Open showers are shower spaces that are not enclosed by walls or limited to those tiny fiberglass shower bases that you can find in most homes. There are many ways to make these showers work in your space, from wrapping them behind your vanity wall or creating a small room for the shower. This photo shows the shower space on the opposite side of your newly-designed double sink bathroom vanity. Your plumber will thank you for this, as it creates one single “wet wall” in your bath, but at the same time, this is a very luxurious solution for a smaller bathroom suite. The floor slopes slightly to guide the water into the drain, so there is no need to worry about the mess, which is possibly the best part! In the photo below, you can faintly see a bed in the reflection of the glass door. You can see that this bathroom is part of a suite and is not huge by any means.
Wetroom showers can be contained too, if you’re outside of your comfort zone about showering out in the open. Some designers incorporate single glass walls to keep the space visually open, like this stone-clad shower.
This shower’s controls are located on the back wall, and the showerheads are mounted directly to the ceiling for a rainfall effect. The floor gently slopes to the two center drains.
Another option for the weary is a bespoke shower, where the floor is still flush, but the shower is surrounded by frameless glass, creating an invisible shower surround. It’ll fog up when in use, so this option will be the best if you like the idea of a flush floor without the loss of the comforting walls.
Before considering the addition of a wetroom shower, talk to your contractor or plumber about the locations of the fixtures currently and where you plan to add them during the renovation. They will advise you on the best locations for showerheads, drains, and fixtures like wall sprays. Be sure that your wetroom location is properly ventilated as well. The new open shower will not contain the airborne water that is now in the air, and if it’s not controlled, your towels and other soft accessories will absorb the moisture and become stinky. Yuck! Glass walls will help contain splashing, but you’ll need a fan to exhaust the humidity. When looking for a fan, you may consider a fan fixture with a built-in heater.
You’ll no longer have a shower curtain to trap the warm air, and especially in completely open showers, it might get chilly. These heater fixtures are a big help if you won’t have your robe nearby. Heating can also be installed on the floor, but talk with your contractor about coordinating the drain locations with the heating system.
There are many types of open style showers, all modern and barrier free. This is a huge advantage to many, as most wheelchair-bound or elderly people have trouble getting in and out of a tub shower to bathe.
Jacque Link is the featured writer for UniqueVanities.com and UniqueMirrorsOnline.com, where you can find the best modern sinks, faucets, and some creative collections of floor mirrors.