Walk-in showers are a sleek and modern way to get refreshed, equipped with innovative designs for incomparable bathroom aesthetics and user accessibility. But not all walk-in showers are created equal. There are many different styles, sizes, designs, and finishes to choose from, and some are quickly becoming boring and outdated. Don’t let your fabulous walk-in shower be one of them!
Some trending walk-in shower ideas incorporate various spa-like features, such as multiple shower heads for different purposes and vibrant tiles for an accent wall. One design that is more ahead of the curve is vented doors. Of course, these are just a few of the countless walk-in shower ideas you can incorporate into your own space.
In this article, we’ve put together a list of 5 walk-in shower ideas you’re guaranteed to love. Each is a unique way to get the most out of this everyday bathroom feature and heighten it to the pinnacle of design and luxury. After incorporating one (or maybe even all) of the bathroom remodeling suggestions on our list, you’ll find yourself trying to think of reasons to spend more time in your walk-in shower.
5 Walk-In Shower Ideas You’ll Love
There’s no doubt that walk-in showers are a hot commodity in modern showers and one of the homeowners’ most frequent renovation projects. This is because these bathroom features aren’t just used for the basic morning wash. Instead, they are highly versatile spaces that can be used for relaxation and personal hygiene, and with versatility in function comes versatility in design.
If you’re stuck and looking for some inspiration for your walk-in shower, here are five of our top ideas we recommend you take advantage of to improve and upgrade your shower and bathroom as a whole.
- Incorporation of spa features
- Built-in storage features
- Accent wall or nook
- Modern door design
- Arched doorway
Some of these ideas are relatively common in more extravagant walk-in showers, despite many of their features being relatively accessible financially. Other options on this are trending or more unique ideas that will set your walk-in shower apart from others and give your bathroom that personalized flair it so desperately needs.
Incorporation of Spa Features
One of the most significant differences between the standard shower and the walk-in shower is that walk-in showers automatically have an air of luxury and elegance, and so, many homeowners will enhance this by making it a space for relaxation and unwinding as much as cleaning. To do this, they will take inspiration from one of the most relaxing businesses in creation, spas.
If you enjoy using your walk-in shower for some peace and quiet after a long day or during a particularly stressful period, we recommend decking it out with features you’d find in the best spas.
These features include:
- Steam systems
- Heated floors
- Teak wood floors or accents
- Multiple shower heads with various settings (ex. a rain showerhead, handheld showerhead, a wall-mount showerhead, aromatherapy showerhead)
- A built-in bench
Some of these features are definitely easier to purchase and install than others, but each can do wonders for relaxation, even if you’re only in your walk-in shower for a brief period.
Personally, if you could only have one of these features, we recommend installing multiple showerheads. This alone will give you so many options for your walk-in shower time in terms of choosing settings that suit your mood. Even just having an aromatherapy showerhead (yes, that’s a real thing) will heighten your walk-in shower experience to a whole new level!
However, if you have a walk-in shower for accessibility and mobility purposes, a built-in bench should take priority here, hands-down.
Built-in Storage Features
One perk of the standard shower is that it’s usually paired with a bathtub, and so users have the entire bathtub rim to store their shampoo, soaps, and other bathroom necessities.
Walk-in showers rarely have this feature, leading users to leave their products on the floor or in a shower basket they hang on the showerhead. This could easily break the showerhead if the basket is too heavy or aesthetically cheapen the space. Instead, we recommend investing in some built-in storage for your walk-in shower.
Arguably the most common storage feature in any walk-in shower is the shower nook. This is a small, recessed space in your walk-in shower that provides enough space to store your essentials without disrupting your shower’s overall design and visual appeal. These nooks are usually rectangular in shape but can come in varying sizes and even equipped with shelves, depending on your needs.
That being said, if a shower nook just isn’t enough storage for you, an innovative idea for your walk-in shower is to install storage into the side of the shower itself next to the door. Having a recessed wall just outside of your walk-in shower is a great way to utilize the wall space surrounding it to fill your storage needs. Here, you can easily store towels, soaps, beauty products, and more within arm’s reach of the shower.
Accent Wall or Nook
Most walk-in showers are equipped with large glass doors that allow anyone to see right inside the shower itself, versus standard showers that are usually concealed by a shower curtain. Because you can see inside any walk-in shower, you’ll want to make a statement with this space, and we’ve found one of the most elegant and charming ways to do this is through the use of tile.
Tile is a common material used in bathrooms due to its resilience and ability to clean easily. However, far too many bathrooms are equipped with boring, basic white tiles that completely lack personality. To give your walk-in shower some life, we recommend using the largest wall facing out towards the bathroom as an accent wall. This wall will really pop if you make it out of:
- Slate tile
- Mosaic tile
- Bronze or copper tile
- Subway tile
- Porcelain tile
These are all fantastic materials you can use to personalize your walk-in shower and give it some color or eye-catching patterns.
