Choosing The Right Shower Enclosures
The latest trend in the renovation and redesign of homes is to place greater emphasis upon the bathroom. Increasingly homeowners are attempting to create bathrooms with a spa like feel and luxury throughout; choosing the right shower enclosure can be considered a major element in this popular trend. In the past, a shower enclosure was simply a place to wash, nowadays a large shower enclosure is a place to relax and enjoy the experience. Benches and seats as well as multiple shower heads, body sprays and steam showers have all become common in modern bathroom design.
The shower enclosure is now believed to be the focal point of the bathroom. Trends include forgetting the dark and gloomy showers of the past for a light an airy enclosure that adds a design feature to the bathroom. Frameless shower doors and evermore luxuriant finishes are being utilised to make the shower enclosure a nice place to spend considerable amounts of time. Added to this, totally enclosed shower areas are being installed to create showers that double as steam rooms, bringing greater health benefits that just a scrub.
When considering the design of a shower enclosure there are many factors to consider, at the forefront of the homeowner’s mind should be the amount of space available in the bathroom and of course, the budget at the homeowners disposal. A framed enclosure will provide a rigid area and will require considerable amounts of materials; surprisingly however they are cheaper than their frameless counterparts in terms of instillation costs.
A framed enclosure will most likely work well if a bathroom has an uneven shape and walls. Frameless enclosures are currently becoming increasingly popular in design but due to the need for thicker glass, they are often more expensive, although this extra cost does give an incomparable luxurious look.
The type of glass you use for your shower enclosure is also important. Legislation demands that the glass used must be either laminated or tempered for safety reasons. Tempered glass is a brilliant design feature and creates elegance; the material is also remarkably easier to clean for all of those who despise housework. Clever use of glass can make a bathroom look bigger and when combined with creative etching can be a superb design feature in its own right.
The finish of the shower enclosure should also be a concern; there is a huge variety out there to choose from for the actual framework. Two of the most popular finishes for their durability are ardonised silver and gold. Design trends however have started to incorporate brushed oil finishes using metals such as bronze and nickel. The choice of finish can make or break the attractiveness of your shower enclosure, and as the predominant feature in your bathroom, the space as a whole.
A vital part of any shower enclosure design is the door, curtains are now considered passe and a detrimental design aspect. When looking at doors it is worth visiting a supplier where doors are installed in a number of mock up bathrooms, by doing this it is possible to test the hardiness of the latch mechanisms and the durability of the door more generally. The door will create balance to your shower; hence the decision should be made after careful consideration.
With today’s modern lifestyle it is often only the bathroom where we can spend private time and truly relax. Getting the choice of shower enclosure right is essential to making the bathroom as comfortable and stylish as possible. The modern homeowner demands that their bathroom be luxurious, elegant and fundamentally practical, with such a wide variety of shower options on the market all of these attributes are achievable.
Shower Enclosures are all the rage
Living in the modern world, showers have become more of a luxury compared to the ancient days in Greece where pull cord showers were taken outside and only a cold water supply was available due to lack of plumbing. More than a welcomed change occurred towards the latter part of the 80’s and into the early the 90’s when new technologies were introduced into the bathroom remodeling industry where bathroom suppliers saw a splurge in shower and bath sales, indicating more homeowners were looking to upscale their bathrooms.
Shower enclosures were popularized in part of the design boom with bathroom suppliers exhibiting sleek trendy designs. Not before long homeowners were demolishing their existing bathrooms down to the bare walls, thus creating an increase in demand for home contractors and renovation firms brought on by the bathroom design frenzy. The emergence of shower enclosures became a key point of interest as it gave way to opening up a bathroom where the shower no longer had to be attached to the bath and only required additional plumbing be installed in order to accommodate the placement of the shower enclosure.
Today’s remodelers are going big and going all out when it comes to redesigning their bathrooms since there are far more design concepts available especially for the smaller bathroom. Typically the average size of a bathroom is approximately 130-140sq ft, according to the National Interior Design Council when the new market trends came into play, homeowners looked to shower enclosures as a means to give bathrooms a more spacious appeal. A pivotal factor in helping revolutionize the shower industry was due in part to homeowners moving towards replacing single showers with two-person showers and eliminating adjoined bath/shower units.
The desire for homeowners to express their individual design flare is largely expressed in the increased number of sales in relation to shower enclosures where people are looking to go beyond the traditional sliding glass door shower or shower certain. Since shower enclosures have undergone a tremendous change in the past several years, people are quickly discovering frameless shower doors and enclosures are all the rage and that taking a relaxing shower in one of these elegant easy-to-clean shower enclosures is an oasis of sheer pleasure.
Staying with the trend towards openness and airy spaces, the eminent range of shower enclosure designs add a stunning appeal to any bathroom remodeling project, from frameless quadrant shower enclosures for an ultra modern look or uniquely designed frosted glass corner shower enclosure adorned in chrome or stainless steel. The dazzling spectacle of shower enclosure designs directly lends to the success of the bathroom and shower industry and has often been reported at times difficult for bathroom suppliers to keep supply in stock, indicating there is supply in demand and is on a steady upward climb. According to interior designers with more homes being built, people are customizing their bathrooms prior to completion to incorporate the latest trends in bathroom décor with shower enclosures leading the way not only because of their timeless elegance, but are easily maintained and with everyone leading lifestyles that is an added bonus.
