Shower design ideas are often inspired by blog post photos, home improvement shows, or even AI images on social media. However, making a specific shower layout a reality in your bathroom may be more involved than you think. In real life, we have to work around the structural conditions of the space, safety and building code concerns, and our own budget and timeline for the project. That’s why we’re bringing you today’s set of practical shower design ideas from an industry professional with years of experience in the following areas:

• In-home consultations with homeowners considering a glass shower
• Precision measurement for glass enclosure estimates
• Installation of custom glass showers

1. Glass Shower Enclosure Height

For many years, 74” has been a go-to height for glass shower designs. This provides solid water containment and a fairly standard appearance. However, many homeowners doing a bathroom remodel want results far above “standard,” as spa-inspired restrooms are becoming the norm. Some luxurious glass showers you see online may be cost-prohibitive, impractical for the size of your bathroom, or not even possible within US building codes. There is an easy way to make your glass shower more impressive, though. Choose a height of around 78” – could be a bit taller or shorter depending on your ceiling height – to give the enclosure a more high-end and visually appealing vibe. This simple adjustment will also draw the eye upward, making the ceilings seem higher and ensuring that your new shower glass is a focal point.

2. Door Placement and Operation

Another aspect of glass shower design is where to mount the door. A swinging door can be attached to a bathroom wall with wall mount hinges or to a fixed glass panel with glass-to-glass hinges. While both options can achieve beautiful results, there are several points in favor of hinging the door off a bathroom wall, rather than off a glass panel:

• If you use glass-to-glass hinges, you will need to pay for more glass fabrication since cut-outs are needed in both the door panel and the fixed panel.
• A door hinged to a bathroom wall be more rigid than one attached to glass. (You may wish to have blocking added to the relevant bathroom wall for even greater support.)
• If a door is going to be hinged to it, a fixed panel must either go all the way up to the ceiling/bulkhead or consist of 1/2" glass, which is more expensive than 3/8” glass. 1/2" glass also requires more expensive heavy duty clamps.
• Glass-to-glass hinges are larger and more noticeable, which is a drawback if you’re going for a design with minimal metal.

3. Glass Shower Enclosure Width

Finally, we’ll consider the width of a custom glass shower enclosure design. 88-7/16” is the recommended maximum width for a glass-enclosed side of a shower area if you are not using a header bar. This width allows for a 30” door hinged off a 22” fixed panel, with a 36” in-line panel on the other side of the door. Keep these guidelines in mind to ensure that your desired look will be doable within the structure of the shower area.

Questions?

Do you have questions about the right hardware for your glass shower design? Glass Simple’s experienced team will be happy to take your call and provide assistance – (571)707-7760.