two.”
Shower Design Selections
Selecting Plumbing Fixtures
Plumbing fixtures are the first thing homeowners pick out during the material selection phase. We start with plumbing for practical reasons and to determine the client’s style preferences. Plumbing fixtures have extended lead times, so we select these first to receive the product and stay on top of the construction schedule. Rough plumbing is one of the first steps after demolition, and we need to have the right parts and pieces ready for the plumber.
Plumbing Fixture Styles
Plumbing selections set the stage for the bathroom remodel. Starting at the plumbing showroom allows us to see what our clients are attracted to among various styles. The style and finish of the fixtures set the tone, and everything complements them. From sinks, faucets, showerheads, bathtubs, toilets, and bath accessories, plumbing fixtures are an important decision and a sizable investment as part of an overall remodeling project. Plumbing in the bathroom is the most important because you’ll use them daily. Plumbing fixtures in a secondary bathroom don’t matter as much. Keep this in mind as you prioritize your budget and spend accordingly.
Many people opt for a hand shower in enlarged showers for their flexibility. You can change the head height, and they’re also suitable for cleaning as you can spray hard-to-reach areas.
Adding body sprays or a rain shower is a personal choice. Couples often consider these options because you should cater to both people’s preferences. A more oversized rain shower doesn’t provide hard pressure – it’s more of a drizzle. Rain showers often drip in your face due to softer droplets, so if that bothers you, you may want to reconsider.
If you like harder water pressure, go for a different showerhead. At Mountainwood Homes, we take our clients to The Fixture Gallery where they can test the shower head pressure in their interactive showroom displays. If you’re scared to make the wrong choice, don’t worry – replacing a showerhead is very economical. The sizing is universal, so it’s an inexpensive item to swap out.
Grohe’s new Tempesta System provides an alternative to a concealed valve and won’t ruin the shower’s tile design. The design is very European and attaches to the wall for a cleaner look. The temperature handle is on one side, and a diverter handle is on the other. Some versions even have push buttons for temperature and water volume control.
Grohe’s Tempesta System is the perfect choice for modern, architectural bathrooms.
Plumbing Fixture Finishes
There are many plumbing finishes – chrome, satin nickel, brass, bronze, and black, to name a few. However, classic polished chrome is the most economical and never goes out of style. However, brushed nickel remains a popular choice. Some trends come and go in the plumbing world. Currently, black and brushed gold are hot trends and come with a price upgrade.
The finish should follow suit with the rest of the bathroom. Bath accessories such as towel bars, rings, and hooks should all match.
Shower Tile
The following selection needed for designing the shower is to select your tile. There is no shortage of fantastic tile products to fit your style and budget. Large format tile is excellent for walls. Larger tiles minimize grout and are more economical to look like a solid surface. We suggest smaller tile on the shower floor, if not curbless, to provide traction and create a slope for the shower train. Big tiles can’t bend, so smaller tiles give you a gradual shower pan. Even if you have a curbless shower, you can install a smaller variation of the bath floor tile to provide better traction in the shower and looks continual in color.
Radiant Heated Floors
In the Northwest, we love our toasty toes. Radiant heated floors are a luxury but well worth it on those cold mornings. We’ve never met anyone who said they regretted adding radiant heat.
How does it work? Electric heating coils are set on top of the cement backer board and under the tile. The heat from the floor warms the space from the ground up. There’s a programmable control thermostat on the wall to control the temperature. You can schedule it to turn on at a specific time, so it’s comfortable for those chilly mornings.
Radiant heat is likely to heat the whole bathroom. Radiant heat helps dry towels and eliminate mold and mildew in the shower.
Shower Doors
There are various options with glass shower doors. First, you need to decide if you want a door or not –determined by the size of your shower and the feasibility. It’s colder without a door since the steam doesn’t stay contained. However, it’s easy for wheelchairs and accessibility. Bonus! You don’t have to squeegee the door!
If you have ample space to work with, it’s possible to design a hidden shower. A hidden shower requires a lot of space, but it’s a great option if you don’t want to shower out in the open.
If you’re limited on space, sliding barn doors are a great option. Since the glass door is on rollers, it’s great for a tight space that won’t allow for a door to swing in or out.
Our standard shower glass door is 3/8” thick clear glass. The reason? If you have pretty tile work in the shower, you want to show it off and see it.
Some clients want privacy and like frosted or rain glass.
Wet Room Trend
Wet rooms are a popular trend right now. A wet room features the showerhead out in the open, with the whole bathroom functioning as the shower enclosure. If space is limited, you can have the shower in the room with no glass enclosure. If you have a larger space, it’s common to have a freestanding or drop-in tub integrated into the shower area. It doesn’t matter if water hits the tub. You’ll spend more on the tile since the whole area needs to be waterproof.
The feasibility of a wet room design depends on the home’s construction. A wet room requires the proper slope to the drainage point. The larger the area, the more difficult this can become.
Shower Niches
A bathroom remodeling project is a perfect time to create a place for everything – especially shower products! Shower niches are tailored to the homeowner’s needs and require thoughtful consideration.
Niches are easier to design in new construction homes. If you like the linear niche look, it requires framing. Depending on what wall you want to use, we may have to dig into an exterior wall to create the niche, which will cause you to lose insulation space. It’s best to try to do inset niches on interior walls. You’ll want to place the niche elsewhere if the plumbing is on a particular wall. Until you can see what’s going on with the plumbing behind the walls during a remodel, you may need to modify your plan.
Shower Benches
Adding a bench to your shower is a bright idea. If you’re planning to age in place, you can sit down if needed and bathe. In addition, you can add heat like your heated floors to the top of your bench, so it’s not cold if you sit down. We advise placing a hand shower near the bench so you can create a zone if you’re unable to move or need extra assistance.
If you don’t have enough space for a shower bench, installing a shaving niche below to prop up your foot is helpful.
No matter what size space you have to work with, a master bathroom remodel is an excellent investment for immediate enjoyment. In addition, a remodel can help with potential resale value down the road. These are some of the details to consider with a bathroom remodel.
Do I need a bathtub in my home for resale value?
We recommend having one tub in the home for resale value. The tub doesn’t have to be in the primary bathroom if you’re genuinely not a tub person. For instance, we suggest keeping a tub in a guest or secondary bath – especially since kids bathe in a tub.
Design Your Dream Shower
In conclusion, there are several exciting trends in bathroom remodeling showers that can transform your bathroom into a relaxing oasis. From sleek, modern designs to spa-like features, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re planning a full bathroom renovation or just looking to update your shower, it’s important to work with a professional contractor who can help you bring your vision to life. So why wait? Take the first step towards your dream bathroom by contacting a trusted contractor today and start planning your bathroom remodeling project. Your perfect shower is just a call away!