4 New Bathrooms With Amazing Showers
Pros on Houzz share ideas for tile, fixtures and other features to create enticing showers worth lingering in
A shower can be so much more than a way to get clean. It can relax, rejuvenate and restore. But the right design elements are essential. Here, designers share details about the tile, fixtures and other features that take these showers beyond a basic bathing routine.
2. Magnificent Marble
Designer: Bess Wiersema of Studio3 Design
Location: Los Gatos, California
Size: 272 square feet (25 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was a new-construction project and the client wanted a classically styled bathroom with modern touches,” designer Bess Wiersema says.
Shower features. Steam shower. Shower head and oversize rain shower head. Calacatta Belgia marble slabs, including a heated marble bench.
Other special bathroom features. Freestanding double-ended slipper bathtub with black base (Marlborough by Victoria + Albert).
Designer tip. Use soft, warm gray tones to keep marble from veering too cold.
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
Designer: Bess Wiersema of Studio3 Design
Location: Los Gatos, California
Size: 272 square feet (25 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was a new-construction project and the client wanted a classically styled bathroom with modern touches,” designer Bess Wiersema says.
Shower features. Steam shower. Shower head and oversize rain shower head. Calacatta Belgia marble slabs, including a heated marble bench.
Other special bathroom features. Freestanding double-ended slipper bathtub with black base (Marlborough by Victoria + Albert).
Designer tip. Use soft, warm gray tones to keep marble from veering too cold.
How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity
3. Tranquil Transitional
Designer: Gretchen Carhart of 2SL Design Build Collaborative
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 105 square feet (9.8 square meters); 7 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowner recently moved to Raleigh and wanted to upgrade her traditional master bathroom to one with a contemporary feel,” designer Gretchen Carhart says. “The goal was to create a tranquil oasis by adding a freestanding bathtub. The existing bathroom layout was overpowered by a large vanity cabinet and smaller shower. To accommodate a large tub, the width of the vanity cabinet decreased and the shower and tub became a space of its own.”
Shower features. “When designing a shower, it’s all about the details and proportions,” Carhart says. “Inspired to mimic the essence of a waterfall, the back shower wall uses a textured tile installed in a vertical stack that spans from the floor to ceiling. Since there are no niches in any of the walls, a half wall that protrudes from the back wall allows the homeowner to have a place for toiletries or even a plant.
“Meanwhile, it took five different schematic iterations to get the shower grid design just right. And the shower threshold is miter-cut Arctic White quartz. Instead of installing the floor tile on the front of the threshold, a piece of quartz divides the shower area from the rest of the space.
“A shower head along with a handheld shower attaches to a slide bar for easy adjustment. Perfect for bathing your dog — and this client has three.”
Other special features. Natural white oak vanity with black pulls. Limestone-look porcelain floor tiles. Dark green wall paint (Weekend Upstate by Backdrop).
Designer tip. “Bigger is better,” Carhart says. “Large-format tile is not only visually pleasing, it is practical. Less grout lines means less to clean.”
The 10 Most Popular Bathrooms of Spring 2023
Designer: Gretchen Carhart of 2SL Design Build Collaborative
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 105 square feet (9.8 square meters); 7 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowner recently moved to Raleigh and wanted to upgrade her traditional master bathroom to one with a contemporary feel,” designer Gretchen Carhart says. “The goal was to create a tranquil oasis by adding a freestanding bathtub. The existing bathroom layout was overpowered by a large vanity cabinet and smaller shower. To accommodate a large tub, the width of the vanity cabinet decreased and the shower and tub became a space of its own.”
Shower features. “When designing a shower, it’s all about the details and proportions,” Carhart says. “Inspired to mimic the essence of a waterfall, the back shower wall uses a textured tile installed in a vertical stack that spans from the floor to ceiling. Since there are no niches in any of the walls, a half wall that protrudes from the back wall allows the homeowner to have a place for toiletries or even a plant.
“Meanwhile, it took five different schematic iterations to get the shower grid design just right. And the shower threshold is miter-cut Arctic White quartz. Instead of installing the floor tile on the front of the threshold, a piece of quartz divides the shower area from the rest of the space.
“A shower head along with a handheld shower attaches to a slide bar for easy adjustment. Perfect for bathing your dog — and this client has three.”
Other special features. Natural white oak vanity with black pulls. Limestone-look porcelain floor tiles. Dark green wall paint (Weekend Upstate by Backdrop).
Designer tip. “Bigger is better,” Carhart says. “Large-format tile is not only visually pleasing, it is practical. Less grout lines means less to clean.”
The 10 Most Popular Bathrooms of Spring 2023
4. Vintage Vibes
Designer: Taylor Grup of Concetti
Location: Detroit’s historic Garden Court building, designed by architect Albert Kahn
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “While our client had been steadily transforming his Detroit apartment over the years, a new relationship brought the need for a bathroom renovation to accommodate two people,” designer Taylor Grup says. “Inspired by the building’s history — it has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places — our client wanted the space to give a nod to its original look and feel but offer the comfort and convenience of modern design. We collaborated to co-create a space that honors his love for history, the city and his significant other, all while lightening and brightening his bathroom and elevating its functionality and storage capabilities.”
