They are still very popular. The most recommended brand is Sterling by Kohler - a material called Vikrell that is very strong - and a snap and lock systems that is leak proof. There are installation videos on Youtube. The problem that you hear about them is that the panels are usually damaged by poor handling in poor warehouse conditions, such as Home Depot. So you need to be prepared to open the box and inspect before taking home. There are several designs to choose from and even a deep soaking tub version. The tubs need to be set in a bed of mortar. A skilled handyman can install them or it is a nice DIY - read the Sterling directions and watch their videos. Make sure your framework is straight, plumb, true, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: Sterling shower/bath combos This post was edited by Anna_in_TX on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 22:58

Oops! My title may have sounded snobbish - lol! What I meant was - in my search for inspirations pictures, I am seeing so many bathrooms with gorgeous tiled showers, marble slabs, huge vanities, storage towers etc. and that is not the direction I am going in (and that are as bigger than my bedrooms) Weedyacres - Isn't it amazing what paint, tile and fixtures can do to perk up a "tired" bathroom. Great job -keeping things simple in a small bath. I did that to my DH's bath a couple of years ago. Painted a drab, worn builders oak vanity a gorgeous white, slapped a new Lowes stock faux granite top on it, painted the walls,etc. Gsciencechick - your sister's project sounds like mine. An "nice hotel" look is the direction I am kind of going in. It's called making the best of my space! I can't believe how expensive glass doors are - talk about sticker shock! I may have to clean up the stainless on the one's I have and re-use them. aa62579 - I'm actually going to have to take out a wall behind the existng unit which is my laundry room. I know -sounds likes overdoing it, but I really want to get it right - this will be my forever bath! If I do a solid piece unit, I will NEVER have to deal with caulk. We have looked at the separate pieces, but we don't think we can get these pieces through the regular door either. My project is not going to be easy! I'm actually going to be putting new flooring and woodwork down in the laundry, so might as well have both rooms torn up at once. Tuesday

I'm 5'7" and I just measured my lower leg to see if it was 18". It is just under 18". If I were to step over the 18" tub I'd have to get on my tippy toes. If you never take, but the occasional bath, I'd go with the Villager as Writersblock suggests. If you don't like the Villager style, the standard alcove replacement Bellwether has a nice modern look yet is only 14" high like the Villager. Easy to step over, and it can still provide a bath:)

Ours is similar to #2, but with the vanity farther left so in an alcove. Tub is a drop-in, tiled and waterproofed along with everything else. Linear drain is at base of tub. Shower is 3x5, so not huge, but it feels larger because the elbow room extends all the way over the tub. There is a glass panel on the right, but no curb and no door. The tile floor is the same large format (low COF) and same waterproofing across the room. The walls are waterproofed in the rest of the room up a certain height, but I don't recall how high. There is a big window over the tub, but it is fiberglass so I don't worry about splashing that Our "one year later" experience in response to concerns here and elsewhere: The room has never felt cold or drafty, even last winter. But it is a 2015 house extremely well insulated and caulked in contrast to the drafty 100 year old house we are in now (prior to retiring to the new one.) And the hydronic heat below the tile is under the shower as well. We were concerned about splashing b/c of not having a door (we have the blocking needed to add one if it didn't work out), so we put the bathmat at the shower entry when it's in use. We can tell it get splashed on for about 4 inches. We hang it up to dry and it dries. As for cleaning, it is no more onerous than in any other bathroom I've had. The deck around the tub gets dusted once in a while. The tub gets cleaned as needed, as do the tile walls. I don't dry the tub after every shower, but I dont dry it after baths, either. Didn't even know people did that! We do squeegee the small amount of glass panel, but that is a minimal effort in my book, and well worth it! We are happy with both the way it looks and the way it performs, but as it's somewhat non-standard, there are a lot of details to get right to make it really work!