Artisan Showers – The Options and Possibilities Are Unlimited

You’re ready for a new bath, and if you’re like most people, your new bathroom will include removing a hot tub or increasing the size of the shower.

In the remodel, the shower has become the number one most requested item in the bathroom. Gone are the days of being code compliant with a 30 x 30 fiberglass enclosure and in its place is the handcrafted walk-in closet.

There’s so much to shower design that it’s hard to know where to start, especially when considering a budget. With over twenty years of design experience and nearly eight years in the field, I know a thing or two about showers. Before calling in a professional like me, it will be very helpful to familiarize yourself with building a custom shower.

Let’s start with the basics of the shower: the tray, the walls, the plumbing, and the door. Next we have accessories such as niches, decoration, shelves, tiles and benches.

Each of these will contribute to the cost of your overall project and it is important to understand all the options so that you have a better idea of ​​what your vision will cost.

To begin, you will need to determine the size of your shower. If it is standard, you will have the option of using a fiberglass or pre-cast shower tray. This option will save you money compared to other options.

If you want a more elegant look or if your shower size is custom, you may want to check out a tiled tray. With this option the pan can be made in any size and tiled with stone, ceramic, mosaic or marble. Some things to consider here. When tiling a tray, you also need to think about what material will be used on the curb. Quartz is often a favorite sidewalk option and is cut to size. If you’re looking to save money, a cheaper material would be tile. Often in the design, if quartz is not used, then the tile that is on the walls of the shower is used on the curb. One side note to consider is that when using tile on your curb, you should have a product to finish the tile edges. Bullnose is one way to achieve a clean finish and a more economical tile edge solution is to use a metal / plastic edge. I’m not a fan of plastic, but I often select metal over the rounded tip because it can actually enhance the design.

The other consideration is the tile. The shower floor takes its fair share of abuse, so staying away from marble (though beautiful and elegant) will keep your shower looking new for years and years.

Moving on, let’s talk about the shower walls. Shower walls can be finished with tiles of any size and any type of tile, but they are not all within the same budget. Marble, the king of any bathroom, is the most expensive in both workmanship and materials, and requires a lot of maintenance. Travertine is next on the price list. Although travertine is one of my favorite materials to work with, the tolerances for laying this tile are tight and care must be taken with the materials used behind the scenes so as not to stain this stone. Because marble and stone are more labor-intensive and more expensive to buy, using either of these materials in your bathroom will put your project at the higher end of the bathroom remodel price scale.

If you are looking for custom tile but low maintenance and yet want a more modest budget, I would consider ceramic or porcelain tile in a large 12×24 format or plank tile in any size. Both tiles are easy to work with and can often be cut without the use of a wet saw, saving time on labor.

Looking for something right in the middle? The best option for the middle of the road is ceramic or porcelain subway tile. The Subway tile is my favorite tile to work with for a number of reasons. The first reason is that I consider it “evergreen” as it never goes out of style. I love that this unpretentious tile can look more glamorous than stone and marble if designed correctly. It comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and can be herringbone, 1/2 set, 1/3 stacked set, and more. The possibilities with the subway are endless and the cost is inexpensive. If you want a great design but don’t have the budget for the marble subway, this could be the tile for you.

Other materials to consider are glass and shapes like the hexagon. Both will run on the higher side, but still won’t come close to the price of marble or travertine. Often times these tiles are used as accents to give the shower a little wow factor.

As with the curb, consideration should be given to how the tile edges will be finished with metal or rounded edge options. Like the curb, the metal edge on the wall will save you money compared to the rounded edge.

Now let’s talk about plumbing! It may seem like you don’t have much to think about here, but you actually do. Let’s start with the most important piece of plumbing besides the obvious rough pipes, the valve. By code, you must use a pressure balanced thermostatic mixture or a combination of the two. From there, you need to decide on accessories such as the standard shower head rain shower and body jets. Each component you add to your shower will require thought to ensure the correct valves are used to provide the necessary pressure based on the fixtures used. To save on both material and labor, a standard pressure balancing valve with a standard shower head will help keep your budget balanced.

Another way to save money is by selecting a standard drain. If you are looking to create a bit more glamor, the drain through will do the trick. It will cost a bit more for both labor and material, but the final look is well worth upgrading.

The final main piece of the shower is the shower door. Shower doors are not all the same. There are standard doors that require a specific size to open. They come in a variety of finishes, as well as types of glass. They require assembly but will save money on both material and labor.

My preference is the custom door. Available in almost all finishes and made to order. These doors will have thicker glass and can be treated to resist watermarks. Heights can be increased for a more dramatic look and they come both unframed and framed. The doors can be hinged to rotate both ways or can be ordered as sliding. Finally, these doors can have wrap-around glass, allowing designers to create impressive display showers.

With the main shower components already discussed, it’s time to explore the features that will enhance your shower. These features will add to your overall shower experience, but can also add to the overall cost of your project.

My favorite accessory to add to any shower is the shower niche. It adds dimension to the tile and is great for storing shower essentials while keeping showers tidy. Shower niches can be made in any size and are often lined with a different material, such as mosaic.

Benches are another classic accessory. The code requires a 30 x 30 shower headroom and the NKBA requires a 36 x 36 headroom before a shower seat can be added. Shower seats vary in size, but the most common is 15 “deep and 17” to 19 “off the ground. Benches can be covered using the same tile as the shower wall to save money or you can order a piece of quartz to cover the top of the bench.

Other accessories include niche lighting, grab bars, waterfall tile, corner shelves, and box walls. The possibilities for creating a unique shower are endless and no matter what your budget is, there are options available to enhance your space.

Now that you are familiar with the basics, it’s time to call in a professional and get started!