Walk-in Shower Ideas Better Homes And Gardensbetter Homes And Gardens

walk in shower with marble tiles and wooden vanity

Credit: Tria Giovan

A walk-in shower can add function and a sense of luxury to your bathroom. Fortunately, you don't need a huge space to make it work. These small walk-in shower ideas demonstrate how to beautifully stretch a small bathroom's footprint and amplify its good looks.

Doorless Walk-In Shower Design

black white modern bathroom with plants

Credit: Adam Albright

Forego the door to make a small walk-in shower feel even more spacious. A fixed glass panel separates this shower from the rest of the small bathroom. The door design features an opening that allows users to come and go freely. To waterproof the shower stall, cover the surfaces with tile, then mount the showerhead and controls on the wall opposite the opening to limit splashing.

Curtained Walk-In Shower

wood beam and hanging curtains in tile cornered shower

Credit: Edmund Barr

Finish a walk-in shower in simple, budget-friendly fashion with curtain panels instead of glass doors. This small walk-in shower design takes advantage of a wooden support beam for mounting curtain rods across the two open sides. A slightly raised step around the shower pan keeps water contained.

Tiled Walk-In Shower

white tile bathroom yellow accent

Credit: Reed Davis

Furnish your small bathroom with a wall-mounted or pedestal sink to open up space for a walk-in shower. In this bathroom, a tiled partial wall separates the small walk-in shower from the sink area. Choosing a mounted sink instead of a full vanity allowed space for a garbage can and small storage stool that can tuck behind the sink, as well as towel hooks just outside the shower door.

Walk-In Shower Ideas for Small Bathrooms

walk in shower with marble tiles and wooden vanity

Credit: Tria Giovan

Consider other amenities when making space for a walk-in shower in a small bathroom. Dressed with a simple glass door, this walk-in shower provides a solid wall for showcasing a double vanity. A narrow glass panel on the wall adjacent to the door helps carry light from nearby windows into the shower's interior, while a cutout on the door allows steam to escape.

Walk-In Shower Window

blue-gray bathroom with red flowers

Credit: Anthony Masterson Photography

Position your walk-in shower near a window or beneath a skylight so you can bask in sunbeams or gaze upon twinkling stars. This walk-in shower boasts a clerestory window and a glass door that allow natural light to flow in and out of the shower. Thanks to its placement, the shower becomes a separate room that doesn't clutter up the small bathroom's sightlines or impede traffic flow.

Space-Savvy Walk-In Shower

cottage-style bathroom with blue-green shower tile

Credit: John Gruen

Expand a small bathroom's utility by designing a walk-in shower that provides a solid wall or walls for placing vanities or tubs. Seemingly an extension of the bathroom's shiplap-clad walls, this knee wall accommodates a shallow vanity with a mirrored door. White painted walls, the walk-in shower's glass enclosure and tiled walls, and reflective surfaces encourage light to move around the space, causing the small bathroom to appear roomier.

Bright Walk-In Shower

modern bathroom with built-in cubbies and marble tile

Credit: Werner Straube

Walls painted white or a light color make a room feel larger. Create the illusion of space in your small bathroom design by choosing intentional paint and tile colors. If all-white tiles in walk-in shower designs look too sterile for you, consider marble tile or add tiles with accent colors within shower niches.

Tile Walk-In Shower Ideas

bathroom black white tiles

Credit: Werner Segarra

A glass shower wall is a great way to make a small bathroom feel large. This bathroom takes it a step further by continuing a black and white striped tile pattern from the walls into the shower. This technique eliminates the shower/bathroom barrier to make it feel like one big space.

Small Bathroom Walk-In Shower and Tub

Glass shower and white tub with bench and window

Credit: Werner Segarra

You don't have to sacrifice a bathtub to accommodate a walk-in shower in a small bathroom. Instead, opt for a small soaking tub that doesn't take up too much square footage. This spa-like small bathroom features a neutral color palette and natural textures, including linen shades, wood-look floor tile, and a muted river-rock shower wall. Glass shower walls keep the room open and airy.

Beautiful Walk-In Shower Design

enclosed shower with marble door frame and gray walls

Credit: John Gruen

Even the smallest bathroom designs with a shower can accommodate big style. Though diminutive in size, this walk-in shower makes an impact thanks to its marble door frame and tiled interior, which are highlighted by charcoal walls. Bathroom floor tiles repeat inside the shower to visually link the two areas.

Small Walk-In Shower Tile Ideas

black white bathroom sleek shower

Credit: Emily Followill

In this small bathroom, stone floor tile repeats throughout the shower and toilet area for a cohesive look. Classic white subway tile in the small walk-in shower contrasts with black porcelain tile for bold contrast. A glass shower door and built-in shower niche keep with the bathroom's modern clean lines.

