20 Doorless Walk-In Shower Ideas for a Modern Retreat

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If you're looking to make your bathroom feel more open, updated, spacious, and accessible, there are plenty of doorless walk-in shower ideas that can be adapted to any size or layout. Doorless walk-in showers are finished with tile, compatible with many types of shower heads, and can work in everything from the smallest studio apartment wet room to the most spacious en suite primary bathroom. Along with their modern, updated look and sleek style, doorless walk-in showers are easier to clean and have an accessible universal design suitable for all family members, from children to older adults with mobility issues.

A doorless walk-in shower may include a center drain, corner drain, or a side drain depending on the bathroom layout. True walk-in showers are completely curbless, eliminating the need to step over a rim, making them child-friendly and wheelchair-accessible as long as there is wide enough clearance.

You can choose a completely open-plan bathroom or install a glass panel splash guard to separate the shower from the sink, toilet, or tub. Generally speaking, a walk-in shower can also increase your home's value as long as you don't eliminate the only tub in the house.

Check out these 20 doorless walk-in shower ideas in a range of styles for inspiration.

Design a Corner Doorless Shower

Home Consultant added a doorless corner walk-in shower in this Los Angeles bathroom that maximizes the layout. A glass shower panel splash guard separates the shower from the sink. This style works in a small shower and bathroom, where the look helps create a light, airy space. The neutral palette adds to the spacious feel.

Preserve Natural Light With a Window

This spacious doorless walk-in shower occupies the far wall of a long and narrow bathroom from White Sands. A glass panel protects the adjacent toilet from splashes without compromising the transparent open feel of the layout or blocking natural light from the large window. The large scale of the tile within the shower makes this bathroom feel open and tricks the eye into thinking the space is wider than it actually is.

Try a Side Drain in a Doorless Shower

In this sleek white bathroom from Home Consultant, a doorless walk-in shower has a side drain to accommodate the long and narrow layout. This prevents a drain in the middle of the shower from breaking up the seamless look. A large rain shower head in shiny brass matches the plumbing hardware of the soaking tub opposite. The result is a bathroom that feels like a spa-like retreat for bathing.

Add a Privacy Half-Wall

If you love the idea of a doorless shower but want to preserve a sense of modesty when showering, opt for a solid opaque tile half-wall like this marble tile number from Jenni Leasia Design. It also gives you a space to hide a functional niche that you can access within the shower, but that doesn't become an eyesore when you're standing elsewhere in the bathroom. Continuing the tile from shower to half-wall keeps the space sleek and seamless.

Fit a Doorless Walk-In Shower In a Tight Space

Want to rinse off before or after you take a dip in the tub? You can fit a doorless shower in even the tightest of spaces. A doorless walk-in shower is wedged between the built-in bathtub and sink vanity in this bathroom which maximizes space and essentially disappears behind a travertine tile half-wall when not in use.

Use Black Accents on a Doorless Shower

Home Consultant used graphic black-and-white floor tile that runs throughout the entire bathroom to create a unified, bold look. Then, they separated the doorless walk-in shower with a simple pane of glass and used back plumbing hardware and brackets on the splash guard for a seamless look. The black ties it together with the floors and the sink hardware, adding a touch of contrast to the light bathroom.

Add Multiple Spray-Heads to a Doorless Walk-In Shower

Get a true spa day experience at home in this doorless shower. You can can shower from every angle with this walk-through design from Rock Paper Hammer. The classic marble tile makes the design timeless, while glass walls on all but the exterior side wall keep the shower bright. Walk right in and feel as if you've been transported to your favorite fancy hotel spa.

Create a Double Doorless Walk-In Shower

In this custom home by GNB Builders, a double doorless walk-in shower broken up by a large soaking bathtub maximizes the floor plan and increases functionality. The shower stalls themselves aren't large but the overall bathroom is spacious and it all feels like part of one cohesive spa experience. Soak in the sub, then rinse off in the serene stone shower.

Add Storage With a Shower Ladder

Cathie Hong Interiors added a glass splash panel that stops short of the ceiling but extends out into the middle of this large bathroom while still leaving plenty of room to maneuver. A leaning ladder adds towel storage while preserving the light and minimalist feel. Windows bring in natural light and the white tile keeps the space bright. The look is modern, sleek, and clean.

Try a Small Space Doorless Shower

This white marble tile doorless walk-in shower from Sarah Bartholomew Design has all-white tile and a matching shower niche that emphasizes the streamlined minimalist design. Keeping it all cohesive makes the space feel larger, and it shows you don't need a lot of space to create a sophisticated and timeless doorless look that even has shower storage.

