New This Week: 4 Beautiful Bathrooms With a Curbless Shower
See stylish takes on this popular barrier-free feature and get ideas for handling tile transitions, enclosures and more
Mitchell Parker
October 22, 2021
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
A curbless shower is a great bathroom feature. The absence of a curb provides a safe shower entry point for people of all ages. Plus it does a surprisingly effective job at creating a sense of openness. Here, four remodeling professionals share details on how they handled a stylish curbless shower.
1. Clean Contemporary
Designer: Jorge Cantu of Oz Interiors
Builder: Nick Spector of Alair Homes Houston
Location: Houston
Homeowners’ request. “The clients wanted seamless design,” designer Jorge Cantu says. “They wanted to walk from one space to another with a feeling of cohesiveness and a connection to the outdoors. The high windows offer privacy with a view of treetops, and that outside view is the focal point of the design.”
Shower details. Wood-look porcelain flooring transitions to glazed porcelain mosaic tile that mimics the look of marble. A black-framed glass panel separates the shower from the main space and coordinates with black details used throughout the room. “The curbless shower is all about not creating distraction,” Cantu says. “Simplicity is key in this design.”
Other special features. Gray quartz backsplash and countertop with waterfall edge. Marble-look porcelain shower wall tile in two styles. “The mixture of materials and patterns with little boundaries between them is meant to mimic the diversity and organic variations of nature,” builder Nick Spector says.
Designer tip. “Be bold in your choices,” Cantu says. “Even organic designs can be bold. For example, the placement of the mirror is intentionally unexpected. It is the bold element in a design that is otherwise very zen.”
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Designer: Jorge Cantu of Oz Interiors
Builder: Nick Spector of Alair Homes Houston
Location: Houston
Homeowners’ request. “The clients wanted seamless design,” designer Jorge Cantu says. “They wanted to walk from one space to another with a feeling of cohesiveness and a connection to the outdoors. The high windows offer privacy with a view of treetops, and that outside view is the focal point of the design.”
Shower details. Wood-look porcelain flooring transitions to glazed porcelain mosaic tile that mimics the look of marble. A black-framed glass panel separates the shower from the main space and coordinates with black details used throughout the room. “The curbless shower is all about not creating distraction,” Cantu says. “Simplicity is key in this design.”
Other special features. Gray quartz backsplash and countertop with waterfall edge. Marble-look porcelain shower wall tile in two styles. “The mixture of materials and patterns with little boundaries between them is meant to mimic the diversity and organic variations of nature,” builder Nick Spector says.
Designer tip. “Be bold in your choices,” Cantu says. “Even organic designs can be bold. For example, the placement of the mirror is intentionally unexpected. It is the bold element in a design that is otherwise very zen.”
Find a kitchen designer near you
2. Crisp Contrast
Designer: Maria Malinowski of SHOKO.design
Location: Poland
Homeowners’ request. This is the bathroom inside designer Maria Malinowski’s home. She took inspiration from her love of New York brownstones.
Shower details. The fully open shower features black-and-white floor tiles that spell out the word “bath.”
Other special features. The shower features two shower heads and two handheld heads. White subway tile with dark grout and black-painted walls punctuate the heavily contrasted palette. Malinowski designed the vanity herself. It features large brass hardware. A woven pendant shade and exposed wood beams add warmth to the room. “I left the raw construction beams that way because it looks more cozy,” Malinowski says.
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Designer: Maria Malinowski of SHOKO.design
Location: Poland
Homeowners’ request. This is the bathroom inside designer Maria Malinowski’s home. She took inspiration from her love of New York brownstones.
Shower details. The fully open shower features black-and-white floor tiles that spell out the word “bath.”
Other special features. The shower features two shower heads and two handheld heads. White subway tile with dark grout and black-painted walls punctuate the heavily contrasted palette. Malinowski designed the vanity herself. It features large brass hardware. A woven pendant shade and exposed wood beams add warmth to the room. “I left the raw construction beams that way because it looks more cozy,” Malinowski says.
