A spacious, spa-like shower is at the top of many people’s bathroom wish lists. But getting the design of your shower right isn’t always easy. For help designing your ideal space, here are 10 tips to create an efficient layout and bring in stylish details.

Start With Location and Size

Where would you like your shower to stand? A corner is the most common spot, but the centre of a room or a separate enclosed area like a water closet might be best for your layout or lifestyle.

Keep in mind that moving or adding plumbing costs money, sometimes a lot of money. So if that’s not in your budget, try to keep your updated shower in the same location as your previous one.

If you’re wondering how much space you’ll need, consider that the most popular shower widths are 32, 36 and 60 inches. (Lengths will vary.) Shower dimensions can be as small as 32 by 32 inches, but most people prefer a shower that’s at least 36 by 48 inches. Shower ceiling heights typically fall between 84 and 120 inches, depending on the space and the design.

You’ll also want to consider the dimensions of other elements in your bathroom before deciding on your shower size. For example, the size of your planned vanity might require a reduced shower space, so you might want to consider going for a smaller vanity to get a larger shower.

Another thing to consider is increasing the size of your bathroom to get the shower size you want. Talk with your design pro about opportunities to steal space from an adjacent closet or bedroom or even whether relocating the bathroom to another room in the house is the best move.

If you have the room, consider placing a freestanding tub within your shower. This wet-room concept creates a beautiful spa-like environment and an attractive visual statement.

Layout, size and plumbing conditions make a wet room difficult to create in some bathrooms, so working with experienced design professionals for this setup is crucial to getting it right.

There can be some drawbacks to a wet-room arrangement. A freestanding bathtub will probably get splashed whenever you use the shower, so you may need to do a quick wipe-down of the tub. Plus, freestanding tubs often cost more than alcove tubs because they’re more complex and have additional design features.

Decide on a Curbed or Curbless Look

Shower curbs serve as the threshold between the floor of the shower and the bathroom floor. They keep water in the shower, and they sometimes serve as a base for mounting shower doors and panels.

Curbless showers, on the other hand, feature a continuous transition between the bathroom floor and the shower floor, making them safer to use — no potentially hazardous step over a curb. This also makes them wheelchair-accessible.

Curbless showers offer a minimalist, elegant aesthetic and can help create a bright and airy feel, which is especially appealing in a small room.

To achieve proper drainage in a curbless shower, you’ll need to lower the shower floor below the bathroom floor to create a slope to the drain. That means that switching to curbless can sometimes be tricky in an existing bathroom if you’re not raising the level of the flooring in the entire space. Again, talk to professional design and remodelling pros about what’s possible — and practical — in your space.

The recommended minimum slope for a curbless shower is about 4%, or a half-inch drop per every 12 inches from the shower walls to the drain.

Consider a Shower-Tub Combo

A space-saving shower-tub combo like the one shown here (one of my design firm’s most-saved photos on Houzz) allows for the option of a quick shower or a relaxing soak. It’s also a good choice for resale value if you don’t have a tub elsewhere in your home, as a future buyer might want one.

Showcase Shower Doors

A glass enclosure will make your bathroom feel light and airy and will allow accent tile in the shower to become a focal point. Hinged shower swing doors are the most popular option. They can open outward to a 90-degree angle, providing a safe, wide and open entry, or they can swing inward, or both.

Set Up Seating

A shower bench is a functional addition that we often recommend. Not only is it a place to sit and shave legs, but it can also help people with balance, strength or endurance difficulties. It also provides a surface to place products on. Or it can just be a spot to take a moment and let the hot water wash over you.

A shower bench seat should be 17 to 19 inches high and 15 inches deep and must not infringe on the interior size of the shower. That means that if your shower size is the minimum 32 by 32 inches, the bench should not take away from those dimensions.

 Include a Niche

A niche to store shower products is always a good idea. Consider placement, orientation and size. Take inventory of your most-used products to ensure your niche is the right size.