What Is A Shower Room? Detailed Guide For First-Timers

In every home, there will always be a bathroom where people can prepare to seize the day or get ready for bed. When building this space, the term ‘shower room’ would frequently come up. That makes many homeowners wonder — what is a shower room?

A shower room is a space with the shower or tub separated from the rest of the bathroom, typically using one or more panels. It is clearly divided to form an independent bathing space. 

For first-timers wanting to learn more about shower rooms, continue reading!

What Is A Shower Room?

A shower room is an independent compartment and area separated from the rest of the bathroom. It contains the complete shower kit and package — sometimes with a bathtub or toilet. 

Most of the time, a shower room is set up in a corner of the room, making it ideal for compact and small bathroom spaces. Generally, it has a low-threshold shower tray to ensure the water stays within the enclosed space. That also makes it safer for people as it minimizes spills, reducing the chances of slipping or tripping. 

The shower room concepts are not entirely new, although they have only recently gained popularity. It mainly appeals to homeowners due to its efficient consumption and use of available space. A shower room’s typical open and streamlined design makes a small space look spacious and less claustrophobic. 

Shower rooms also promote designs that embody modern and minimalistic aesthetics. They often have clean lines emphasizing practicality, making them ideal for modern and contemporary homes.

What Are The Types Of Shower Rooms?

There is more than one type and kind of shower room in the market. Usually, to choose a shower room, one must consider the available space, style preferences, budget, and specific needs:

For those planning to add a shower room in their bathroom, here are the possible choices to consider:

Shower Enclosure

This shower pod is the most standard and common type of shower room one can find in homes. Often, this shower cabin has glass or acrylic for shower panels or walls, completely separating the shower kit from the rest of the bathroom space. It can also come with a door that swings, folds, or pivots open. Shower enclosures are widely available in various shapes and designs. The most common ones are quadrant showers, d-shaped showers, pentagonal showers, square showers, rectangular showers, and alcove showers.

Walk-In Shower

A walk-in shower is a fully-opened tiled shower without enclosing walls, panels, and doors. It does not have a barrier that separates it from the bathroom, which makes this quite an unorthodox type of shower room. 

However, the definition of this shower type has expanded with time. Now, it includes subtle modifications like lower curbs and ledges to contain the water. While it does not have a shower door or panel, a typical walk-in shower has large expanses of glass or stationary privacy panels to define the space. 

Bath Shower Cabin

A bathtub shower combo is exactly what it claims — a tub with a shower kit or fixture. This shower room allows the two bathing components to exist within the same space, offering flexibility to people who enjoy showering and bathing.

A shower and bath cabin is the most family-friendly option, as it can accommodate all family sizes. With this shower room, it would be easy to bathe youngsters and family pets without hassle.

Steam Shower Cabin

A steam cabin is a self-contained and enclosed stand-alone shower stall that does not come with a tub. With this shower room, one can enjoy a humid and almost tropical environment by generating soothing steam.

A warm and vaporous steam cabin allows homeowners to recreate a luxury spa-like experience in their bathroom. It can help people feel at ease physically and mentally.Also, indulging the self in a steam shower can result in plenty of benefits. That includes loosening stiff joints, soothing the muscles, removing toxins, and burning calories.

How Is A Shower Room Different From A Bathroom?

For those wondering how a shower room is different from a bathroom, here is a grand overview:

Shower Room

As mentioned, a shower room is an area with a shower component completely separate from the entire space, usually with panels or walls. It is the space in the bathroom where people can bathe and clean themselves under warm, cold, or hot water. 

The shower room enclosure typically comprises glass, acrylic, tiles, stones, or other materials. The final material will play a significant role in the overall price of the shower room pod. 

Typically, it consists of a shower component and one drain. However, there are instances when there is a toilet or tub. 

Shower rooms are compact and have limited inner space, making them ideal for small rooms. Given that it’s just a single shower stall, this shower pod is easier and faster to install than a bathroom.

It also requires less maintenance and fewer costs.

Bathroom

The bathroom pertains to the entire available bathing space.

The toilet, tub, sink, and shower are typical and permanent fixtures in a bathroom space. Storage cabinets, vanities, mirrors, and shelves are other components and accessories. 

Bathrooms naturally offer more room than average shower rooms, giving homeowners more space to work with. The extra room allows for flexibility in terms of design and layout. 

For installation, bathrooms require more time to complete than shower rooms. There are just more fixtures to install in bathrooms, which demands more time and labor.

There is also their complexity that makes it impossible to DIY. 

Additionally, bathrooms also need more maintenance than shower rooms. That includes regular cleaning and occasional repairs. Initially and in the long run, it would cost more to install.

Bathrooms are generally more prominent than shower rooms, which demand more materials and effort. Naturally, the cost will be more expensive. 

However, in terms of design and customization, bathrooms are more flexible. There are countless options, like modern, minimalist, and traditional. Therefore, achieving a bathroom that fits a homeowner’s preference and style is much easier.

Wrap Up

It is necessary for homeowners in the middle of renovating their bathrooms to know, ‘what is a shower room?’ Generally, the enclosed area with the shower and drain is entirely separate from the rest of the bathroom. 

Knowing more about the meaning and different shower room types is crucial for homeowners if they want to achieve the bathroom of their dreams. By learning, they can make the right decisions and pick the best-suited shower room for their space!