7 Beautiful New Bathrooms With a Low-Curb Shower
Designers talk about how they handled a low-barrier shower entrance and other details in these rooms
A low-curb shower entrance is a popular detail for creating a minimal barrier that maintains a light and airy look. And there are many ways to treat this low-profile shower feature. Covering a curb in the same material as the vanity countertop helps create a cohesive look, while matching the color of the shower curb with surrounding floor tile can make it virtually disappear. Here, pros talk about those ideas and other features that brought style to these bathrooms.
2. Tile Style
Designer: Martha Fox of M. Fox Interiors
General contractor: The Kingston Group
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. This primary suite was an addition that was part of a whole house remodel. The homeowner wanted the addition to feel like a private retreat.
Low-curb shower details. The front of the low curb features the same marble tile used to line the shower walls. The top of the curb is the same quartz used for the vanity countertop. Frameless glass keeps things feeling bright and open.
Other special features. The vanity is cherry with a dark stain that has some gray in it. The plumbing fixtures are brass. The accent tile in the shower niche is marble. The flooring is large-format, charcoal-colored porcelain. The wall paint is Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams.
Designer tip. “Taking the tile up to the ceiling in the shower elevated the space,” designer Martha Fox says.
Vanity: Spencer Mill Woodworks
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Designer: Martha Fox of M. Fox Interiors
General contractor: The Kingston Group
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. This primary suite was an addition that was part of a whole house remodel. The homeowner wanted the addition to feel like a private retreat.
Low-curb shower details. The front of the low curb features the same marble tile used to line the shower walls. The top of the curb is the same quartz used for the vanity countertop. Frameless glass keeps things feeling bright and open.
Other special features. The vanity is cherry with a dark stain that has some gray in it. The plumbing fixtures are brass. The accent tile in the shower niche is marble. The flooring is large-format, charcoal-colored porcelain. The wall paint is Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams.
Designer tip. “Taking the tile up to the ceiling in the shower elevated the space,” designer Martha Fox says.
Vanity: Spencer Mill Woodworks
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3. Slab Separation
Designer: Florence Livingston Interiors
Location: San Rafael, California
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was a new construction, and this bathroom is located on the top floor,” designer Florence Livingston says. “The bathroom was meant to be a guest bathroom for the first few years and then ultimately will become a primary bathroom once the family’s children become older and the parents move their primary suite upstairs.”
Livingston uses Houzz Pro business management software for proposals, invoices and purchase orders.
Low-curb shower details. The curb is clad in the same Carrara marble slab used for the countertop. The flooring consists of marble tiles laid in a chevron pattern. “We often try to design low-curb showers when using the same material on the bathroom floor and the shower floor,” Livingston says. “It creates a more seamless look between the two.”
Other special features. “The showstoppers here are the beautiful cement wall tiles from Clé Tile in a soft and lovely sage green color called Basil,” Livingston says. “And anchoring that beautiful wall with one single sink and a striking round mirror gives a beautiful focal point as you enter the room. The cabinetry is white oak.”
Designer tip. “In this case the clients did not need two sinks,” Livingston says. “They don’t get ready at the same time in the morning and just didn’t have use for a second sink. Because of that, we were able to not only design a beautiful vanity with a focal point, but the homeowners also have a lot of useful storage — large drawers on either side of the sink base. When a vanity has two sinks, the storage under the sink is usually not very usable because of all the plumbing. So if a single sink is a consideration, I always make sure to bring it up.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We did have to spend a lot of time detailing the tile layout very specifically,” Livingston says. “You’ll notice that right at counter height we have a row of full tiles, and that took a lot of coordinating to get that perfect. The transition between the wall tiles and the marble on the half wall and the curb was also very time-consuming, both for design and for the tile setter. In the end it turned out perfectly and exactly how we had planned, so we couldn’t be happier.
5 Must-Have Features for Creating More Openness in a Bathroom
Designer: Florence Livingston Interiors
Location: San Rafael, California
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was a new construction, and this bathroom is located on the top floor,” designer Florence Livingston says. “The bathroom was meant to be a guest bathroom for the first few years and then ultimately will become a primary bathroom once the family’s children become older and the parents move their primary suite upstairs.”
