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How to Upgrade Your Shower for a Personalized, Spa-Like Experience
Find the ideal shower head and more to create your own serene bathing haven
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Maybe you crave a hot soak in a drenching downpour. Perhaps you prefer a gentle patter on your skin, or a steady pulse aimed at an aching back. Whatever your favorite kind of shower, everyone has their own preference — even within a household — which is where clever design comes in. “There are lots of ways to tailor the shower experience to what you want,” says Greg Reinecker, lead industrial designer at American Standard Brands. “It’s about making it more personalized to create a mini getaway.” Keep reading for Reinecker’s tips to design your own customized shower experience.
1. Pick the Right Shower Head
“The main way to personalize your shower is through the choice of shower head,” Reinecker says. While there’s a vast array to choose from, most fall into four main categories: handheld shower heads, rain showers, body spray panels and standard wall-mounted showers. If you like the feeling of being drenched from above, then a rain shower might be ideal. If you prefer an arc of water whose height and direction you can control, a handheld shower is probably best. It’s all about your preferences.
“Don’t get overwhelmed with too many sprays though,” Reinecker says. New products make it easy to find just what you need by combining multiple functions and spray options. The wall-mounted unit seen here, for instance, comes with an integrated handheld shower head, and water can flow from both at the same time.
Water conservation can also be taken into account. Shower heads now come with different GPM rates (for gallons per minute). Look at new models with a water-saving rate of 1.8 GPM, designed to feel almost identical to their higher-consumption counterparts — meaning you’ll notice a drop in your water use and bill but not in your water pressure.
“The main way to personalize your shower is through the choice of shower head,” Reinecker says. While there’s a vast array to choose from, most fall into four main categories: handheld shower heads, rain showers, body spray panels and standard wall-mounted showers. If you like the feeling of being drenched from above, then a rain shower might be ideal. If you prefer an arc of water whose height and direction you can control, a handheld shower is probably best. It’s all about your preferences.
“Don’t get overwhelmed with too many sprays though,” Reinecker says. New products make it easy to find just what you need by combining multiple functions and spray options. The wall-mounted unit seen here, for instance, comes with an integrated handheld shower head, and water can flow from both at the same time.
Water conservation can also be taken into account. Shower heads now come with different GPM rates (for gallons per minute). Look at new models with a water-saving rate of 1.8 GPM, designed to feel almost identical to their higher-consumption counterparts — meaning you’ll notice a drop in your water use and bill but not in your water pressure.
2. Integrate Technology
Consider adding forward-thinking features to make your shower experience easier and more decadent. Many people like various spray options, but it can be a hassle to switch among them. “You want to change the shower experience without feeling like you’re going to fall or get a mouthful of water if you do,” Reinecker says.
Enter high-tech options that let you switch sprays with a tap. Enjoy a drenching soak to start, then simply tap the shower head to change to a gentle spray to wash your face. Or tap to switch to massage mode or a jet spray to target a sore muscle. For those who don’t want to or can’t reach overhead, there are also small remotes you can attach anywhere in the shower. Simply tap the button to change the shower spray.
Consider adding forward-thinking features to make your shower experience easier and more decadent. Many people like various spray options, but it can be a hassle to switch among them. “You want to change the shower experience without feeling like you’re going to fall or get a mouthful of water if you do,” Reinecker says.
Enter high-tech options that let you switch sprays with a tap. Enjoy a drenching soak to start, then simply tap the shower head to change to a gentle spray to wash your face. Or tap to switch to massage mode or a jet spray to target a sore muscle. For those who don’t want to or can’t reach overhead, there are also small remotes you can attach anywhere in the shower. Simply tap the button to change the shower spray.
3. Remember the Stall
The shower stall itself affects your overall experience. “The design really comes down to your shower habits,” Reinecker says. Glass enclosures let in lots of light and visually open up your bathroom. If you’re especially splashy, a full-glass surround, as opposed to a half glass wall, is probably more practical. People are also turning bathrooms into wetrooms, removing enclosures around showers entirely and installing drains in the floors.
Safety and usability considerations can also help you tailor your shower stall. Zero-threshold shower entries allow easier access for all ages and abilities and look sleek. Grab bars can double as towel racks and come in an array of styles. Try a built-in bench paired with a handheld shower head or shower spray remote for a more restful experience. Remove the risk of sharp edges with curved surfaces — they also reduce nooks and crannies that encourage mold.
The shower stall itself affects your overall experience. “The design really comes down to your shower habits,” Reinecker says. Glass enclosures let in lots of light and visually open up your bathroom. If you’re especially splashy, a full-glass surround, as opposed to a half glass wall, is probably more practical. People are also turning bathrooms into wetrooms, removing enclosures around showers entirely and installing drains in the floors.
Safety and usability considerations can also help you tailor your shower stall. Zero-threshold shower entries allow easier access for all ages and abilities and look sleek. Grab bars can double as towel racks and come in an array of styles. Try a built-in bench paired with a handheld shower head or shower spray remote for a more restful experience. Remove the risk of sharp edges with curved surfaces — they also reduce nooks and crannies that encourage mold.
4. Have Fun With Finishes
Cap off your new shower with a dash of color on the walls or a luxe tile underfoot as a final style punctuation. Acrylic panels are a budget-friendly option and come in a wide variety of hues, patterns and textures. Some surfaces, such as rubber, provide more traction than others, and small tiles help feet grip better. Porcelain tiles are a popular wall choice and can be glossy or matte.
Cap off your new shower with a dash of color on the walls or a luxe tile underfoot as a final style punctuation. Acrylic panels are a budget-friendly option and come in a wide variety of hues, patterns and textures. Some surfaces, such as rubber, provide more traction than others, and small tiles help feet grip better. Porcelain tiles are a popular wall choice and can be glossy or matte.
Whatever you choose, Reinecker recommends keeping cleanability in mind. You can achieve the look of natural stone without the upkeep by using engineered quartz panels or stone-effect laminate, as seen here. The larger the tile or panel you use, the less grout there is to clean. Either way, have fun with the choices. This is your chance to play with design and create a relaxing shower retreat.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Thanks for very practical, insightful information. I agree with the first comment about toiletry storage in shower areas. Love niches built into the walls. A fold-down bench or room for a seat can become important as we age. Our master bath is large, but the house's builder saved space with a narrow door that wouldn't easily accommodate a walker or wheelchair. Even if we never need either of those, I rarely enter or exit with a laundry basket without hitting the woodwork. Enlarging the doorway is a need in our future redo. I appreciate warnings that doorless showers can be too cool; guess I'll have to try them out at hotels or other people's homes.
I have solved the terrible glass wall problem with a textured glass that looks like rain. (There are several options.) It obscures the view of the occupant AND, more importantly, obviates the need for constant upkeep of the glass. I love it!
The glass can come with a treatment that will cut down on spots. There is also “RainX which we have used for years on our shower doors ONLY every 6 months! In between you have NO cleaning. Soap and water just roll off and doesn’t build up. That being said, think twice about an open shower. Yes, they look beautiful but can be really cold unless your whole body is covered in hot water. We live in south Florida and yes outside it’s hot but inside it’s air conditioned 24/7. Can only imagine how cold it would be anywhere else. Ask yourself if that shower curtain is opened while showering, “am I cold”? If so be prepared to be cold in that opened shower. This is our latest master bathroom remodel.