Interesting question you bring up. We are looking at enlarging our shower to 40 X 60 our current one is 48 X 36 Fiberglass shower. It is plenty room for one person and to be honest that's all that will ever be in it at one time. Do you feel like the 40 X 60 is too large?? I think you would be just fine with a 36 X 49 function wise. Maybe I should back mine back to 40 X 55??

rtwilliams, I'm sure a great deal of your comfort is personal, and certainly the aesthetics of the space depend on so many factors, but personally, a 40" x 60" shower was mostly wasted space for us. It was a 2-person shower, with heads at each end and a 12" bench running the full 60" length. That was more bench than any human being wants or needs for any purpose. In my experience, people don't sit on these shower benches; they're useful for women (and swimmers!) who want to rest their legs on a bench to shave 'em.

So the bench was wasted space. In addition, when one person was in the shower, there was at least a foot of completely wasted space in front of them. So... additional wasted space. In a small bathroom, you don't want to sacrifice inches for no reason, so unless you have an expansive space, I would certainly shrink that shower to 55" and not give it another thought. But that's me. I know I've read on houzz that architects/builders feel that a 36" x 60" shower is the "minimum" size they feel is excellent for a shower, if you have room:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/8-ways-to-design-a-better-shower-stsetivw-vs~902442-ways-to-design-a-better-shower

On the other hand, is this a case where architects/builders are in love with form over function? Hard to say. Those big showers look great in design magazines, but whether one really feels comfortable or not in them is another matter entirely.

With 8' ceilings, we were never cold in that 40" x 60" shower, per se, but then again, we also had a terribly located vent fan that didn't clear the steam at all. Your mileage may vary. :)

It really depends on how you will use the space. Shower alone? A shower for deux? And mainly elbow room.

When it really comes down to it, a shower is a shower.

A 36" shower is fine in a master bath. As a shower. If you want a larger space, if you want to put a moveable stool in there, or if you're trying to convey that the shower will be a retreat at the start or at the end of the day, or if you're planning on reselling and the shower will be a focal point of the "oh...ah..." master suite?

Then you might want to widen it. However...and this is important...

It's all about perspective too. If you walk into a master suite and visually you're presented with the 36" end of a 36" by 49" poorly lit shower, the shower may look small and closet-like.

If you walk in and visually you're presented with a 49" long wall of glass for a 36" x 49" shower that has proper lighting, the wider wall and the lighting can make the shower appear to be that luxurious and welcoming retreat.

So size and orientation can make a difference in how the same shower is perceived. A small shower with a few tiled-in details can look more luxurious and welcoming and more comfortable than a cavernous aseptic car wash with eight heads.

On the whole? 36" wide for a master shower is about the minimum width I recommend. Do understand that is coming from someone who is 6'4" tall.

Thanks for the thoughts, mongoct. I agree, a shower is a shower. This particular shower has been reoriented in the space, as I mentioned, so that rather than walking straight into a wall when you enter the bathroom, you are walking toward the vanity "vignette," with the shower on your right. The shower is enclosed in glass with just a half wall on your right as you enter (so there's space for the plumbing & electrical). We're also placing a clerestory window (with privacy glass) within the shower so when you're showering you will have light coming in (as well as from a skylight just outside the shower). The shower also has an overhead, wet-rated recessed fixture within it, so it should be well-lit. The tile will be lovely.

All in all, the effect of the shower should be beautiful... I'm just trying to make sure we haven't put all this beauty into a shower that will not function well. Since it's not the first thing you see when you enter the space, I suppose it's not the focal point. And no need for the movable stool; there will be a toehold recessed into the wall for leg shaving (as well as recessed shelves below the clerestory window).

My husband is 6'1" so I am slightly concerned about the 37" width, but the main thing I'm hoping is that we can use this size shower every day and never feel cramped. Just need to feel comfortable. I mean, if I'd wanted a 5,000 sq. ft. McMansion, I'd have bought one; I do understand the benefits of our "Not So Big" house and love it. We don't need a cavernous shower. But we do want to feel that it's inviting and comfortable, every day.

Interesting discussion. We have a 60 x 32 shower now, and recently put a 62 by 36 shower in our vacation home. My husband loves that larger shower so much, we are planning to expand our master bath shower when we remodel - curretly in the planning stage. I actually ended up with space for something larger - 66 x 40, which I thought was really a bonus, even though it is not intended to be a 2 person shower. The 66 inch wall will face into the room, so thats what you will see when you enter. And our ceilings are 8 ft so I hope it doesn't seem cold as suggested.

