Anyone with a small bathroom will know that the only way to have the benefits of both a bath and a shower is to consider the two-in-one option of a 'shower bath'. The shower bath is simple – it's when the shower runs into the bath rather than a separate standalone shower tray and they can look rather lovely.
How to design a shower bath
There are a few considerations that you need to ponder before the final design. Firstly, do you want the shower to come out of the wall above the middle of the bath, or, more traditionally, to sit above the bath taps at one end? Both have their benefits and the latter suits a sport shower head better, while a rainfall shower can work well for either. The middle of the bath option feels roomier and more modern, however it does require a shower curtain instead of a glass screen. If your bath can only fit in the corner of the bathroom, you will need tiled walls. Bathroom tiles will need to run the length and width of the bath – anywhere that water might fall. If you can fit your bath in the middle of a wall instead, then a shower curtain around it will suffice.
An interior designer's advice for a shower bath
Patrick Williams of Berdoulat is a creator of shower bath designs. Here's what he has to say on them: 'Use a waxed linen shower curtain to give a softer look, and avoid the clinging curtain nightmare. With a circular "halo" shower curtain pole, use two curtains and make sure that where they meet corresponds to where the taps are or the shower valve is. Brass poles are always very expensive, and often the chrome ones are brass underneath, so sometimes it's cheaper to buy a chrome one (ensuring first it's of solid brass construction) and then have it stripped.'
This article originally appeared on House & Garden UK.