Livingston uses Houzz Pro business management software for proposals, invoices and purchase orders.
Low-curb shower details. The curb is clad in the same Carrara marble slab used for the countertop. The flooring consists of marble tiles laid in a chevron pattern. “We often try to design low-curb showers when using the same material on the bathroom floor and the shower floor,” Livingston says. “It creates a more seamless look between the two.”
Other special features. “The showstoppers here are the beautiful cement wall tiles from Clé Tile in a soft and lovely sage green color called Basil,” Livingston says. “And anchoring that beautiful wall with one single sink and a striking round mirror gives a beautiful focal point as you enter the room. The cabinetry is white oak.”
Designer tip. “In this case the clients did not need two sinks,” Livingston says. “They don’t get ready at the same time in the morning and just didn’t have use for a second sink. Because of that, we were able to not only design a beautiful vanity with a focal point, but the homeowners also have a lot of useful storage — large drawers on either side of the sink base. When a vanity has two sinks, the storage under the sink is usually not very usable because of all the plumbing. So if a single sink is a consideration, I always make sure to bring it up.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We did have to spend a lot of time detailing the tile layout very specifically,” Livingston says. “You’ll notice that right at counter height we have a row of full tiles, and that took a lot of coordinating to get that perfect. The transition between the wall tiles and the marble on the half wall and the curb was also very time-consuming, both for design and for the tile setter. In the end it turned out perfectly and exactly how we had planned, so we couldn’t be happier.
5 Must-Have Features for Creating More Openness in a Bathroom
4. Quartz Connection
Designer: Katie Brown of Muse Residential
Location: Mooresville, North Carolina
Size: 85 square feet (7.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The clients are a young couple who wanted something that had a casual feel and wasn’t too stuffy,” designer Katie Brown says. “They also wanted something that had farmhouse touches but would be classic enough to be stylish for years to come. They hoped they could get a bigger shower and have a wow moment when you came into the room. They both worked from home at the time, and they wanted this space to be an oasis that they could escape to after the workday was through.”
Low-curb shower details. “The curb is made from quartz that has the same white tone as the subway tile and flooring, so it disappears into the background to not call attention to it directly,” Brown says. “Instead, the eye goes straight to the wallpaper and tile feature wall behind the new freestanding tub.
“Budget was top of mind, and doing a curbless shower would raise the price of the overall bathroom cost that was outside of their comfortable number. Also, the bathroom is on the second floor of the house, so aging in place wouldn’t be possible in this house and was far from mind for this young couple.”
Other special features. “When you walk into the bathroom, the new freestanding tub is highlighted with a floral wallpaper — Peonies in navy by Rifle Paper Co.,” Brown says. “I paired it with a fun white-and-gold chevron glass tile. To break up the two materials, I chose a light wood to match the floating shelves across the room, and I made it deep enough for the clients to place small items while they were in the tub. I chose a classic Carrara marble-look porcelain tile for the floor, but to give it a fun update, I chose a large hex shape.”
Designer tip. “Pattern mixing was key in this space,” Brown says. “The trick to using multiple patterns in one space and it all working is the color. Using the same color throughout the space makes this bath look cohesive and fun without being too busy. The gold in the accent tile ties in with the gold in the wallpaper, and the white ties together the shower, floor, feature wall and cabinets. By keeping a neutral gray on the walls and cabinetry, the eye has time to rest, making this bathroom a real stunner.”
Bathtub: Juno, Wyndham Collection; vanity: Pearl Gray, NKBC; wall paint: Gray Matters, Sherwin-Williams
Designer: Katie Brown of Muse Residential
Location: Mooresville, North Carolina
Size: 85 square feet (7.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The clients are a young couple who wanted something that had a casual feel and wasn’t too stuffy,” designer Katie Brown says. “They also wanted something that had farmhouse touches but would be classic enough to be stylish for years to come. They hoped they could get a bigger shower and have a wow moment when you came into the room. They both worked from home at the time, and they wanted this space to be an oasis that they could escape to after the workday was through.”