Walk-In Shower Under Eaves

teal bathroom with white tile shower

Credit: Anthony Masterson

Design a doorless walk-in shower that takes advantage of your small bathroom's architectural oddities. Tucking a shower beneath an eave allowed these homeowners to fit a walk-in shower in their small bathroom. Maximizing this tight space made room for a separate toilet compartment, a luxury usually reserved for larger bathrooms.

Walk-In Shower with Bench

tiled shower with river-rock floor and glass door

Credit: Anthony Masterson

Add a walk-in shower that enhances a small bathroom's usefulness and beauty. This shower stands out in a simply furnished bath, thanks to its distinctively tiled walls and river-rock-tiled floor that are easily seen through a frameless glass shower enclosure. The glass enclosure stair-steps up a marble frame, highlighting the walk-in shower bench seat and a toiletry shelf that aligns with the beaded-board wainscoting's upper trim.

Small Walk-In Shower Design

corner shower with glass doors and blue accent tile

Credit: Emily Followill

Yes, even a smaller bathroom can have a separate tub and shower. Utilizing a tight corner, this small walk-in shower made room for a petite stand-alone tub. The blue tile on the shower floor and recessed shelf bring a touch of color to the white bathroom.

Corner Walk-In Shower

angled corner shower with floor-to-ceiling aqua tile

Credit: Gordon Beall

Walk-in shower designs for small bathrooms require careful space planning. Set a walk-in shower into a small bathroom's corner, but expand the showering area by opting for an angled base and glass enclosure that step into the main bath area. This walk-in shower's neo-angled design expanded the shower's square footage, giving the homeowners space for adding a built-in bench.

Small Bathroom Walk-In Shower

spacious walk-in shower with marble walls and warm tones

Credit: Michael Partenio

If showering is your go-to bathing option, forget about adding a tub. Instead, use what would have been the tub wall to create a spacious walk-in shower. Stretching across a bathroom's shortest wall, this walk-in shower provides plenty of room for pampering without overwhelming the small bathroom. Continuing the bathroom's marble walls and tiled flooring into the shower composes a cohesive scene that creates the perception of a larger space.

Glass Walk-In Shower

angled glass shower in small bath with blue striped tile

Credit: Michael Partenio

Design a small walk-in shower that blends into the background. Although this shower's seamless glass enclosure is visible, it fades in importance, thanks to brightly hued wainscoting that wraps the bathroom's lower walls. Without solid walls, the glass walk-in shower appears at one with its surroundings rather than as a separate room.

Walk-In Shower and Tub Combo

tiled knee wall separating shower and tub in small bath

Credit: Beth Singer

Align bathing and showering stations on a small bathroom's longest wall. By placing the tub against the walk-in shower's knee wall, the homeowners created a compact bathroom arrangement that left the opposite wall open for other fittings. A shared palette of neutral colors and materials furthers the connection between the shower and tub.

Glass Shower Design

neutral tiled bathroom with glass-walled shower in corner

Credit: Stacey Branford

Enclose a walk-in shower with a seamless glass enclosure. The transparent barriers take up little visual space and let natural light flow between the bathroom and shower, which in turn makes a small bathroom live larger than its dimensions. This bathroom's neutral tiled walls continue into the walk-in shower to further the space-stretching illusion.

Simple Walk-In Shower Design

pedestal sink under toiletry ledge next to marble shower

Credit: Jean Allsopp

Accommodate your getting-ready needs with downsized fixtures that don't take up too much floor space. This handsomely profiled pedestal sink and narrow toiletry ledge stylishly take the place of a more cumbersome vanity. The marble-tiled walls and ceiling elegantly elevate the simply furnished small bathroom.

Combined Shower and Tub

bath and shower enclosed in one space in contemporary bath

Credit: Stacey Branford

When space for a walk-in shower is at a premium, consider placing bathing and showering stations within one enclosure. The homeowners tucked a small soaking tub inside the walk-in shower to maximize a minimal amount of floor space. Advantageously, the two-in-one design keeps splashing water and wet footprints away from commode and vanity areas.

Creative Small Bathroom Design

bathtub tucked between shower and window in small bath

Credit: Greg Scheidemann

Rethink available bathroom space until you are able to fit in every one of your desired amenities. This small bathroom design tucks a bathtub between the windowed wall and a compact walk-in shower; the bath stretches behind the shower to supply a full-out bathing experience. The tub, shower, and vanity share the natural light streaming through the undressed window.

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