Design ideas for stylish showers
Once an uninspiring, strictly functional feature of the bathroom, often tucked into a corner behind a plain panel of glass or concealed entirely, the shower had deservedly been getting more attention recently and is standing its ground in the bathroom. The first thing to consider is the space you have available. Installing a shower in a corner saves a lot of room, whereas standalone and walk-in showers are better in larger bathrooms. Siting a shower in an alcove or below a sloping roof is a great way to make use of an awkward space. To avoid the shower taking up too much room, you may choose to discreetly section off the shower from the rest of the bathroom using a glass panel (Matki make some brilliant ones that can be customised to fit awkward spaces). Another option is to build a half wall around the shower, making it feel like it's still integrated into the bathroom but giving it its own space. A freestanding shower, while less usual these days, can act as the centrepiece to a large bathroom.
MAY WE SUGGEST: How to design a shower bath
Tiling is a key aspect of designing a shower; you may choose to continue the same tiles as in the rest of the room (probably the best option in a small bathroom), or you can make a real design feature out of the shower by using a tile that distinguishes it from the rest of the space. Colour-blocking is also a fun idea–either tile the shower in a different colour to the rest of the room, or consider one colour for the bottom half of the shower and another for the top.
When choosing the shower itself, there's a wealth of options out there. Matt black fixtures are super on-trend and can look beautiful in a sleek contemporary bathroom, combined with a black framed shower screen and simple, geometric tiles. The 'Origin' range by VitrA has some great fittings in this style, as does Claybrook's 'Midtown' collection. For a more traditional look, go for exposed pipework and chrome or brushed brass fittings. The 'Dalby' shower from Drummonds is one of our favourites in this style, as is Catchpole & Rye's 'Le Thermo Exposed' shower, which features in Tara Craig's fantastic pink-tiled bathroom.
Michael Sinclair1/17After sensitively reconfiguring its interior to suit the needs of their family, the owners of this Welsh cottage have furnished it with an appealing mix of homely pieces gathered over the years. Yellow tiles from Mosaic del Sur brighten up the children’s bathroom, which has a salvaged ceramic sink and a glass Crittall-style screen for the wet-room shower.
Owen Gale2/17The shower of Angelica Squire's house is lined with deep blue zellige tiles. These glossy tiles bounce the light around and add a magical, Moroccan feel to the walk-in shower, which also benefits from a window in one wall of the enclosure. To allow the effect of the blue tiles to take hold in the entire bathroom, Angelica chose a simple glass screen and gold taps. The most remarkable thing about the decoration is Angelica's decision to tile the ceiling too, giving a cocooning, almost underwater effect from the zellige.
Simon Brown3/17Hugh Leslie designed this enclosed shower unit in a London house. The white panelled side and door are not closed off from the top, allowing steam to escape, as well as through a vent above the door. The door has four glass panels to allow light into the shower. Inside, the walk-in shower is lined in teak, which feels a bit like entering a first-class compartment on a vintage train.
Davide Lovatti4/17The en-suite bathroom in Tara Craig's tiny London flat has Balineum wall tiles and brass fittings from Catchpole & Rye. The pink and blue colour scheme runs throughout the flat and so the bathroom is in keeping with the rest of the space. It is accessed via a jib door covered in the same Marialida’s ‘Urbino’ cotton in azzurro/antique white from Tissus d’Hélène as the rest of the bedroom.
William Abrannowicz5/17Salvaged wooden doors or screens can be a good alternative to the standard glass shower screen or curtain. Here, a pair of Chinese screens act as shower doors. Glass has been placed behind them to protect them from the water. Try Lassco for salvaged doors.
Simon Brown6/17A bespoke Carrara marble shower surround and vanity unit contrasts with walls in a dark blue gloss paint in this flat by Beata Heuman. The bathroom – and the flat – is a small space so Beata thought outside the box and found a square-shaped bath to fit the room. Best Tile’s ‘Moroccan Encaustic Cement Pattern 06k’ tiles add decorative detail to the floor.
Michael Sinclair7/17The shower mosaic in the main bathroom in a restored Georgian house by Ptolemy Dean was created by Ann Hughes at Pierre Mesguich Mosaik. The mother-of-pearl-inlaid mirror is from Iznik Classics.
Jonathan Bond8/17For an American couple's townhouse in Notting Hill design studio Barlow & Barlow have created a comfortable, playful interior. The guest bathroom has graphically patterned tiles from a discontinued Claybrook line.
Michael Sinclair9/17The shower in the main bathroom at Ven House is particularly unusual. The glass cubicle is raised from the floor on feet in the manor of a bathtub.
Alicia Taylor10/17Todhunter Earle kept this shower design simple, adding a single paned window between the walk-in shower and sink. The shower fixtures are black with pipework concealed. The sunken shelf is a neat way to make room for toiletries.
Paul Massey11/17A cast-iron Aston Matthews ‘Epoca’ bath, its sides painted in Emente’s ‘Orpiment’, provides a colourful contrast with Robert Kime’s ‘Grille Sage’ wallpaper and muted panelling in this bathroom by Ben Pentreath. The shower flows into the bath with an unconventional circular curtain to protect from splashing.
12/17Ashlar Mason supplied the heavily striated marble for the bathroom in Audrey Carden's speedily transformed London house.
Simon Brown13/17The simple palette and accessories makes this bathroom in a Kensington flat feel elegant and luxurious. The bathroom walls are covered with tadelakt plaster, while the walk-in shower has a projecting marble base. Despite the walk-in shower not a having a door, it makes the space appear larger, and just that little more enticing.
Simon Upton14/17Vintage industrial tiles, imported from the US, line the children's shower room in restaurant owner Keith McNally's Notting Hill home.
15/17The main bathroom at Slackwood Farm has a walnut shower pod and beautiful grey stone units.
Davide Lovatti16/17The industrial style hydrotherapy bathroom of Carskiey Estate has its original shower, bath and teak wet-room floor. The Edwardian plumbing still survives, with taps displaying hot and cold saltwater and hot and cold freshwater in the magnificent bathrooms - though the salt water pipes have now corroded and are no longer in use.
17/17Interior designer Sarah Chambers believes that, 'If I don't show a client something that surprises them, I'm not doing my job.' The tiles in her bathroom look, at first glance, like natural stone but they are in fact decorated with a flock design - a very pleasant surprise indeed!
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