Ways on How to Shop for Shower Enclosures
If you have talked to a contractor, interior designer, or remodeler, perhaps you’ve heard this line: “Add shower enclosures.” Indeed, they just want you to be one of the many who get to enjoy them. For one, shower enclosures can help you save space and provide a good division between the washroom and a bathroom. Moreover, they are such beautiful pieces that they will surely transform your washroom into one that emanates Oriental, Mediterranean, and Victorian influence.
But how do you exactly come up with the right one?
Picking the Right Shower Enclosures
Surely, you want to make good out of your investment. That’s why when you’re shopping for shower enclosures, take note of the following tips:
1. Think of your washroom and what you want to it to be. There are a wide variety of shower enclosures that you can find in the market, and this gives you a very good advantage since you can match them according to the theme of your bathroom. Before you decide to buy, have a very good idea of what kind of shower enclosure you hope to add, where you’re going to put it, and what would be its style. Of course, you also have to be very realistic. If you’re not blessed with enough space, you should avoid going for those that occupy a lot of space.
2. Stick to modular or adjustable shower enclosure. When you don’t have as much space as you hope you have, you can always settle for modular or adjustable shower enclosure. These are the ones that you can easily move around your bathroom, if you’re looking for more space. The modular ones can actually be adjusted according to the size of your washroom. On the other hand, you can go for a corner shower enclosure and those that you can attach to the wall, so you can retain the space that you have at the front portion of your bathroom. It will not look too claustrophobic.
3. Check the features of the shower enclosures. Oftentimes the price of the enclosures will largely depend on their features. For example, if you want to transform your enclosure to a sauna or a spa, you can choose the one that can retain water vapor. You also have to check that the frame is made of aluminum. If you want glass, make sure that it’s tempered glass. Most of all, it must contain the seal of approval. This is how you know that the shower enclosure has passed comprehensive tests.
You can buy shower enclosures in your home depot. However, if you don’t like to be hassled, or you simply don’t have the time to go there, you can just shop at the World Wide Web. These types of products have their dimensions specified, which you can then compare to the size of the bathroom location where you are going to place it. Nevertheless, before you decide to accept the delivered product, check it first. This is to ensure that you’re not receiving any damaged goods.
The Importance Of The Shower Enclosure In Bathroom Design
The majority of property experts will agree that the bathroom is the second most important room in a house or flat after the kitchen, this is why improvements to a bathroom can be deemed a great investment of both time and money. A great way to bring new life to a bathroom is to install a new shower enclosure. In contemporary design circles the shower seems to have taken importance from the bath as the most hotly desired commodity in the bathroom, this is why the shower enclosure can be viewed as being extremely important. Although getting rid of the bath completely is rarely advisable, in an ideal world a bathroom that has a separate bath and shower is highly desirable.
Choosing the right shower enclosure can make or break a bathroom, it is irrelevant whether it is modern of traditional, all that is important is that it should match the rest of the room and not look completely out of place. For instance, there is little point in putting a space age shower into a bathroom that is old fashioned. Thankfully, with so many different styles of shower enclosure on the market today, all homeowners are likely to find one that matches the style of their bathroom perfectly.
As well as the different styles of shower enclosure available there are also a large number of shapes and sizes. This is probably the most important factor after style as an enclosure that is too large can look out of place and overpowering in a small bathroom; in the same respect a huge bathroom with a tiny shower will look equally strange. Deciding on the size will require careful measurement and consideration to ensure that it fits correctly and does not look out of place. As previously stated there are variances in both size and shape, of the shapes available today square shower enclosures are the most popular but in many designers’ eyes, the most uninteresting. With half moon, quadrant and pentagonal enclosures out there homeowners should consider which of these shapes are most suited to the layout of their bathroom. The right choice can truly make a bathroom luxuriant and opulent, while getting the decision wrong can mean a cramped and unsightly room.
As previously mentioned, careful planning how the shower enclosure will fit into the bathroom is an essential consideration. Decide whether your shower will sit in the corner, or against a wall in the middle of the room, there are even enclosures out there today that can stand alone. Most designers agree that if using a corner situated enclosure it is advisable to go for quarter moon or square variants as these will save the most space. For those who have the room for a large centrally located shower, choosing a pentagonal design can be extremely worthwhile and a design feature in its own right.
As part of selecting a shower enclosure, attention should be paid to the type of glass that will be fitted in the door and panels. Frosted glass is obviously a popular option for privacy reasons although increasingly etched designs are being used as an attractive component that compliments the design of the bathroom. As well as the glass, some may consider installing a wet room in smaller bathrooms as this will allow the shower to be free from restraint. The process is simple enough although professionals should be used as a poorly installed wet room can be devastating to the integrity of a property.
With so many options out there for homeowners the choices in bathroom design are vast. As an important room that adds to both value and way of life these decisions are vitally important. The shower is only a small part of the bathroom equation although through careful selection it can achieve a great effect.
