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Advice needed for small shower

Lauralena
10 years ago

I have a very tiny shower (3' x 3') in a room laid out like the one in this photo (my inspiration photo from Houzz). My shower is separated from the rest of the room only by the curb (absent in the photo). My bathroom is even smaller than the one in this photo; the rest of the room is about 3 'x 5'.

The shower opening is too small for a frameless glass door.

My question:
Do I...
1) get a shower curtain? If yes, should I get a straight rod or a curved one? Do they even make ones for openings this small? And much as I'd like more elbow room in the shower, I don't know if I want the curved rod protruding into the valuable air space in the rest of the room.
OR
2) do nothing (as the people did with the bathroom in this photo). Or will that make a total mess? As in this photo, my shower head faces the opposite wall, not the opening. I could always put a mat down on the other side of the curb to catch the splatter. Not having a rod/curtain would certainly make the room look larger.

If it matters, my floor is a glass mosaic, same floor for shower and rest of room. Shower curb is honed marble.

Thoughts?

Thank you!

Comments (22)

  • lotteryticket
    10 years ago

    Would a glass door that swings both in and out work?

    [Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by Denver Architects & Designers ROWLAND BROUGHTON ARCHITECTURE & URBAN DESIGN

    If the entire floor is waterproofed then you could go without a curtain. I live in a cold climate so I wouldn't do that but if you won't have cold drafts then it could work.

    If only the shower floor is waterproofed I would want a little more protection so you don't ruin the rest of the floor.

    This curved rod doesn't seem to take up much room and you could tie it back when you're not showering so it's not in the way of the sink.

  • jewelisfabulous
    10 years ago

    I'm puzzled why you feel a frameless glass door wouldn't work? They're made in custom sizes...

  • Lauralena
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's the problem: I have a wall-mounted sink adjacent to the shower. I'd say it protrudes about a foot in front of it. On the other side of the shower is a door jamb. So within a 3'-wide space, I don't think there's room for a door to open out either way. But please correct me if I'm wrong.

    BTW, I have a neighbor upstairs (I live in an apartment) with the exact same configuration. She has a glass door, and in order to get in she has to hold her breath and squeeze in sideways. Here's a photo. If you look closely, in the lower right you can see the reflection of the sink, which prevents a wider opening.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    Are you taking votes? If so, I vote for doing what's shown in the bottom picture in lotteryticket's post -- curved rod (it will only jut out at the top) and shower curtain. My bathroom is bigger than yours, but its still small and that's what we've done (so far....my DH would still prefer a shower door, but I'm leaning against changing it)

  • jewelisfabulous
    10 years ago

    Check out the Dreamline Butterfly glass bi-fold shower doors made for small showers with difficult entry issues. They fold together to provide as wide an entry into the shower as possible.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfly Shower Door

    This post was edited by Jewel654 on Sun, Apr 6, 14 at 17:32

  • crl_
    10 years ago

    I would be very cautious in choosing a door to make sure it can be opened completely even if someone has fallen inside the shower stall. (Sorry for that negative image, but I have elderly parents and my mom once fell inside the toilet room with a door that opened inward and getting her out was an ordeal for all concerned).

    On a lighter note, I don't like glass doors all that much and I think I would try to find a curved shower rod, just keep the curtain open when the shower is not in use. The rod itself would be up high and not interfere with the rest of the room.

  • lisadlu
    10 years ago

    I have a small shower and didn't want to use a glass door for the same reason. I went with a ceiling mounted track with chains and a curtain. Look at www.ceilingshowerrod.com but the photos don't do this look justice. I am very pleased. :)

  • Lauralena
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, everyone. I think I'm going to go with a curved shower rod. Anyone know of one that will fit this small a space, or would I need to have my contractor saw it down?

  • Olychick
    10 years ago

    Usually a curved rod works on a tub/shower combo and the curtain is contained by the tub, even with the curve. I would be really worried about using a curved rod on a shower when you only have the curb to contain the curtain. It seems to me it would be really easy to have the middle of the curtain (where the rod is the furthest from the back wall) slip out of the curb and flood the floor. I suspect that's why you don't see curved rods for small showers.

  • busybee3
    10 years ago

    i think i would be tempted to try nothing at 1st... the bathroom is so small that it probably won't be chilly/drafty... and as long as the tile is pretty and you keep the shower clean, i wouldn't want to cover it up with a curtain- alittle bit of water shouldn't be a big issue... if splashing/puddling is really an issue, then put up a curtain, but aesthetically, i think curtainless would look best.

  • nycbluedevil
    10 years ago

    Personally, I would do a straight rod (for the reason that Olychick brought up). I had a 3x3 shower in my old bathroom and while it was tight, it was manageable. With a curtain it will be much better. I would do a very light-colored curtain--maybe one of those that is sheer from about shoulder height to improve the feeling of openness. Also, you could try a ceiling track with a curtain tie back for a different look.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    I have a straight rod now, but plan to try a curved one this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    I have a straight rod now, but plan to try a curved one this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

  • Lauralena
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    sjhockeyfan: yes, please let me know how it goes.
    I think I'll take a test shower without the curtain. Or better yet, I'll have my 6'4" boyfriend try it. If it's anything more than a towel wipe, then I'll consider a curtain. Here's a pic of my shower floor (which will extend into the rest of the room). Tile not yet grouted; saddle not yet tiled. You can see what a tight space that is! Thanks, everyone!

  • piscesgirl
    10 years ago

    My vote would be for the track curtain or a straight curtain rod.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    Sorry, we didn't end up getting the curved rod - my DH wanted to stick with the tension rod (only available in straight rods) until we're certain we're not switching to glass.

  • alex9179
    10 years ago

    Lisadlu - would you be able to post a photo of your track curtain? I think this is a fabulous option for us, as squeegeeing glass won't happen at least 50% of the time in my house!

    I bet it feels wonderfully open when the curtain is pulled back. That's really attractive for my 6x9 room!

  • lisadlu
    10 years ago

    alex9179 - Here is a photo that doesn't do it justice. I can't get it rotated correctly either so you'll have to tilt your head or computer! The room that has the shower and toilet is just 74" x 60" and it's hard to get a good shot through the open doorway. I keep the curtain open after it dries and the small space feels so much "larger" than it did with the glass doors we removed. Good luck!

  • lisadlu
    10 years ago

    Ceiling with track.

  • alex9179
    10 years ago

    Thank you so much for posting these! It does look better in your photos. I was concerned about the aluminum looking "meh" but it's really low profile. I can't wait to show DH.

    We'll have an "L" shape that will need to be customized and the curtain will stack against the back wall, almost out of site when not in use. This will make cleaning SO much easier than doors.

    Sorry for hijacking Lauralena!

  • lisadlu
    10 years ago

    Alex9179 - You can also get the tracks in white instead of steel. AND if your DH is handy, he can recess the track into the ceiling. I have done this in my other bathroom too, using an L-Shaped track. That company has them all and will do custom sizes. Cost is about $10 more than a normal shower rod and you don't cut off the "sight lines". Good luck! :)

  • alex9179
    10 years ago

    I saw white and it seemed too hospital-ish. I thought about adding that man-made moulding to hide it, but realized it would just bring more attention to the ceiling. I like the way the aluminum looks in your bathroom, a lot. My dream was to have a doorless shower but with no budget to move plumbing and a 40ish x 40ish area, that wasn't going to happen. Now it sort of can!

    DH handy-hahahaha! I might be making at least part of our vanity (what's up with those prices?), if that tells you anything. We're hiring someone, yet to be determined, and will look into recessing it - that would be perfect.