If you read home décor articles, you’ve probably seen freestanding soaker tubs inside huge glass enclosures that also house shower sprays. There’s no doubt this is an eye-catching design move that gives the bathroom expensive hotel vibes. If you’re considering trying this at home, read on.

 

Know Your Options
1. Just a Shower - For starters, consider the various possibilities to determine which makes the most sense for your space, your budget, and your lifestyle. To begin with, not every bathroom needs both a tub and shower. Many people shower almost exclusively and rarely or never soak in the bathtub. If this describes you, it might make sense to conserve money and space by doing away with the bathtub and simply building a shower stall of glass and metal.

 

2. The Old Standby – At the same time, it is generally recommend that a home have at least one bathtub if you are considering resale appeal. If you want your updated bathroom to have both options, there is the standard tub/shower combo to consider. This typically involves a built-in bathtub with both a shower head and a faucet. While this is nowhere near as glamorous as a soaker tub in a glass enclosure, it is space efficient and much less pricey. You can dress it up through your choice of tile and by using a frameless sliding door system or a hinged door and fixed panel instead of a curtain and rod.

 

3. Separate Tub and Shower – If your bathroom is large enough, there is a third possibility. Many homeowners and designers are moving away from the classic tub/shower combo in favor of a glass shower enclosure and a separate freestanding tub. This also gives the bathroom high end vibes, and a soaker tub makes a real statement of style since you can choose from various options such as clawfoot and copper! Likewise, the glass shower could be a custom design or a steam shower. However, don’t go this route if it’s going to be a tight squeeze. Installing a freestanding tub too close to a wall or fixture can leave a small gap that is impossible to reach into and keep clean.

 

Pros and Cons of a Tub Inside the Shower
Pros – First let’s look at some of the reasons homeowners and designers might favor this approach. As mentioned, it looks impressive. Additionally, it offers both options, a quick shower or a leisurely soak. Moreover, all the water and moisture is contained in this one area that presumably has appropriate waterproofing.

 

 

Cons – Now we’ll look at why you should pause before jumping on this trend. The biggest issue is that the glass enclosure must be truly spacious for this to work. If you cram a tub into a mid-size enclosure you will likely create the kind of uncleanable nooks we discussed above. Also, in a situation like this, the tub could actually be a trip hazard, and you might find that there’s not space to conveniently take a shower. However, if you have the space and budget to do this right, it can really elevate your bathroom.

 

Takeaways

In summary, your options include:

• Just a shower stall, no bathtub
• A built-in tub/shower combination
• A glass shower enclosure and a separate tub
• A free standing tub inside a large glass shower enclosure 

Placing a bathtub inside a glass enclosure is a fashion forward move that can look elegant and luxurious. On the other hand, choose one of the other options if you can’t build an enclosure large enough to conveniently house both the tub and the showering area. 

Whichever route you go, we invite you to check out Glass Simple’s great selection of frameless glass shower hardware and more! Call our friendly Virginia based team with questions or to set up a B2B account and save with reduced pricing – (571)707-7760.