If you really enjoy the clean, elegant, minimalist appearance you get with white tiles, we recommend going with a subway tile or making interesting patterns with the porcelain tile. The other materials will provide color and texture, but if a whole wall of slate or mosaic tile is too much, you can use them solely in the walk-in shower’s nook for a smaller accent piece.
Modern Door Design
Similar to how standard showers often feature boring shower curtains, the majority of walk-in showers have basic single or double glass doors unless they are devoid of glass doors and walls completely or designed to have an opening in the glass instead of a door. While there’s nothing wrong with these design ideas, none of them are really impactful.
If you want your walk-in shower doors to be more unique than the basic glass found on most, we recommend opting for a French or paned shower door. You’ll still have the glass, but the pane’s patterns gives it a more chic or modern aesthetic.
Alternatively, you can stick to the glass doors but alter their shape by installing a curved door instead. This will turn your walk-in shower into an elegant relaxation bubble. Curved walk-in shower doors are usually the ideal choice for walk-in showers that are tucked into corners or for bathrooms that have more curved features (such as the sink, light fixtures, mirrors, etc.), as this design will better complement the rest of the bathroom.
Another uncommon idea you can use for your walk-in shower is installing a door with a ventilation gap at the top. This idea is more for functionality than aesthetics. Walk-in showers can get pretty steamy, fast, and many owners think the only way to resolve this is to go doorless. But don’t ditch your door just yet. Creating a small ventilation hole in any glass door can resolve this issue easily.
Arched Doorway
If you look up images of walk-in showers online, you quickly notice a trend amongst the majority of the images you see; they’re all boxed holes in your bathroom walls. Modern designs love to utilize straight, clean lines in nearly everything, and walk-in showers are no different. But, we think you should break away and give your walk-in bathroom a different shape.
Arched doorways are the ideal way to give your walk-in shower a more romantic or even historic aesthetic. These architectural wonders were prominent in ancient Egypt and Greece, so if your tastes lean more towards these cultures than the rigid lines of modern designs, an arched doorway is a fantastic choice, especially because you can still have your spacious, square shower within; you’re simply altering its outward appearance.
Much like the curved doors in the previous idea, an arched doorway is another good design choice if you have a lot of curved features in your bathroom or even circular patterns on your bathroom walls or floors.
How to Choose the Best Design Ideas for Your Walk-in Shower
After considering all of these fantastic walk-in shower ideas, along with the countless others online, it might seem impossible to know which ones will suit your space and your tastes best. We sympathize with this dilemma. Sometimes it can feel as if you want to do a million things with your walk-in shower design, but not all of them are possible or complimentary.
If you’re struggling to choose the best design ideas for your walk-in shower, here are some things you should think about:
- What size are your bathroom and shower?
- Where is your shower located?
- Is there a tub and, if so, where is it located?
- What aesthetic do your other bathroom features already exude?
- What is your budget (if you’re building new or remodeling)?
- What are your wants versus needs for this space?
These are just a few places you can start that will help you better narrow down what your walk-in shower will look like. For instance, if you have a small walk-in shower that’s tucked away in a corner, you’ll probably need to give it a curved door for maximum space.
Tub location is also key in your walk-in shower design, as you’ll want these two features to complement each other or even blend together if possible. Oftentimes, if a walk-in shower is large enough, homeowners will place the tub inside the walk-in shower, which might alter how you design the space.
Alternatively, if the tub is not inside the walk-in shower, it’s usually directly next to it, and so, homeowners will try to blend them together by extending the walk-in shower tile to the bathtub or using the tub’s color or material for the walk-in shower’s accent wall.
Budget is likely the biggest obstacle to your design ambitions. Before you settle on that marble walk-in shower or install the steam system, make sure it’s financially sound. One way to narrow things down in accordance with your budget is to make a list of features you absolutely need in your shower versus those you simply want. Do the math on the necessitates, and then see what you have left to spend on the luxury options. This might help narrow down your design ideas more realistically and efficiently.
Final Thoughts
Walk-in showers can transform any bathroom into a functional spa or a favorite place to unwind without sacrificing functionality. These trendy and versatile bathroom features can be found in multiple shapes, designs, and sizes, and it’s up to you to choose which suits your needs and aesthetics best. The ideas listed here would be fantastic in any walk-in shower, but don’t forget to look at the rest of your bathroom as a whole, along with your budget, to make the design decision process easier.
Spaces Home Remodeling is a San Mateo home remodeling contractor that specializes in custom bathroom remodeling. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation for your next bathroom remodeling project.
