Modern bathroom shower ideas: how to design the perfect shower

03.2022

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Learn lots of useful tips and ideas to start design your bathroom with a modern shower

Modern bathroom shower ideas: how to create the perfect shower

At a certain point in our lives we have all been or will be faced with the difficult task of designing our own bathroom. The style of this room has changed a lot over the years, culminating in a modern bathroom with simple lines and high functionality.

Often the amount of things to choose from seems insurmountable, and figuring out how to make your bathroom a perfect modern bathroom seems impossible.

In this article we will discover together how to create a modern bathroom starting from the design of its undisputed protagonist: the shower. We will see how many features it has and how they can give an important direction to the bathroom’s appearance.

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Why choose a shower?

Bathroom with shower or bathtub? This is the question on everyone’s mind when it comes to designing a bathroom for their home.

In the past, homes were larger than they are today and people often chose to have two bathrooms, one with a shower and the other with a bath, to enjoy the benefits of both.
Today, spaces have clearly shrunk and this is not always possible to adopt this choice.

The latest trends in bathroom design show that the shower is the most commonly installed element, certainly more frequently than the bathtub. But why? The reason is that the shower has many features that align more closely with contemporary lifestyles and mindsets:

  • It allows for faster cleansing
  • It is more eco-friendly
  • It is perfect for all ages
  • It requires less space to build

The shower fits in perfectly with the hectic pace of this contemporary millennium as it allows you to wash in a few minutes, recovering precious and essential time.

This element is also extremely accessible for people with limited mobility, such as the elderly, and can be installed even in small spaces, managing to enhance even very small bathrooms.

These simple but fundamental characteristics make a bathroom with a shower the most popular choice. The myriad of materials available on the market allow, through careful selection, the creation of an environment that combines functionality and elegance together: a modern bathroom with a shower of pure design!

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How to create a modern bathroom with a shower

Creating a modern bathroom with a shower is not only possible but also easy and affordable.
In fact, this style has a few clear key features that make it easy to create and adapt to any shape of bathroom, whether large or small.

The key words are simple lines and functional aesthetics: choosing bathroom decor with clear, clean lines that convey a sense of order and relaxation and simultaneously guarantee excellent functionality is the winning choice.

Studying every detail well is essential if you want to create a harmonious and comfortable environment. The use of natural materials, such as marble or wood, the creation of small contrasts, and the use of bathroom fixtures and suspended furniture will make the bathroom a true design environment. A perfect example of this concept can certainly be found in the linear design of the Anima modular drawers or in the welcoming bi-materiality of the Adda modular drawers.

But what are the elements to pay particular attention to when choosing a shower? Let’s find out together.

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Types of shower

The first thing to choose is the type of shower you want to install. It may seem obvious, but in recent years the types of showers that can be installed have increased and there are many features to consider.

First of all you need to take a look at the room: is it a small or a large bathroom? Are there niches to be used? Is it a bathroom to be renovated where there is already a bathtub?

Currently there are three main types of shower on the market that adapt to the space in which they are located:

  • Bathroom with corner shower
  • Bathroom with niche shower
  • Bathroom with bath and shower
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Creating a bathroom with a corner shower is recommended when furnishing a small room, as it allows you to use only one corner of the room and gain important centimetres.

The niche shower, as the name suggests, is ideal for bathrooms where the space has to be exploited, whether large or small, is enclosed within the walls. In this case, it is not necessary to install a real shower cubicle, but it will be enough to install a door to make this space even more cosy and intimate.

Finally, there is also a solution that exists for those who have a bathroom with a bathtub but dream of a shower. In fact today, unlike previous designs, many different solutions exist that allow you to install a much simpler and less impactful frame over the bathtub.

A good example is transparent glass panels above the bathtub, functional elements and pleasing to the eye, that cover up to half of the bathtub and manage to give the room the airiness and light it needs.

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Shower Tray

After defining the types of shower, it’s time to examine the different components that make up the shower. The first fundamental element to consider is the shower tray.

The choice of colour and material must necessarily be coordinated with the tone of the whole bathroom, to maintain the style of the room.

The height of the shower tray is also very important and not to be taken for granted. The height of the shower tray is not only important for aesthetics, but also for functionality. The three most common types of shower trays are:

  • Flush-mounted shower tray
  • Recessed shower tray
  • Raised shower tray

The choice of a flush shower tray is perfect for a bathroom in a contemporary style. Being completely even with the floor, it allows you to create continuity with the environment and maintain simple, clear lines. The Filo shower tray, in its floor-level version, is the perfect example of total fusion and harmony with the space in which it is installed, thanks also to the numerous textures in which it can be made.

Perfect for walk in showers, this type of shower tray is often made with a slight slope towards the drain, to allow the water to drain away quickly and easily.

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The recessed shower tray is different: although, like the flush-mounted one, it is excellent for walk in showers, it does not have an inclination but rather a small depression in the inner surface that allows the water to be perfectly retained inside.

The reduced concavity makes it perfect for a minimalist style environment. If you decide to use this type of shower tray, however, you need to make sure that you can create a depression or hollow in the floor to allow for installation.

Finally, the traditional raised shower tray is often the most common choice, mainly for two reasons: it is easier to install and its height, which is greater than the other types shown here, allows a greater slope to be given to the drain, making it work with ease.

However, the height of this shower tray does not marry with modern, contemporary design, which is why, over time, shower trays with a reduced thickness and more elegant materials have also been designed and produced to integrate this element into the overall design, eliminating the lack of homogeneity conferred by its thickness.