One thing I like about the added length is the ability to have the door at the opposite end from the showerhead, with a half wall with glass on top on the end where the shower head is. I hate the idea of having to keep all the galss clean, especially the lower portion of the wall (too much bending, stooping) near the shower head.

But I agree that 36 inches is probaly the minimum depth. Our current 32 inch deep shower feels confining. But the 36 inch at the vacation home does not.

Showers not big enough to allow a person to shave their legs, or put a stool in it, are less useful. What if someone becomes disabled or ages in place and they need to put a stool or other kind of support in there.

My tiny 36" x 36" shower is a closet. Literally, there was a choice of linen closet or shower in that space. I was very dismayed when I saw it. 36 x 48 may be enough; not sure.

Everyone here has been so helpful. I just wanted to share a small update: Met with our design team today, as there's a slight pause in the project while we wait for the windows to be delivered. (Good time to make any revisions.) We may be able to squeak out a few more inches in the length of the shower to bring it closer to 51" or perhaps even that initial 52", but I haven't seen the draft drawings yet, and it's a series of complicated changes. So time will tell whether or not we have to settle for 49" or not.

As far as the width, FWIW the architect on our job said that in the industry 36" is known as a comfortable width, and anything larger than that "is gravy." He reminded me that I've now spent 4 weeks showering downstairs in our tub/shower combo which is 35" from wall to the outside of the tub (and we use a shower curtain, so really I'm showering in a 33" wide space). It's not a completely perfect comparison, since the enclosures are so different, but I think he's right: 36" width will be comfortable. And we're at 37" width anyway... this, too, may be tweaked when the windows come in.

Keep discussing, though... This is very helpful (hopefully not just for me)!

We just got done adding 2 new bathrooms to the third floor of our beachhouse, putting a shower in another BA that had only had a tub, and redoing a small MBA shower all at the same time.

I too was worried that in most cases the showers were going to be about 36x48, a good bit smaller than we have at home and esp in our master, where DH has a wetroom and think my shower/sauna is almost 8x8.

Having used the house all summer, I can't believe I was WORRIED about a 36x48 shower, It is more than fine, in fact I think it is absolutely optimal for one person. And if there are two of you using the shower, I am guessing you are friendly and maximum efficiency is not at the forefront on such occasions anyway.

Don't give it a second thought as long as you lay out the bathroom to look generous and luxurious as MongoCT points out. Most people think the bigger shower the better until they have one.

Mtnrdredux- Exactly!

-Babka

I recently put in a small guest bathroom and didn't have much space to work with. The shower is 32X56, and it is just fine. When I was planning it, I was concerned about whether the shower would feel tight. However, about that time, I happened to stay in a new, modern hotel that had a compact bathroom that was so comfy and efficient that I wrote down all the dimensions. When I got home and checked out my space, it happened to be almost identical, and I confidently proceeded to adopt those proportions for mine.

this thread got me curious, so I went home and measured the shower pan in my too-small shower: 31" x 38". So, don't make it that small if you have a choice. the OP should be okay either way.

Violet-
What I have found is that you can get away with a fairly narrow shower, and not feel crowded, if it is substantially longer than it is wide.

I'm sure that's true --

Just wanted to check in with everyone and thank you for your advice. The great master suite renovation is (largely) over. The final, finished shower size is roughly 50-1/2" x 37" (to the glass, or 34-1/2" to the curb). It feels just perfect. Enough length to escape the water when shaving (legs, that is), but not so large that the heat escapes. 37" is plenty of elbow room for shampooing, too. With apologies to our amazing architectural firm, who will no doubt have better photos, let me share one here:

Omg! Looks amazing. I LOVE how you mixed the tiles up!! Wow!

Incredibly cool

That is one sweet shower!! Who came up with the wonderful tile design? Very, very cool...and practical, and at the same time! Can you post a pic of the shower head mounted on the glass?

-Babka

That is such a good idea! When we did our shower, we just assumed that the shower head and pipes had to be on a full solid wall. So the holes were drilled thru the glass to mount the shower slider bar before it was tempered, like with towel hooks? Never saw that before, but then I suppose there is a lot I haven't seen. That is a great option. Thanks for the pics!

-Babka

Looks great. We are planning a 40 x 60 shower and where concerned it would feel small. Your beautiful shower gives me confidence. thanks for sharing. I look forward to more pictures of that vanity and linen cabinet!