Use Contrasting Tile Accents

This walk-in shower by Fox Group Construction is finished with simple white subway tiles accented by dark marble wrap-around stripes that mirror the material used on the hexagon shower floor tiles. A partial glass wall helps bring in light to the shower while the solid part of the wall adds a layer of privacy. This bathroom brings together unique tile design and classic styling.

Go Retro

Glass block walls are definitely an 80s thing, but they are making a comeback for their ability to let light in while adding an opaque tint. Glass block can be effectively used almost anywhere you might use clear glass panel walls in a walk-in shower, even a quite small shower. In this contemporary bathroom from Shasta Smith, the soft, muted neutral palette brings this 80s staple into the 21st century, and the fogged glass provides privacy as well as transparency.

Try Glass Shower Tile in a Doorless Shower

RW Anderson Homes used reflective glass shower tile in this doorless walk-in shower that adds an extra dose of light to this blingy bathroom. Keep in mind that shiny glass tile requires more work to maintain, since the surfaces need to regularly polished to maintain the gleam and prevent water spots and mineral deposits. But the result gives it a boutique hotel look that's incredibly chic.

Add a Doorless Shower Bench

This doorless walk-in corner shower from PLD Custom Homes is covered from floor to ceiling in white-and-gray marble tiles for a luxurious and streamlined look. A shower niche and built-in corner bench add functionality. You have a place to set your shampoo and conditioner, prop your legs while shaving, or even sit for a minute to take in the steam.

Try Some Terrazzo

There's no reason to skimp on style just because you have a small space! When you have a doorless shower, there's an opportunity to make a statement with the tile since it's visible as soon as you walk in the bathroom. This small walk-in shower idea from Cathie Hong Interiors mixes white subway tiles laid in two directions for extra dimension with punchy terrazzo floor tiles that add movement and personality to the compact space.

Use a Budget-Friendly Shower Curb

This walk-in shower and tub from Jackson Paige Interiors is doorless but not curbless, an option that can be a budget-friendly alternative for bathrooms that have plumbing restrictions and are built to be used by adults without mobility issues. It also helps give the shower a stage in the room, drawing even more attention to it. The gorgeous marble tile stands out against the wood flooring.

Install a Large Bench

A large shower bench on the far end of this all-white bathroom from Living with Lolo makes the somewhat narrow space feel more spacious and luxurious, creating a place for in-shower beauty treatments with an at-home spa-like appeal. The tiled ceiling adds another layer of elegance, echoing the pattern on the floor and creating a layer of protection for steam showers.

Add a Contemporary Edge to a Doorless Shower

In this contemporary bathroom from Cathie Hong Interiors, large glass panels edged in the same black metal as the large windows adds an industrial note while retaining the transparent feel and open views to the outside. As soon as you step into this bathroom, you're transported into an indoor-outdoor bathing experience with both the tub and the shower in one space.

Include a Skylight

This large minimalist Southern California wet room from Home Consultant includes a roomy doorless walk-in shower, large soaking garden tub, and a central skylight that brings in natural light. A glass splash panel separates the shower from the sink area without impeding flow. The same wall tile throughout the room makes the space feel endless.

Try Opaque Glass

House of One swapped a shower door for an opaque glass splash guard that doubles as a privacy screen for those who prefer to shower without an audience. It still allows light to flow throughout the room, but with the added mystery. The same tile is used on the walls and the floor throughout the bathroom for a sleek, modern shower look.

Design Tips for Doorless Showers

• A walk-in shower generally needs to be customized for each bathroom. Use a shower kit, which is typically available at your local home hardware store.

• Curbless styles must be carefully sloped to ensure that water empties down the drain, not out into the bathroom. A skilled craftsperson should be hired for the job.

• Doorless shower pans are generally built from ceramic tile, and maintenance and repair can be more involved than with a standard shower. The tile will need to be periodically regrouted and sealed.
  

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep water in a doorless shower?

To help prevent water from splashing all over the bathroom and floor in a doorless shower, consider installing a trough drain or another low-profile drainage system in the shower doorway. This will stop water in its tracks.

How big should a doorless walk-in shower be?

A doorless walk-in shower is typically a larger, more luxurious space than your average shower stall, though a small doorless walk-in shower could be 36" x 36". Typically, these will be at least 60" x 30", though a 60" x 48" shower is ideal in a larger space.

How far does water splash in an open shower?

While a drain positioned in the doorway of the shower will catch much of the excess water, there is inevitably going to be a splash zone. Don't put anything that can't get wet within six feet of the shower entry.

Read Next: What Is a Walk-In Shower? Benefits and Styles

Read the original article on The Spruce.