Bathroom Design
The Case for a Curbless Shower
A Streamlined, Open Look is a First Thing to Explore When Renovating a Bath
Almost every shower you see has a 6-inch step at the entrance. Most people never think about it. But if you're looking to create a streamlined bathroom, that curb will stand out. And if you're a wheelchair user, that small obstacle may just as well be a "Do Not Enter" sign.
Not all bathrooms can accommodate a curbless shower, but when I'm looking over a bath to be renovated it's one of the first options I explore. A curbless shower is a subtle touch that creates a seamless look and broadcasts the amount of thought that went into a bath design.
Not all bathrooms can accommodate a curbless shower, but when I'm looking over a bath to be renovated it's one of the first options I explore. A curbless shower is a subtle touch that creates a seamless look and broadcasts the amount of thought that went into a bath design.
Curbless showers have to be larger than a typical shower to make them large enough to contain the entire splash zone.
Shower head placement is an important aspect to containing the splash zone.
A smaller bathroom with an unenclosed, curbless shower requires that the entire floor be pitched toward the drain in the shower. Done properly, a bathroom such as this will drain itself dry shortly after it's used.
Curbless showers take a good deal of planning in order to pull them off effectively. What looks like a wooden mat at the entrance to this one is actually a drain cover to catch any water overflow.
Bring a bathroom designer in to incorporate a curbless shower
Bring a bathroom designer in to incorporate a curbless shower
Curbless showers don't have to be open, this one's contained behind a frameless, glass enclosure. The lack of a curb and a shower frame give this bathroom an absolutely seamless sight line.
Though curbless showers tend to show up in modern baths, there's no rule that says a traditional bath can't go curbless. Their unbroken appearance and importance when it comes to aging in place and universal access make them an important consideration, regardless of a bath's design style.
If you look at the rear wall of this shower you can see the pitch of the floor. This shower combines a curbless shower, a pitched floor and a glass shower wall to keep the rest of this bathroom dry. As an added safety measure, this vanity cabinet’s been suspended above the floor.
This curved, teak deck is disguising a free-form shower pan and drain that's sitting below the level of the floor instead above the floor as is the case in most bathrooms.
The elements in this bath work together to make the exterior wall all but disappear. The rainforest green serpentinite-clad wall echoes the shapes and colors of the trees. By choosing a curbless shower and a frameless shower enclosure, every step into this bath feels like a step outside.
Shop for shower stalls and kits
Shop for shower stalls and kits
The seeming simplicity of this bath disguises the planning that went into it. All of the elements here work together to optimize storage and contain splashing water: the two most important jobs any bath design has to do.
What do you think? Do you prefer showers with a curb or without?
What do you think? Do you prefer showers with a curb or without?