Babka -- Yes, you have it exactly right: the glass was drilled in the same way as it was for the door handles on the shower door, or for towel bars/hooks. As for the vanity, here's a view from the entry to the bathroom...

... and one more that shows the vanity with the linen closet to its right. They are set into an alcove of sorts:

Very, very nice. That tile design is really cool.

What are the dimensions of your bathroom? You said it is not super mcmansion...you got alot of good things in there.

-Babka

The main part of the room is around 99" square, give or take a couple of inches. (For the precise, I just measured it at about 99.5" x 102.5", so it's just over 8' x 8.5', or 70.8 square feet.) I haven't taken a photo of the toilet ('cause... Who does that?!), but it fits into a small alcove to the left of the door, adding a few crucial square feet. We consider ours a classic not-so-big house, where we have spent money on quality rather than spreading it over more square footage.

I love your room! Very cool mix of tile in the shower, and I love the pendant lights over the vanity! Can you tell me the manufacturer/model?

The field tile in the shower is from Decocer, S.A. of Spain and is called "Devon Superwhite 7.50 x 15 cm." The accent tile is from Artistic Tile, called "White Rivershell Oval Mosaic," available from Architectural Ceramics. The pendants are Hubbardton Forge's "Link" pendant, with clear bubble glass: 161040-82-YG434.

Do you happen to know the grout color?

It's all simply stunning.

You guys are so kind! The grout color is #115 (Platinum) from Custom Building Products; the caulk is the same color from the same company.

I am interested in what you have on the floor and counter tops! Very nicely done! What size is that vanity?

Thanks for the compliment! Let me try to answer as best I can. On the floor, the field tile is Imola Ceramica porcelain, but I don't know which particular line it comes from, as the box was completely non-descript, sorry! It's obviously a grey tone, but there are many. Will have to head back to the place we bought it at some point to check. The blue accent tile on the floor is Stellar Tile's penny round 3/4" circle in porcelain, cobalt blue (FKOMPR43). The countertop is Cosentino Silestone in Helix-Nebula, and the vanity is 70" x 24".

Awesome bathroom! I love the slant to the bench. Love the tile - so pretty!

Well, I see that my own 36x48 shower is in good company. I agree with the others that it is a good, comfortable size for one person. Plenty warm, I never hit my elbows or anything (of course, I'm small, but my husband seems to like it too); however, if you're looking for a seat or a stool, it's not big enough for that.

In our new house the shower is a priority, and we're thinking of moving up to 48x72. Is it NECESSARY? No, but it will allow for a teak stool to be placed in the back portion of the shower, it'll allow for more shelving above the stool, and it'll allow for a Tornado body dryer.

I totally agree with the above poster who comments on the importance of lighting!

Things I've been kicking around concerning the shower, which , as I said, is a priority:

- Because I'm planning to put grab bars on both sides of the shower, I don't want to go TOO WIDE. When I'm elderly, I want to be able to grab both sides of the shower at once, and -- as I said -- I can't necessarily reach both sides of a 5' wide shower at once, especially if I'm slipping.

- Keep in mind that a grab bar will "eat into" your shower size. If you have bars on both sides, and they stick out 4", you've lost 8" of shower space. Okay, you still have it VISUALLY, but it might mean touching the sides of the shower during your abulations.

- While I like the idea of full-glass showers, you cannot put grab bars on glass; so I'm going with half-walls. This'll allow grab bars on both sides of the shower; I want to be sure that if I should injure one arm (or have a stroke), I'd have a bar ready on both sides.

- Another reason NOT to go with solid glass: If you have half-walls, you can hide your shampoo, etc. on the back side of the half-walls.

NTrainer, I'm with the others: I love your shower. The mixed tile is a super cool concept.

Great looking bathroom. Thanks for posting and sharing your details : )

Well-done design all around. You can tell the details were very well thought-out.

Your new bathroom is stunning -- nice job! I am in love with your mixed tile work. Mine is under construction as I type, so it was nice to read what everyone has to say on this thread. I may have gotten a couple of last-minute ideas too!

Wow, what a stunning bathroom. Love the tile design in the shower and the niche wall.

Nancy, looks great!

We are trying to remodel our master bath and one of the only places to place the shower head will be on a wall around 45 inches away from the the opposite wall. Where do you find that the spray from yours hits the ground? is it well in front of your bench? Centered about the drain location? We are concerned that 45 inches isn't enough room between walls opposite a shower head like yours. It will be a little over 5 feet "deep."

