In order to contribute to a tranquil and relaxing sanctuary environment, a shower enclosure needs to be a number of different things; stylish, practical, built to last and so much more.
Bathroom shapes, sizes and styles can be as unique as the individual customer. This understanding has always underpinned our design process at Lakes, helping to create showering spaces that reflect a varied range of bathrooms and lifestyles through beautifully designed and precision-engineered products that help give ultimate showering experience.
A perfect blend of design and performance is required from all products in the bathroom and a shower enclosure is no different.
Both elements are evolving all of the time, with new styles and trends complemented by fresh innovation to assist with installation and versatility.
The installation process is something manufacturers are always focusing on, to help us better supply you with easy-to-install high quality products. We are also keenly aware of what we can learn from your experiences using our products, which influence our development going forward.
So, how do you choose the perfect shower enclosure for your customer?
First, let’s start with space.
Starting out by focusing on choosing an enclosure suited to the amount of available space you are working with is probably the most crucial piece of advice that we can offer.
Whether you’re working with a large space or are hard pushed for it, making the right decision is helpfully made a lot easier by the range of choices at your disposal.
If you’re hard pushed for space, an over-bath shower and bath screen combination may be the answer, or perhaps a bi-fold door.
The more space you have to play with, the more you are likely to start going down the route of walk-in showers or full wet rooms, where panelling and minimalism are all important.
Once you’ve assessed your space and know which direction you’re going to take, it’s time to start thinking of materials and aesthetics.
Particularly with those smaller, ensuite or awkward spaces, consumers are looking at shower enclosures featuring increased glass and reduced metal to maximise the space they’re working with.
An alternative is to focus on the 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.
One way to ensure a shower enclosure looks sleek and prestige is choosing the right glass within an enclosure to give a clean and crisp appearance. Lakes’ Ambient and Wave ranges are ideal for this scenario.
Again, it’s important to always focus on the balance of design and performance.
It’s also becoming more and more important to consider multi-Generational options when designing a bathroom space.
There are now around 1.8 million households that span two or more generations, so the number of multigenerational homes is also on the rise.
A wet room is often an ideal solution for all members of the family, whatever their age or capabilities. Maximising the available space in the bathroom, a wet room tends to offer a much larger showering space than a traditional enclosure and has no shower tray threshold to manoeuvre around, avoiding trip hazards for all users.
However, if this isn’t possible due to plumbing restrictions, then a low-profile shower tray that sits at approximately 45mm high could be used instead, providing a more accessible shower entrance than standard height trays.
Low threshold trays make it easy for both young and old users to access the shower, while non-slip trays are a much safer option for vulnerable age groups.
The sustainability of a bathroom design project is another key issue. As installers, it is more than likely that you will be educating consumers on the sustainable credentials of their products – if you want to understand this better for yourself, you can always speak with your merchant.