1. If the shower head were centered on the long wall, it would be 3-1/4 feet* from the controls so one couldn't adjust the water while standing beneath the shower head.
2. I'd use a sliding shower door so I could slide the door just a bit to reach in, and turn on and adjust the water without splashing a lot of water outside the shower.

-- amateur

*give it a try it with a yard stick.

1) We’ve decided to put the rain shower about 2 ft from the short wall so both the hand held shower mounted on the wall and the rain shower can be used at the same time. We will Center the light in the shower.

2) The problem with a sliding door is that it doesn’t work well with the built in bench. With a hinged door, we can build the fixed panel around the bench. I was thinking it should be hinged in the middle so that it could be opened just a little to adjust the controls but my builder thinks it looks better hinged on the left (as shown above) to minimize the metal parts (having it hinged in the middle requires a metal support bar along the top). We can decide this after it is built.

We’ve decided to install the light in the middle and put the rain shower about two ft from the end. The Vent will be located outside the shower area.

"The problem with a sliding door is that it doesn’t work well with the built in bench."

I used the Metro sliding door. The fixed panel attaches to the wall with through-glass clips but is also attached to the top track with through-glass connectors. So the glass is held and stabilized at the top, side, and bottom (no screws are used at the bottom). It also stays aligned with the sliding door because the door hangs on and the fixed glass are attached to the same top track. And of course I can reach in through the slightly-open sliding door to adjust the controls.

i just looked at your link and that is an option I was unaware of. So the fixed panel could be notched around the bench and only the one panel would slide?

"So the fixed panel could be notched around the bench and only the one panel would slide?"

Yes, fixed panel on the right and sliding door on the left.

I know you're planning something like this (from this web page). Would the two panels remained aligned over time? The gasket between the sliding and fixed panels would protected from the shower spray by the overlapping door. The gasket between swing and fixed panels would have to be perfect to prevent spray from exiting the shower.

-- amateur

Barbara-

"...so both the hand held shower mounted on the wall and the rain shower can be used at the same time."

Hopefully, this means you can also switch between them. I've been in showers where the rain shower head ran all the time and it was annoying.

Wdccruise- good point about the shower spay with the hinged door. I never thought about that.

Kudzu9- we had a diverter valve installed so either or both can be turned on. Honestly, I doubt I’d use both as it seems like a waste of water.

Barbara-

Sounds like you're good :-)

I prefer a standard wall head to a rain-shower head because I don’t like water running on my face and have had to dodge rain-shower head water in too many hotel showers. An additional hand-held wand is great for rinsing out shampoo and for rinsing the shower floor of residue.