Also, how did you insulate behind the niche? Is that an exterior wall?

B Oz, our spray head is fully adjustable, so it can hit wherever we'd like... in our usual location we set the spray so that it hits basically between the drain and the bench, which leaves enough space for leg shaving.

One thing you might try is creating a mock-up of your shower using stacked cardboard boxes to simulate walls. It will help you feel what that 45" limitation might be like, and you can pretend to aim a shower head within that 45" area.

In terms of insulation... yes, the niche is on an exterior wall. I believe there's rigid board insulation (as well as backer board) behind the tile. I remember asking the contractor about this and they were unconcerned; after all, you're not sidling up to your bathroom tile the way you might sit next to a window. They were right. We haven't had any problems with temperature in the bathroom.

Nancy Trainor, I love your shower! Do you know how deep the bench is on the Widest part (and how long) and how deep the niche is? can you sit there too?

Thanks for the kind words, Nikki LA. You can definitely sit on the bench for a bit; during the pandemic my daughters and I have done pedicures on one another in that spot. (Much easier to clean up nail polish from a bathroom floor than from anywhere else in the house.) It's not comfortable like, you know, a chair, but you can sit on it. To answer your questions about the dimensions, I just took a photo this morning and show the dimensions on it in the photo below. I hope this helps!

Nancy, I don’t think I ever said thank you for answering last year. It helped and we finished our Reno. Good to see this thread still getting comments after so long lol.

Nancy, thank you! that helps so much. I don’t think I will sit all the time (but definitely use for shaving) but it would be nice for the occasion I might need to (injury/aging/tired) so this size seems perfect without eating up tons of space. My shower is 36x66 (so less in finished floor space).

Nancy - I wish I would have run across your post and few days ago - it might have saved me from being stressed out re: size of my new shower. Your bathroom remodel turned out very nice!! Demo begins in TWO DAYS for mine! I’ve been worried about how to size my shower - now I’m wondering if I even need to make it 42” wide.

I have a couple of important Qs for you -

1. How thick is the wall with the plumbing?

2. I‘ve wanted to have my plumbing partially hidden in a wall like yours - when you ordered your glass enclosure, did you just specify size/location for required mounting of shower line/head?

If I do it this way, it makes plumbing easier vs. moving it to opposite wall (as currently planned). Also, I am thinking of hiding a shower niche in that wall. I can change glass enclosure if it do it quickly. My contractor has several projects he’s doing at my house so we have a little bit of room on the timeline (he can just start working on another area until it arrives). Let me know. Thanks!!!

Hi, dmac1108,

I tried to post this earlier.... let me try again:

1. The wall with the plumbing has a cap piece that is 6" wide, so the wall is somewhat less than 6" thick. (Obviously there's tiling and wetboard on both sides which add to the thickness, plus there's an overhang on that cap piece.)

2. We worked with a design/build firm, so I don't know what the glass supplier knew during the ordering process, but I would assume that, yes, you would need to specify the size and location for the mounting of the slide bar, since a hole of a specific diameter would need to be drilled in a specific place at their workshop. In other words, that hole was not drilled onsite. (If I'm not mistaken, you can't drill holes in tempered glass; the hole must be drilled before the tempering process.) Notice that neither the shower LINE nor the head are mounted on the glass.... placing the shower head on the slide bar -- and mounting the slide bar on the glass -- is what makes this clean look possible.

Happy renovating,

Nancy

Can you tell me about the vanity?

What would you like to know? It's a custom piece that the design/build firm provided. It's made of American cherry. The middle bottom drawer is to provide room for a trash can (and, with a peg insert, I also have room for my shower cleaner in there). The section on the right is storage for various items (towels in the top cabinet, First Aid & dental care in the next two drawers, divided laundry hamper on the right). Here's the photo that the design/build firm took and displays on their web site:

Thanks for responding, looks great and is useful. Perfect.

Nancy - I will be remodeling my master BR shortly. Based on the current location of the shower the designer determined that we could increase the shower from 32 x 32 to 39x 60 (false wall on the side). I was still concerned as to whether 39 in. wide would be wide enough. if not we’d have to move the shower increasing the cost. This thread, with your responses and input had been invaluable. Thank you so much for being so gracious and engaging! And yes your bathroom; shower, vanity and tile is absolutely stunning!!!

You are so kind, Jannette. I hope your renovation gives you everything you are looking for!