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frizzle71

What kind of shelves/bars do you have in your tub/shower combo?

Frizzle71
10 years ago

Hi everybody,

I'm finally about to have my small 'typical' master bathroom with a tub/shower combo remodelled.

The bathroom is 5x9 with the tub at the end of the room. It looks like this (this is not my actual bathroom):

This is a pic of the actual tile that I'm using for the walls (porcelain carerra marble look):

I've tried to find pics on Google, and I can't decide what to do.

All I know for sure is that I'm not going to have any niches or recessed shelves.

Should I put 2 (or 3) corner shelves in the back corner? or put them in the front corner by the faucet? Or maybe a couple in both corners?

Should I put the standard soap dish in the middle of the wall? Or don't do that and just have a soap dish sitting on one of the corner shelves?

Should I just get white shelves/soap dish, or try to find a carrera look that might match the tile?

I've also seen people put a metal grab bar on the wall in in various locations? Should I put one of those in? (I'm not that old and don't really need it to help get in and out of the tub).

Also, if you know of any good online or retail stores that I might find good shelves/soap dishes, please let me know.

Thank you!

Comments (11)

  • raehelen
    10 years ago

    Frizzle,

    Those porcelain tiles are going to look nice! I'd do a couple of shelves in each corner. Never too much storage.

    Definitely NOT a soap dish in the middle of the spray zone. I hope that look is dated, it certainly deserves to be! LOL

    Even if you don't install a grab bar or two now, (and they are getting better looking and more accessible as we BB age,), definitely block for them behind the walls, take pics and notes of where the blocking is, so you are prepared or a future owner is and can install grab bars safely secured. (Tape the picture to the bottom of one of your vanity drawers)

    I saw corner shelves at one of my local tile warehouses, so that's where I would start looking.

    HTH, Rae

  • Frizzle71
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestions raehelen!

    I was actually thinking the same thing about the soap dish, that it might be a dated look. I do use bar soap though, maybe that is outdated too? haha I know they have liquid bath soap now, maybe I should switch to that.

    Great suggestion about blocking for a grab bar in the future. I'm going to have a shower curtain, but I'm also going to tell the contractor to make the walls so I'll be able to install glass doors in the future if I want to.

  • mabeldingeldine_gw
    10 years ago

    I bit the bullet for the "designer" grab bars. We installed 2, one near the fixture wall to hold onto upon stepping in or out, and another on the long wall. Very handy when I pulled a hamstring while painting the bathroom!

    These grab bars are stainless and I hope won't leave rust stains. In addition, they are handy places to hang a washcloth or towel. I also strongly urge you to consider a curved rod for the shower curtain, it makes it much roomier in the shower.

  • Frizzle71
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for those pics mabeldingeldine!

    Those grab bars look really nice. I didn't even know they made them fancy looking like that.

    I actually already bought a double curved shower rod from Signature Hardware. This one, but in polished chrome:

  • mabeldingeldine_gw
    10 years ago

    You'll love the curved rod if you've never had one, and if you already do, then you know what I mean!

    I am really happy with the grab bars. They were spendy, but feel totally secure to grab onto, yet don't look like a nursing home bathroom.

  • azmom
    10 years ago

    mabeldingeldine,

    When asked about installing grab bars, our contractor suggested us to prepare spots behind tiles for future installation.

    The good looking grab bars in your bathroom made me think we should just install them when the work starts instead of later.

    Do you mind if I ask what brand are these grab bars, and where did you purchase them?

    Based on what I read, it seems grab bars are elegible for FSA (Flexible Spending Account) payment, it is worthwhile to look into that.

  • mabeldingeldine_gw
    10 years ago

    Our grab bars are Moen Kingsley. They are stainless and don't exactly match the chrome of the Moen shower fixture (it's close), but the shape is basically the same. I got ours on Amazon, but the price fluctuates wildly so shop around online.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Moen grab bars

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    10 years ago

    >Unless you really need a grab bar there doesn't seem a reason to have one

    Maybe, but you never when you are going to need one. I broke an ankle in my early 30s and I sure would have liked to have had one then.

    Since you mentioned soap shelves in your original posts, both invisia and moen make a corner shelf that has a grab bar built in. The invisia looks very institutional in their photos, but someone here used it in a gorgeous modern shower and looked great. Does anyone remember the post--he was talking about worrying about using dark tile in a small master bath, then did a very dark brown with a river of penny rounds (I think--can't remember exactly) and it looked fabulous.

  • azmom
    10 years ago

    mabeldingeldine,

    Thank you so much for the quick reply. It is very helpful.

    "Unless you really need a grab bar there doesn't seem a reason to have one "

    We really don't know when we would need it....

    A couple of weeks ago my good friend mentioned to me that she had difficulty pulling herself out of their nice soaking tub. She wished she had installed a grab bar. It was a rude awakening, since she is not that old and is fairly fit.

  • motherof3inct
    10 years ago

    I just purchased Ginger Splashables shower baskets for both my master and hall bath. My husband does not want niches at all. We are going for the hotel look with polished chrome wire baskets. The hall bath has the typical shower/tub combo. We planned to put the 18" shower basket in the center of the long wall.....I hope that look isn't outdated as raehelen mentioned! But I do think the shower spray will hit the soap. I am thinking of alternative locations for it, possibly on the short wall where the showerhead and tub spout is. Not sure if it will look too busy since there will also be a handheld on hook located there too. Any ideas?

    I attached a pic of the shower basket. Ginger products are supposed to be well made. I think they are pricey but I was concerned about rusting. Ginger online prices are much less than local stores. I ordered mine on qualitybath dot com. They had the lowest prices when you add their 5% sale.

    Good luck! My Ginger products get delivered this Thursday.

  • motherof3inct
    10 years ago

    Oops. Here's the link:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ginger Splashables 18