Primary Shower Intricacies That Need to be Addressed During Design

Many people get into their new shower and have yet to learn of the thought, details, and revisions that have taken place to make the shower as fabulous as it is. And… that’s the way we want it. As architectural and interior designers, we want you to take your first shower after your design project in your beautiful new shower and simply enjoy it. 

However,  the reality is that creating a beautiful primary shower needs and deserves time spent planning the details. So let’s review some of the intricacies during the design.

ROUGH-IN: You will make your final selections for the plumbing early on in the construction process by picking the pieces you find most beautiful, functional, and with the perfect finish. However, the most critical piece to these plumbing fixtures is the rough-ins, a vital part behind the wall. We receive two shipments of plumbing for a primary shower – rough-in and final. These are received about six months apart, and we often forget by then what we ordered (don’t worry, we have plenty of visual records), but just know that once that rough-in is installed, you are NOT changing your mind. The rough-in and final fixture fit exactly together as a unique piece. Long and short, make sure that you LOVE your plumbing fixtures long before the rough-in. 

LOCATION: We always draw into home plans where the faucets, shower heads, steam controls, shower niches, drains, benches, and handhelds will be installed. It’s about 50/ 50 of this working out perfectly. So, we meet on the job site with the plumber to review the entire plan (sometimes a few times) to ensure everything works. Framing and drain locations are often challenging, and sometimes the homeowner changes once they see everything in 3D. My rule is not to get too hung up on the drawing and let the space and client dictate the final design, then make it happen.

TITLE: The tile design has been long planned before ordering and installing the tile. But we always meet with the installer before he begins to ensure we have been clear on the design. We are typically putting heat into the bathroom floor, so we want to ensure everything is set and working. The tiler will usually need pieces of stone for the threshold, the top of the half wall, the top of the bench set, and the shelf before the bathroom is ready for the countertops to be installed. With that, be prepared to have these pieces and discuss them with the installer the first day he shows up to avoid emergency panic.

GLASS: We typically use ½” lead-free (non-green) mildew-resistant glass for the shower. Be sure to decide early on the shower door hardware, as they come in many styles and finishes. We can’t tell you why, but glass has been at a premium since the beginning of Covid, so order early! But regardless, they template the glass, which cannot be done until everything is installed. Note: The glass installer supplies plate mirrors (including beveled ones), which is another order to consider.

While there are a lot of Intricacies in the primary shower, it is well worth the effort!