Design A Custom Shower Stall

A custom designed shower stall can be a luxurious experience. If you are considering designing your own, then there are several steps you will need to take to make sure you include all of the desired features and utilize the available space well.

Step 1–Evaluate Your Space
Whether you are planning on installing a custom shower stall in an existing bathroom or you’re designing a new bathroom, the available space will have a huge influence on what kind of shower you put in, and what features can be included in the shower.

Evaluate the length and width of the shower and precisely where you want to locate it in the bathroom. For example, is there space enough for an oversized, two-person shower or is the space limited to a small single person shower?

Also, examine where you want to locate the shower. Will it be placed adjacent to an existing bathtub, will it be a corner shower stall, or will it stand alone in the bathroom? Location will determine how many walls the shower needs to have constructed as part of the enclosure, and what features can easily be incorporated into the shower stall.

Step 2–Decide on Features
The beauty of a custom shower stall is that it provides the opportunity to decide what features you want to include in it. For example, you may want to include a bench or seat against one shower wall or a niche in the wall for shampoo or other bottles. Other popular features include no shower door at all, grab bar rails, multiple shower heads, and adjustable height shower heads.

Step 3–Decide on Wall Enclosure Materials
There are many different kinds of materials available today for custom shower stall enclosures. These include glass block, tile, stone, glass tile, fiberglass and even cement. In some cases a combination of materials are used for the enclosure. For example, the building walls may be covered with glass tile or stone, the freestanding walls may be constructed of glass block and a pivot tilt frosted glass door can be used to complete the enclosure.

It is also possible to purchase a customized glass or fiberglass enclosure that is built to order. These enclosures may be easier to install than tile, stone or cement shower enclosures.

Step 4–Decide on Fixtures
Shower fixtures are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. A custom shower can be custom plumbed, which means that shower heads are not limited to a single head, but can instead include multiple shower heads. Other fixtures that are popular are cascading shower heads with multiple jets, large rain shower heads and steam features. Most homeowners choose to match the finish of their shower fixtures to other fixtures in the bathroom, which may include brushed nickel, oiled bronze, chrome and brass.

Step 5–Decide on a Door
In some cases, a custom shower stall will not include any shower door at all. If this is the case, then the shower head will need to be placed so that the overspray does not spill out into the bathroom. However, the majority of showers have a door. Doors can be simple glass doors that swing outward, bi-fold doors or doors that slide along the length of one enclosure wall.