Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
keepitunder20

Bath seat

keepitunder20
15 years ago

Hi! I have a 30 X 68 shower that we will be renovating and I would like to put a bath seat in it. Not one that goes all the way to the floor but a piece of marble that looks like a semi circle that goes into the corner. I picked it out in the tile store but can't remember how large it was. I'm wondering if I will find it annoying since my shower is not that wide. I've never had a problem with my shower size. Neither me or my husband are huge people so it's perfect for us. Just don't know if we'll feel crowded with a seat but I would love to be able to sit when I shave my legs.

Anyone with any experience with this?

Thanks

Cathy

Comments (9)

  • andrea345
    15 years ago

    Our shower width is 36". Our shower seat is in just one little corner. I thought I'd sit & shave my legs, but mostly it just holds the shampoos, body gels, etc. Since it's on the opposite side of my shower controls, I can't really reach over and turn the water on or off.

    So, I still stand in the shower doing the one-legged hope while I use that "seat" to hold up the leg I'm shaving.

    Plus, even though it gives me a place to set my gels & stuff, it always looks messy. I can't say "don't do it" b/c it does integrate the storage look, but, well, I should have had a nook built then, not the stool.

    I'm thinking about buying a little chair.

    -a

  • keepitunder20
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for your reply. I can see how that could happen that you use it to store items on. I am putting in 2 of the niches so I'll have those for storage. And I'm actually leaning more towards putting in a long bench across the the 30 inch width that comes out 14 1/2 inches from the wall. I just think that the area behind the shower spray is wasted space anyway. My only concern is would I bump into it. Does anyone have a long bench behind their shower spray?

  • cindy_socal
    15 years ago

    Our shower is "almost finished" but hasn't been used yet, but this might help.

    We chose to put a full seat right under the main showerhead in our 35x65" shower. We always stand at least 18" away from the wall anyway, so we don't think it will be in the way. We also put a handheld showerhead on a bar on the opposite wall, and the heads can be used separately or together. So I can sit on the bench if I want, with the handheld aiming at me, shaving or just decompressing. I can also use the fixed showerhead over the bench as a rain-type spray -- this is my husband's idea of heaven and he really wanted a seat UNDER the spray.

    There is also room for two with two showerheads if we both are showering at the same time. It's not big by any means, but it's what we could do with the space we had and it's much better than what we had previously. We're now getting estimates on the glass and waiting for the granite shelves for the niche.

    Here is a photo. (No black mold on the ceiling; just a badly-lightened photo that was very dark originally.)The niche is on the right wall next to the slide bar, but not visible. Fixtures are Hansgrohe polished nickel and grab bar is Ginger. Maybe it will give you an idea.

  • keepitunder20
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the great pictures! This is so similar to what I'm doing. Love the polished nickel. Can I ask the dimensions of your shower bench and does it go all the way to the floor?

    Thanks,

    Cathy

  • MongoCT
    15 years ago

    Cathy,

    Whenever in doubt, go temporary.

    Get a small inexpensive stool and use it in your existing shower. See how you like it. See how your hubby likes it.

    Built-in benches are great if they are properly sized, sited, and properly waterproofed. If they are not done well they can be a detriment.

    Some people prefer the warmth of a wood seat over the coldness of tile. To others there is no difference. In my own shower, which is a pretty large walk-in, I didn't construct a built-in bench. I made a teak bench and my wife uses that. She loves being able to have it wherever she wants...in the corner, or under the sharp spray, or under the gentler rainshower head. Or she'll even move it completely out of the shower at other times.

    For leg shaving, if you have a hand held, you can buy an additional head holding bracket. You can mount that extra bracket on the wall at knee or thigh height and clip the hand held onto that bracket when shaving legs.

    Mongo

  • keepitunder20
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks Mongo. That helps. The teak bench could be a good idea. I think I saw a website with them so I'll have to look again. (I guess I just thought the built in looked so nice.) My tiler actually recommended the corner cultured marble because it takes up less room. what do you think of those?

    Cathy

  • cindy_socal
    15 years ago

    Cathy, the bench is about 12" deep, and does go all the way to the floor. I'm posting another photo below that shows the floor.

    Mongo, I agree -- I was campaigning for a teak bench in there, that could be moved around or removed. But DH wasn't happy with that idea. We spent a good amount of time testing and thinking it through and this seemed to be the best decision for us. We haven't used it yet, and it's really hard to wait. I don't mind the coldness of the tile, and love the way it looks. DH is thrilled.

    If you knew what my old shower was like.....but probably many of us could tell those stories! (It was tiled with 1/2" mosaic, and the grout never came clean. No amount of bleach or scrubbing or anything could make that ugly thing look good.)

  • MongoCT
    15 years ago

    Cathy,

    I've never seen a built-in cultured marble corner seat, so I did a quick google and got mostly swanstone hits of this:

    {{gwi:1457367}}

    I'd think that being a swanstone product that it would be well made, so if that fits your aesthetic, then I think it would perform well.

    Cindy, that's what it's all about, being happy with your end product. Not all people find tile to be cold, and if you do, usually once the shower water hits the tile it warms it up a bit. If it still doesn't suit you, sitting on a small hand towel placed on the tile seat makes it a little more comfortable temperature wise.

    Mongo

  • keepitunder20
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks Mongo, I actually did see that one on the web but I was more thinking of a less bulky look, but shaped the same. I don't know how far out it could go in a 30 inch wide shower but I guess I'll just have to order something and see how it fits before it's installed.

    I still like the built in bench that Cindy has because it only comes out 12 inches, except I would want it not to go to the floor and be made out of marble. So that is hard to find.

    Cathy