Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — Choosing Accessories
Step 5 in swapping your tub for a sleek new shower: Pick the right niches, benches and bars for the best showering experience
I'm always excited to install the beautiful finishing touches on a shower. Extra care is needed in these last steps — you don't want to undo all the work that's gone into making your shower completely waterproof. Depending on the type of wall tile or stone used, precise drilling may be needed to anchor wall supports for benches or shelves.
Before picking out anything, think about how an accessory can make your shower safer or more enjoyable. You should consider storage for shower necessities in the beginning of the design process. A custom corner shampoo niche can add hundreds of dollars to a tile installation, whereas a ready-made shelf can cost less than $20. Accessories and storage have a direct effect on the total cost of a shower renovation.
Before picking out anything, think about how an accessory can make your shower safer or more enjoyable. You should consider storage for shower necessities in the beginning of the design process. A custom corner shampoo niche can add hundreds of dollars to a tile installation, whereas a ready-made shelf can cost less than $20. Accessories and storage have a direct effect on the total cost of a shower renovation.
Stainless Steel Glass Shower Door/Wall support
Wall and door supports. Frameless glass installations often need to go from the floor to the ceiling to have adequate support and strength. A bar like this means that your shower glass doesn't have to do that. Keep in mind that you need to maintain at least 80 inches of ceiling height to meet the National Kitchen and Bath Association's bathroom planning requirements.
Benches. Space can be tight in a tub-to-shower renovation. A little corner bench like this can be a perfect space saver.
Not every tile installer or bathroom renovator will be skilled enough to do this properly and keep things waterproof. I'm a fan of By Design's work — the wonderful shower shown here is by this team.
Not every tile installer or bathroom renovator will be skilled enough to do this properly and keep things waterproof. I'm a fan of By Design's work — the wonderful shower shown here is by this team.
This low built-in bench is a great idea. It's perfect for shampoo bottles — saving you from picking them up off the floor — or as a place to rest your foot when you're shaving.
Corner Shower Seat With Basket, Brown
If a custom tile bench would blow your budget, a ready-made corner seat like this one is a no-brainer. In a pinch, you can omit the bench and save up for a custom wood seat later.
Grab bars. You and your family members should feel safe and steady while showering. A pair of grab bars like this offers considerable shower safety. Those washing their hair in this shower could still keep a hand on a grab bar at all times.
Recessed niches. This corner shower niche is a wonderful example of a custom tile upgrade — so much so that it becomes the feature of the shower. More care and work are needed for a tiled feature like this, though, and the added cost might not be worth it to you.
Ask for some cost breakdowns so you better understand the pricing of items like benches, niches and custom tiling. I personally love recessed niches and include them on almost every project.
How to Pick a Shower Niche That's Not Stuck in a Rut
Ask for some cost breakdowns so you better understand the pricing of items like benches, niches and custom tiling. I personally love recessed niches and include them on almost every project.
How to Pick a Shower Niche That's Not Stuck in a Rut
Stainless Steel Shower Door Organizer
There's virtually an unlimited selection of shower accessory types, sizes and materials. No matter what decide you need, choose well-made items. Stainless steel or chrome-plated-brass accessories tend to work best in the long term.
Corner shelves. Corner shelves like these can be very simple and functional ways to store shampoo bottles and other necessities. I recommend using glass and tile drill bits or diamond coring bits to drill holes through the tile. I'm not a fan of impact drills with masonry drill bits for this type of installation — they're too risky and stressful on tile installations for my liking.
I've found it's safer to replace many of the fasteners on the actual product with higher-quality versions. Screws on some shower products can break very easily. Ask your contractor to use stainless steel screws and wall anchors (which are better suited for tile installations) to install your shower shelves.