Shop for a bathroom vanity
3. Bold Beauty
Designer: Nancy Cardoza
Builder: Steve Boyd of Boyd Custom Homes
Location: Mansfield, Texas
Homeowners’ request. “This was new construction, and the homeowner wanted a simple, clean, elegant, modern look for each bathroom,” builder Steve Boyd says.
Shower details. Concrete transitions to white mosaic tile. Sliding barn-door-style glass enclosure. “Curbless showers are easy to get in and out of regardless of age,” Boyd says.
Other special features. Blue-and-gray accent tile wall and oversize shower niche. The back shower wall is large-format porcelain tile. Floating light wood vanity.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Designer: Nancy Cardoza
Builder: Steve Boyd of Boyd Custom Homes
Location: Mansfield, Texas
Homeowners’ request. “This was new construction, and the homeowner wanted a simple, clean, elegant, modern look for each bathroom,” builder Steve Boyd says.
Shower details. Concrete transitions to white mosaic tile. Sliding barn-door-style glass enclosure. “Curbless showers are easy to get in and out of regardless of age,” Boyd says.
Other special features. Blue-and-gray accent tile wall and oversize shower niche. The back shower wall is large-format porcelain tile. Floating light wood vanity.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
4. Sleek Style
Designer: Lauren Lerner of Living With Lolo
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Homeowners’ request. “The client wanted something more modern with a touch of glam, yet fun and functional,” designer Lauren Lerner says. “Their wish list included separate vanities, a stand-alone tub and a larger shower. I knew we could create the space of their dreams and that they would be the perfect clients to embrace something a bit more daring and eclectic.”
Shower details. “Once the gorgeous cement tile floor was chosen, I knew a curbless shower was the only way to go,” Lerner says. “The advantages for choosing this feature were purely aesthetic. While this type of shower is a bit more labor-intensive, a good contractor can seamlessly build it out. An elongated cement wall tile and double shower heads in a striking brass color complemented its unique beauty perfectly.”
Other special features. Black steel door encasements.
Designer tip. “Allow your designer — or yourself — to create a space that pushes your comfort zone,” Lerner says.
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Designer: Lauren Lerner of Living With Lolo
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Homeowners’ request. “The client wanted something more modern with a touch of glam, yet fun and functional,” designer Lauren Lerner says. “Their wish list included separate vanities, a stand-alone tub and a larger shower. I knew we could create the space of their dreams and that they would be the perfect clients to embrace something a bit more daring and eclectic.”
Shower details. “Once the gorgeous cement tile floor was chosen, I knew a curbless shower was the only way to go,” Lerner says. “The advantages for choosing this feature were purely aesthetic. While this type of shower is a bit more labor-intensive, a good contractor can seamlessly build it out. An elongated cement wall tile and double shower heads in a striking brass color complemented its unique beauty perfectly.”
Other special features. Black steel door encasements.
Designer tip. “Allow your designer — or yourself — to create a space that pushes your comfort zone,” Lerner says.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
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judygilpin can you share a picture? We are planning a remodel and although I really want tile I am concerned about keeping all that grout and glass clean. Eliminating glass would help! Also wondering everyone’s thoughts on planning with cleaning in mind. I love the look of freestanding tubs, but some look like it would be difficult to clean around the back.
They are a total pain to clean around unless they are further from the wall. Use grout the color of discoloration! White/light bad idea. You can try Rain X or similar on the glass. I shower in my solar addition as much as possible (two story drop for the water) - open to the room - no glass to clean like in the bathroom that is squeegeed every time because of the hard water even with softening by the supplier. Ka Boom works great. Maybe consider a "wet area" if you have the room and then no glass. I like a steam shelf/bulk head/soffit with the exhaust fan in it to get rid of the heat/humidity in summer and hold it in in the winter.
Plan it well. You use it all the time.
lbsquare, I am planning with cleaning in mind, so I applaud your silimar efforts. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/design-an-easy-clean-bathroom-stsetivw-vs~2001491
A free-standing tub I once lived with didn't get cleaned behind, because it was too difficult. I've read some people have neat tricks, so if you hunt around in HOUZZ, you'll find them.