5 things to consider when choosing the right shower enclosure
Bathroom Design & Planning | 20/10/2016When planning your perfect bathroom, there are a myriad of decisions that you need to make: from which colours and styles work best in the space; to which fixtures and fittings to choose to give that ultimate bathing experience.
Whilst we have already shared our top tips for choosing the right shower tray – another important decision you will need to make is which type of shower enclosure would work best in your bathroom. To help with this, we’ve created the mini-guide below, outlining the key areas you need to consider before making your decision:
1. Space
How much space does your bathroom have?
Available space is probably the most important factor in dictating what type of shower enclosure you choose. When space is at a premium making the right decision becomes all the more important.
Separate enclosure or over-bath shower?
If you’re hard pushed for space an over-bath shower and bath screen combination may be the answer. But limited space, doesn’t have to equal limited choice – check out our full range of bathscreen types and styles
Mirrored Glass
The beauty and simplicity of mirrored glass gives you the added benefit of having a full-length mirror without giving up the space required for one and reflects available light sources naturally to create the illusion of a larger space.
For more inspiration on making the most of a smaller bathroom space – check out our Helpful hints to make the most of limited bathroom space blog…
2. Position
An alcove or a recess in your bathroom might provide the ideal way to make the most of your space. Our choice of alcove and recess enclosures allow for beautiful shower design in any nook available.
If a corner enclosure is better suited to your space, fear not! The days of a clumsy looking cube in the corner are well and truly past. Today’s corner enclosures are designed for every eventuality from classic straight edged lines to seamless sweeping curves.
A centrally positioned enclosure will require more consideration in terms of number of panels and type of door (hinged, pivot, sliding or bifold) versus a corner or alcove enclosure. Although when it comes to type of door – the same considerations will apply.
3. Style
From classic to contemporary, minimalist to vintage chic, there’s no reason why your shower enclosure can’t fit with the style of your bathroom. Check out our latest blog on bathroom styles and the enclosures that can help you complete that perfect bathroom look.
4. Shower Trays
Wet-rooms are growing in popularity, but not everyone has the right kind of space for this kind of set up.
If you need a shower tray, there are a staggering number of options available – from low-profile to standard height; square, rectangular, pentagon or quadrant shaped, traditional stone resin to contemporary lightweight trays…for a helping hand read our guide on how to choose the right shower tray.
5. Glass
Choice of glass is important for a number of reasons:
- Thickness – the thicker the glass the stronger the enclosure. So whether you’re interested in 6mm, 8mm or 10mm glass, we’ll have an enclosure that fits the bill.
- Mirrored or clear? As mentioned in point number 1 above mirrored glass reflects available light sources naturally to create the illusion of a larger space and can help preserve your dignity if your shower is directly over-looked by a window.
- PureVueHD – With our latest innovation, see the true colours of your bathroom shine through. All of the enclosures in our Classic and Coastline collections come with the added benefit of optically-clear, PureVueHD glass at no extra cost.
- AllClear® – Inspired by nature our AllClear® coating forms an invisible, microscopically smooth shield to prevent the build-up of grime on your enclosure. Available as standard on all products in our Classic and Coastline collections means more time available to spend luxuriating in the shower and less time required to clean it.
With such a wide range of options at your fingertips, we hope this information guides you through the key decisions you need to make in order to choose the perfect enclosure to complement your dream bathroom.