How to choose the shower: box, walk-in or combo?

​To create a stunning look in your bathroom, the shower plays an important role as taking the majority of the space in your bathroom. With so many options in the market, it can be really a difficult choice.
How to choose then the best shower box?

Here below, a helpful mini guide to help you achieve the bathroom of your dreams. 

First of wall the shower box must be practical and functional. 
It has to made in materials that last in long time, be easy to clean and maintain. 
With limescale as our worst enemy for shower box, it has to have the right system to avoid too much of them.

Homeowners, can choose among different type of shower box, usually according to their taste and the use of the shower.
The shower can be done in different ways, here the most common:

- Walk-in shower
-  Shower box with plate above the floor or floor-level
- Spa shower or multifunctional
- Bathtub-shower combo
- Built in shower without doors or glass

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Shower box

When designing a bathroom, I always try to put the shower on a focal position as I think it is very nice when entering the bathroom, having the shower catching your eyes first. 

Obviously, it is not always possible, mostly in small city flats that are usually squared. 
In bigger homes, usually, it means building the shower with the window in it which I do not recommend.
Water may damage the window's frame with time if you do not protect it with a glass. Better in any case to try to avoid the window in the shower, otherwise it will require exhausting extra care.

Shower box with plate above the floor

Shower boxes with a plate are probably the best solution for who is worried about spills of water, or coldness in winter. There are many plates nowadays on the market in many different colours and materials. They come also at floor-level so they won't stick out from the floor creating a continuous line with the rest of the bathroom, which I particularly prefer. Small shower box's bases come usually with 70x70 cm.

For a floor-level plate, you must have the right inclination so the water can drain properly. 
This can be hard to achieve in older bathroom, this is why it is much easier to proceed with a shower plate above the floor level. If you are instead planning a complete new construction, make sure the water drain is build first with the right inclination. 

Shower box with floor-level plate

The opening of the doors is another crucial question for many homeowners. 
Sliding doors? Folding door? Recessed doors?

I think, it depends very much on personal taste, as there is no wrong or right door opening. 
My suggestion is that, if you have a large bathroom with lots of space, it might be nicer to be able to open the doors. 
I think the real problem is for smaller bathrooms, that do not have the luxury of so much space. 
Nowadays here in Sweden, many homeowners decide to opt for recessed doors that can fold towards the wall if you have a corner shower, like mine here below. 
I think this is a great solution to allow a bit of extra space when not using the shower.

Recessed folding doors

Folding doors

Sliding door

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​Walk-in shower
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I think walk-in showers are always very elegant, eye-catching, modern and a beautiful element in a bathroom.
The standard measurements would be 120x90 cm (ideally 150x90 cm). 
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They come with a glass that can be transparent or faded (for more privacy) that functions as a wall. 
If the glass is transparent, this will allow the shower to be incorporated with the rest of the bathroom,
making the room feel more spacious.
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Corner walk-in shower

Recessed walk-in shower

They can be built in three different configurations, all equally beautiful:

- Recessed: 3 closed sides + 1 glass
​- Corner: 2 closed sides + 1 glass
- Floating: 1 closed side + 1 glass

The last one is particularly scenographic, but also the others can be gorgeous. 
You can have the tiles inside the shower equal to those of the rest of the bathroom, or you can make something beautiful with perhaps a mosaic or another colour/pattern.

To actually have a walk-in shower built into your bathroom, you will need them to be at least 120x90 cm and to have 60-70 cm of walking distance from the glass (this is why, unfortunately, not all bathrooms can have a walk-in shower). 
The rain forest water drop needs to be installed as further as possible from the opening of the shower, to contain the water to the drain. 

Corner walk-in shower

Walk-in showers are very modern and completely in contrast with the trends of the 90s,
where the shower was typically a box with a plate and sliding doors completely distant from the rest of the bathroom, as if it was something to hide. 
​Including the shower with the rest of the bathroom, by reflecting the colour of the palette, coordinating the shower head and handles, will make you gain more space and your dream bathroom will look stunning.
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Recessed walk-in shower

Floating walk-in shower

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Bathtub-shower combo

If you you cannot decide between shower and bathtub because you like the privilege of a relaxing bath after a long day, opting for a combo could be the perfect solution for you dream bathroom.
Nowadays, they are very beautiful and the shower head can just add a more special feature. Let inspire you!
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The most classic ones will have a glass on half of the bathtub and they will be recessed between three walls.
Other more modern combination can have the walk-in shower on one side of the bathtub,
which I find very spectacular.
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For any question about how to design your dream shower and bathroom, do not hesitate to reach out to: interiorbyambrosi@gmail.com. With a completely online interior design service, I can help you to design your dream home, whenever you are. We all deserve a home to love.

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Thanks for reading!