Shower features. “We eliminated the unused cast-iron tub and installed a full glass surround to make the room look and feel bigger,” Grup says. “Additionally, installing a hydrorail was more than a space-saving trick — it also made plumbing easier because of the single water source. The head and hand spray valves provide much-needed functionality while giving off that vintage exposed plumbing look.
“The bathroom’s biggest transformation and a primary nod to history is the meticulous tilework, which includes a bit of everything — London trim, pencil details, soldier-stacked vertical tile, terrazzo, a floral yet masculine mosaic floor design and more. Although the bold green tile that complements the rest of the space sometimes appears in today’s projects, the vanity tilework is rarely seen in modern interior design. Not only were the selections critical, but the precise application was vital in creating an authentic historical feel.”
Other special bathroom features. “The intentional storage areas make this bathroom a more beautiful and shareable space,” Grup says. “The niche throughout the entire shower and toilet wall easily houses toiletries and everyday items.
“The combo of black and gold fixtures makes the space feel trendy, modern and masculine and honors the historical nature of brass fixtures that you may have seen in the original build-out of this space a hundred years ago. Material selections, like the midcentury-inspired silhouette sconces, walnut vanity, vintage runner and retro black-and-white print of a sailboat on the Detroit River tie it all together.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Like our client, we love historic interior design,” Grup says. “Historic plumbing, on the other hand — not so much. We eliminated some of the more choppy elements to utilize space better. For example, we hid a drain system between the toilet and shower area in a half wall that houses the new wall-mounted toilet mechanics.”
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Designer: Taylor Grup of Concetti
Location: Detroit’s historic Garden Court building, designed by architect Albert Kahn
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “While our client had been steadily transforming his Detroit apartment over the years, a new relationship brought the need for a bathroom renovation to accommodate two people,” designer Taylor Grup says. “Inspired by the building’s history — it has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places — our client wanted the space to give a nod to its original look and feel but offer the comfort and convenience of modern design. We collaborated to co-create a space that honors his love for history, the city and his significant other, all while lightening and brightening his bathroom and elevating its functionality and storage capabilities.”
Shower features. “We eliminated the unused cast-iron tub and installed a full glass surround to make the room look and feel bigger,” Grup says. “Additionally, installing a hydrorail was more than a space-saving trick — it also made plumbing easier because of the single water source. The head and hand spray valves provide much-needed functionality while giving off that vintage exposed plumbing look.
“The bathroom’s biggest transformation and a primary nod to history is the meticulous tilework, which includes a bit of everything — London trim, pencil details, soldier-stacked vertical tile, terrazzo, a floral yet masculine mosaic floor design and more. Although the bold green tile that complements the rest of the space sometimes appears in today’s projects, the vanity tilework is rarely seen in modern interior design. Not only were the selections critical, but the precise application was vital in creating an authentic historical feel.”
Other special bathroom features. “The intentional storage areas make this bathroom a more beautiful and shareable space,” Grup says. “The niche throughout the entire shower and toilet wall easily houses toiletries and everyday items.
“The combo of black and gold fixtures makes the space feel trendy, modern and masculine and honors the historical nature of brass fixtures that you may have seen in the original build-out of this space a hundred years ago. Material selections, like the midcentury-inspired silhouette sconces, walnut vanity, vintage runner and retro black-and-white print of a sailboat on the Detroit River tie it all together.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Like our client, we love historic interior design,” Grup says. “Historic plumbing, on the other hand — not so much. We eliminated some of the more choppy elements to utilize space better. For example, we hid a drain system between the toilet and shower area in a half wall that houses the new wall-mounted toilet mechanics.”
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Designer: Ellen Whitehead of DEW Design
Location: La Grange Park, Illinois
Size: 106 square feet (10 square meters); 7 feet, 4 inches by 14 feet, 5 inches
Homeowners’ request. “The main request: a tub and an amazing shower,” designer Ellen Whitehead says. “We had a small footprint to begin with, so we expanded the primary bathroom to encompass an existing second-floor office. This allowed us to open up the room to include a combined tub-shower room. These homeowners didn’t want a huge vanity, so we put the real estate into the space that mattered most to them, with room and natural light for plants.”
Shower features. Zellige-style green glass tiles. Double shower head with individual controls and a handheld sprayer. Soapstone-look quartz floating bench and entry ledge. Traditional black-and-white hex tile. Claw-foot cast-iron tub and floor-mount filler. “The glass divider is screen-printed with a black grid to give the illusion of a metal frame but is still ultra cleanable,” Whitehead says.
Other special bathroom features. Custom walnut vanity. Large sink with painted underside (Iron Plains by Kohler).
Designer tip. “Pay attention to tile lines,” Whitehead says. “It makes a huge visual impact if you align grout lines to window sills, niches, plumbing fixtures, etc.”
Shower fixtures: Purist in Vibrant Brushed Bronze, Kohler; shower tile: Bejmat in Lake and Olive gloss, Wow; project photos: Erin Konrath Photography; styling: Natalie Marotta Style; contractor: Arto Interiors
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