The Filo shower tray, in its surface-mounted version, is an excellent example of how the high quality of the materials and the care taken in manufacturing can give this element a very high aesthetic value.

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Types of doors

Another key feature to pay attention to is the choice of the type of door. Often the types of doors are adaptable to any model of shower that you want to install and what determines the choice is the size of the room and the feature that you want to give it. The most common types are:

  • Folding shower door
  • Sliding shower door
  • Hinged shower door
  • Walk in shower

A folding door is great for smaller bathrooms and can be a real space-saving solution! The typical opening mode requires very little space, limiting only a little of the access surface of even the smallest showers.

The choice of a sliding door, on the other hand, is perfect for small bathrooms with a shower that is not too small. Although the sliding mechanism does not clutter the bathroom when it is opened, there must be enough space for the door to slide.

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The case of the hinged door is different. This type of door is suitable for many types of shower, but requires a bathroom to be medium to large in size. Its opening mechanism, which resembles that of a normal door, although it does not take up space inside the shower itself, requires more space due to its opening arc.

Finally, one type of modern shower that has been very successful in recent years is the walk in shower. This type of shower is characterised by the absence of a door, which creates a much freer and more minimalist environment. It is well suited to both corner and recessed showers, as it can be closed on four, three or just two sides. It is a practical solution with a high design value.

Each type of door listed is suitable for the design of a modern shower, the important thing is that the solution is functional for the environment. The choice of glass will also contribute to the performance of another key aspect: the “linearity”.

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Types of glass

The texture of the glass chosen to cover the shower contributes a high percentage to the overall character of the room. Although in years past the most popular effect was a knurled one, the trend has now given way to softer, less impactful effects. The most common types of glass are 3:

  • Transparent glass
  • Smoked glass
  • Satin-finished glass

The transparent glass shower is the one that gives the most emphasis to the room. Its transparency makes it possible to see the cladding, which – if it is made with special geometries – is an important element of decor. On the other hand, however, total transparency significantly limits the privacy of the environment.

A big trend in recent years, smoked glass, is suitable for all environments thanks to its dark but neutral colouring. Thanks to its shade, it allows a high level of privacy while maintaining a transparent effect.

Finally, frosted glass is the ideal choice for those seeking total privacy without sacrificing style. In fact, this glass – as well as being distinguished for its opacity which allows perfect insulation – is also available in two variations, to suit all tastes.

If the aim is to create a modern shower room, in addition to choosing the glass, shower tray, and door, attention should also be paid to the shower covering or cladding, as this is an integral part of the room’s decor.

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Choosing the Shower Covering

In creating the design of a bathroom with a shower, especially if this is exposed, the material of the covering or cladding plays a fundamental role, hand in hand with the equally essential role of the colour of the materials, whose rules are well known.

For the coverings of a small bathroom, for example, it is always good to maintain light colours, which restore more light to the environment, making it appear larger. In the case of larger bathrooms you can instead experiment with darker colours.

Another key point in the creation of a modern bathroom is to maintain a certain harmony in the choice of colours, favouring calming shades (for example, beige, black, or grey tones are excellent) and then adding more or less important contrasting elements, whether they are created by inserting notes of colour or inserting different natural textures. The three most commonly used combinations are:

  • Shower cladding with natural stone
  • Wood-effect shower cladding
  • Shower cladding with mosaic tiles
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The cladding in natural stone is a timeless choice. Indeed, this material makes it possible to achieve a clean and linear form typical of modernity, while still looking back to the past and to tradition.

The various shades of natural stone are well suited to the neutral tones typical of the modern bathroom, and the innate uniqueness of this material makes it possible to create a cladding that is always original. The processing techniques make it possible to alternate the use of polished stone with special finishes, allowing the same material to be used for all the walls and coverings in the bathroom with shower, creating harmonious contrasts between the textures available.

A shower cladding made of Pietra d’Avola in the Romboo texture, for example, integrates perfectly with walls and floors also made of Pietra d’Avola but in the Levigata texture, creating an environment that is both rhythmic and comfortable.

Another very popular covering in modern bathrooms is that of wood. Indeed, this choice adds warmth and familiarity to any room to which it is added. In addition, the inclusion of wood-effect walls recalls the ambiance of Finnish spas and saunas, guaranteeing a sense of relaxation.

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In this case, once again, thanks to contemporary techniques, it is possible to find materials on the market that reproduce the wood effect very faithfully, without fearing humidity and the wear and tear of time.

Among these, we can easily take as an example our Chevron texture that, thanks to its fine workmanship and its herringbone pattern, restores at a glance the sense of welcome typical of wood.

Finally, a popular choice in recent years sees the use of medium-sized patterned tiles to create mosaic details in the shower surround. These tiles of varying shapes, whether square or hexagonal, often reproduce the colour of the bathroom walls and floors in its various shades, creating a soft yet decorative contrast that does not disturb the relaxing atmosphere of the room.

To sum up, if the goal is to create a modern bathroom, the choice of shower is an important step that must be well researched and analysed.

When designing it, it is always important to keep the concepts of functionality and simplicity at the forefront of your mind: a clean style and decor tailored to your needs will transform your bathroom and shower ideas into the perfect place to let go of all your stress!

What are you waiting for? Discover our bathroom collections or contact us and together we will create the bathroom of your dreams!

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