Janesylvia, I have a bathroom with a corner shower unit that (in a small space), and when installed, I opted for a door that swung both ways. This was done 5 years ago, and it turns out that the door leaks through the vertical gap, although not a ton. When I recently remodeled my master bath, I had the glass installer (a different company from the other bathroom), install a vertical strip on my corner shower unit, making the door open only out. This seal has stopped all leakage of water. In my limited eperience, it seems the vertical gasket or seal is much more likely to keep your shower from leaking. It was a little frustrating to always have a towel over the bathroom rug to absorb leaking water from the shower. (in addition to concerns over continual dampness on the floor)

What did you end up doing? If you are still deciding, I would advise against a 4 panel door for your 10 foot space. As another poster said, that will result in a lot of posts within a small area. The result will be less glass and a more crowded look. Once you factor in all the posts required for a 4 panel door, and the large section in the middle where the two closing panels meet, you will loose a lot of light and your opening will not actually be that much larger than a 3 panel door. I think 3 panels would work very well and, after allowing for the posts, will leave you with an opening that is around 3 foot wide. A 36" opening is very respectable - also, you will then only have one moving panel which equals less moving parts (see: things that may/will break some day) and only one screen door. A 4 panel door will generally be less weather resistant: two moving panels must join in the middle and try to create a seal with one another, which weakens the door's structure. this counts when a storm kicks up and you get a lot of wind driven rain. with a 3 panel door, each end of the moving panel will always close/seal against a FIXED panel. This is more stable and reliable. i'm not making this up - check the DP rating of a 3 panel door Vs. a 4 panel door for the same manufacturer. The 4 panel doors always have a lower rating. Another negative score against the 4 panel door is that you are forced to have the opening in the center of your room - which makes it difficult to furnish, as you must allow a passage way through the center of a room. Not an efficient use of space in many situations. 3 panels allow the flexibility to have the opening on the left, center, or right side. I'm not an authority on this... just my opinion :-) Good luck! Please let us know what you decided and if you are pleased with the result.

It may depend on whether you're painting or staining the doors -- paint goes a long way to blur the dissimilarities in style. If your goal is to achieve a historical look, I'd second the idea to check out all your local resources for architectural salvage, building re-use stores, etc. (If there's a local Habitat for Humanity Restore, they usually have amazing deals on doors.) I was lucky enough to get new fir bungalow-style doors for a song at a local outfit who sell remainders and project leftovers. Google around to see what's out there in your area. (And if you're anywhere near mid-coast Maine, give me a shout and I'll point you to the amazing source, they still have a few hundred doors last I checked.) You might also want to hold off a little bit? Doors do make a huge impact, and you could choose the style you most want at a reputable door dealer (I got Rogue Valley doors and am delighted with my luck at the quality), then replace one at a time over the next year or two as you can afford them? But I don't think traditional Victorian 6-panel would be totally out of place if that's the way you choose to go. Would love to see pix of your Shaker cabinets! :)

We are currently building and in the selections process. Our architect is well known for creole style homes so it will have elements of that, with some interior finishes also resembling modern farmhouse. I know it sounds weird but it will be beautiful when finished. Our cabinets will be shaker. I was leaning towards the 2 panel but then saw the 1 and 3 and thought well maybe I should go with one of those. But I think I will stick w/ the 2 panel. :) THANK YOU ALL!!