Low-curb shower details. “The curb is made from quartz that has the same white tone as the subway tile and flooring, so it disappears into the background to not call attention to it directly,” Brown says. “Instead, the eye goes straight to the wallpaper and tile feature wall behind the new freestanding tub.
“Budget was top of mind, and doing a curbless shower would raise the price of the overall bathroom cost that was outside of their comfortable number. Also, the bathroom is on the second floor of the house, so aging in place wouldn’t be possible in this house and was far from mind for this young couple.”
Other special features. “When you walk into the bathroom, the new freestanding tub is highlighted with a floral wallpaper — Peonies in navy by Rifle Paper Co.,” Brown says. “I paired it with a fun white-and-gold chevron glass tile. To break up the two materials, I chose a light wood to match the floating shelves across the room, and I made it deep enough for the clients to place small items while they were in the tub. I chose a classic Carrara marble-look porcelain tile for the floor, but to give it a fun update, I chose a large hex shape.”
Designer tip. “Pattern mixing was key in this space,” Brown says. “The trick to using multiple patterns in one space and it all working is the color. Using the same color throughout the space makes this bath look cohesive and fun without being too busy. The gold in the accent tile ties in with the gold in the wallpaper, and the white ties together the shower, floor, feature wall and cabinets. By keeping a neutral gray on the walls and cabinetry, the eye has time to rest, making this bathroom a real stunner.”
Bathtub: Juno, Wyndham Collection; vanity: Pearl Gray, NKBC; wall paint: Gray Matters, Sherwin-Williams
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5. Black Blend
Designer: Ruckerhill
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Size: 106 square feet (9.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The home was a one-story ’80s contemporary with a small three-quarters windowless master bath,” designer Rucker Hill says. “We wanted to bring the outdoors in and create a shower in the trees. So we popped the top and took the master straight up into them with a second-floor addition.”
Low-curb shower details. Small black mosaic tiles on the low curb match the shower floor tile, as well as the color of the main large-format elongated hexagonal tiles. “When you match the color of the tile outside of the shower, you will continue to visually get closer to a seamless transition,” Hill says.
Other special features. Floor-to-ceiling reflective mosaic tile behind a floating vanity. Wood-look shower tile. A bifold hinge on the shower glass allows the owners to close off the shower or open it up to use the large divider as bench seating.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Designer: Ruckerhill
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Size: 106 square feet (9.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The home was a one-story ’80s contemporary with a small three-quarters windowless master bath,” designer Rucker Hill says. “We wanted to bring the outdoors in and create a shower in the trees. So we popped the top and took the master straight up into them with a second-floor addition.”
Low-curb shower details. Small black mosaic tiles on the low curb match the shower floor tile, as well as the color of the main large-format elongated hexagonal tiles. “When you match the color of the tile outside of the shower, you will continue to visually get closer to a seamless transition,” Hill says.
Other special features. Floor-to-ceiling reflective mosaic tile behind a floating vanity. Wood-look shower tile. A bifold hinge on the shower glass allows the owners to close off the shower or open it up to use the large divider as bench seating.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
6. Traditional Treasure
Designers: Betsy Helm and Kiley Baun of Shophouse
Builder: Ernst Brothers
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 80 square feet (7.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was part of an entire home renovation,” designer Betsy Helm says. “Our intent was to create a primary bathroom that was incredibly timeless and really spoke to the original architecture and classical theme of the home.”
Low-curb shower details. “Given the layout of this space — the vanity is centered between a private water closet and the shower — the curb in Statuary marble helps define these areas,” designer Kiley Baun says.
Other special features. “We went with a traditional spin on a geometric floor tile that has a subtle pattern but modernizes the classic envelope,” Helm says. “The walls, millwork and vanity are all painted Storm Cloud by Sherwin-Williams, which perfectly complements the veining of the Statuary marble countertops and curb.”
Designer tip. “In this layout, it was all about the contrast,” Baun says. “There are no windows in this room, and we went for it with a darker color. What made this successful is [that] the ceiling and floors remained light, and we inset mirrors into the wall paneling so the light really just glows in this space off of the lighter surfaces — and it feels so special.”
Designers: Betsy Helm and Kiley Baun of Shophouse
Builder: Ernst Brothers
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 80 square feet (7.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was part of an entire home renovation,” designer Betsy Helm says. “Our intent was to create a primary bathroom that was incredibly timeless and really spoke to the original architecture and classical theme of the home.”
Low-curb shower details. “Given the layout of this space — the vanity is centered between a private water closet and the shower — the curb in Statuary marble helps define these areas,” designer Kiley Baun says.
Other special features. “We went with a traditional spin on a geometric floor tile that has a subtle pattern but modernizes the classic envelope,” Helm says. “The walls, millwork and vanity are all painted Storm Cloud by Sherwin-Williams, which perfectly complements the veining of the Statuary marble countertops and curb.”
Designer tip. “In this layout, it was all about the contrast,” Baun says. “There are no windows in this room, and we went for it with a darker color. What made this successful is [that] the ceiling and floors remained light, and we inset mirrors into the wall paneling so the light really just glows in this space off of the lighter surfaces — and it feels so special.”
7. Contemporary Continuity
Designer and builder: Ben Hawkins of Blackhawk Building
Location: Phoenix
Size: 172½ square feet (16 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “I designed the room to take advantage of the natural light coming into the shower,” designer and builder Ben Hawkins says. “I like to cover all walls in monochromatic, large-format tile. The textured tile took it to a whole new level.”
Low-curb shower details. The curb blends in with the surrounding floor color, minimizing its appearance. “We never want the curb to stand out, or the shower floor, so we like to continue the flooring from the bathroom into the shower,” Hawkins says.
Other special features. Light wood floating vanity. Wet-room layout. Black plumbing fixtures and other details. “The custom concrete countertops were a great feature,” Hawkins says. “It’s a one-of-a-kind design and is very clean. We added a makeup counter with waterfall edge to finish out the utilitarian design.”
Designer tip. “Find a good large-format tile and cover the walls,” Hawkins says. “Wet spaces want to be tiled and waterproofed. There can’t be enough tile if done right and will typically take the shower and bathroom to the next level.”
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Designer and builder: Ben Hawkins of Blackhawk Building
Location: Phoenix
Size: 172½ square feet (16 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “I designed the room to take advantage of the natural light coming into the shower,” designer and builder Ben Hawkins says. “I like to cover all walls in monochromatic, large-format tile. The textured tile took it to a whole new level.”
Low-curb shower details. The curb blends in with the surrounding floor color, minimizing its appearance. “We never want the curb to stand out, or the shower floor, so we like to continue the flooring from the bathroom into the shower,” Hawkins says.
Other special features. Light wood floating vanity. Wet-room layout. Black plumbing fixtures and other details. “The custom concrete countertops were a great feature,” Hawkins says. “It’s a one-of-a-kind design and is very clean. We added a makeup counter with waterfall edge to finish out the utilitarian design.”
Designer tip. “Find a good large-format tile and cover the walls,” Hawkins says. “Wet spaces want to be tiled and waterproofed. There can’t be enough tile if done right and will typically take the shower and bathroom to the next level.”
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Designer: Carmit Oron Interior Design
Location: San Jose, California
Size: 230 square feet (21 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted to update the bathroom materials and feel,” says designer Carmit Oron, whose clients found her through Houzz. “The layout stayed the same, but we cleaned up an extra post and a curve that covered the tub area and opened up the shower area as much as possible.”
Oron also used Houzz Pro business software to communicate with her clients using Mood Boards and to send and manage proposals, invoices and purchase orders.
Low-curb shower details. The curb and trim are covered in Calacatta marble, which was also used for the tub surround and apron front. Handmade ceramic tile with a crackle finish in a light taupe color covers the shower walls.
Other special features. Pietra del Cardosa marble countertop and backsplash. Calacatta marble mosaic floor tile. Polished nickel and brass finishes. Vertical shiplap walls, which Oron says create “a subtle detail that adds so much to any room.”
Designer tip. “I personally love natural materials,” Oron says. “You can’t go wrong with them. They pair so beautifully together. My main tip will be to keep them honed and not polished and combine them with other natural materials, not with porcelain or something that mimics the real thing.”
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