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Shower Over Bath Ideas

When you’re limited on space in your bathroom and can’t fit a shower enclosure and a bath, a combined shower-bath is a practical option which will provide you with the choice of having a long soak in the bath on an evening or a reinvigorating shower before work in the morning. With a combined shower bath, you really do get the best of both worlds.

To give you some inspiring shower-over-bath ideas, we’ll begin by explaining exactly what a combined shower and bath is, the ways you can incorporate each of the three main styles of shower-baths into your bathroom, as well as a few more generalised design tips to make the most of these units. Following this, we’ve handpicked five of our favourite combined bath and shower ideas and answered a number of the most frequently asked questions to get you on your way to installing your own bath-shower combo.

What is a Shower Bath?

A combined shower-bath essentially incorporates a shower head mounted over the top of a bath. Thanks to the popularity of having a shower-bath suite, there are numerous sizes, shapes, and styles to suit your unique bathroom suite design perspective.

Although you can add a shower to a bath during future bathroom renovations, we stock several shower-baths which are intended to be installed as one singular unit. The three main styles of single shower-over-bath units are L-shaped, P-shaped, and the free-standing bath.

How to incorporate Bath-Showers into a Bathroom Design:

To inspire your shower-over-bath ideas, let’s take a look at the three main styles of combined shower-bath units.

P-SHAPED BATH

A P-shaped shower-over-bath gets its name from the shape of the bath; at one end, there’s a rounded section to allow for more arm room while taking a shower and, at the opposite end, there’s the standard rectangular shape characteristic of a regular bath. At the rounded end, you’ll find the shower head and the controls, as well as a curved glass screen to prevent your bathroom’s flooring from becoming covered with water.

Take our April P-Shape Shower-Bath for example; the soft P-shape provides a generous amount of showering space and boasts a pristine white finish that will complement other contemporary suite items. The curved divider is fixed to the bath and has an understated, minimalistic quality about it. Once installed, this P-shaped model is ready to have a shower fitted.

L-SHAPED BATH

It follows then that an L-shaped shower-over-bath features additional arm room at the showering end and an angular bathing section at the other. L-shaped units are well-suited to a modern bathroom furniture decor because of their geometric contours and contemporary aesthetic.

Our Nuie L-Shaped Shower-Bath is simultaneously space-saving and stylish in its design; the modern L-shape, crisp white shade, and durable acrylic materials make this a luxurious addition to any contemporary bathroom. You’ll be able to choose between two different screens to ensure a sense of consistency alongside your other suite items.

FREE-STANDING BATH

If your personal design perspective lends itself to a period-inspired traditional look then a free-standing bath with an integrated shower will be right at home in your bathroom. It’s worth noting that, with a free-standing bath, you’ll need to take extra measures to prevent the shower’s water from spraying out across your bathroom as you won’t have the surrounding walls you see with P-shaped and L-shaped shower-bath units. One design technique is to install a curved rail on the ceiling above the free-standing bath where you can then hang shower curtains.

Our Moods Roma Free-Standing Bath Shower Mixer Tap boasts a traditional style and is fitted to the flooring next to your free-standing bath. The mixer tap allows you to both fill the bath with water and use the shower’s head to rinse off. Having a free-standing bath-shower requires a little extra planning but it’s certainly not impossible and it’s an effective way to get the best of both worlds without compromising on your bathroom’s antique aesthetic.

How to Avoid Splashes

Having the necessary precautions in place to avoid having water splashing out onto your bathroom’s floor is one of the key considerations you will have to bear in mind when installing a shower-bath combination.

For a modern look, opt for a screen constructed from glass. You’ll have the choice of a fixed screen or one that features a series of hinges and a rubber seal at the base to prevent unwanted leakages. This is a good option when you’re working with a small space as the screen won’t need to swing out at an angle into the room and can instead be folded in on itself when it’s not in use.

If a period-inspired style is more to your taste then a shower curtain suspended on a rail above a free-standing bath is another effective method for avoiding having water escaping out into the room. Shower curtains open up the opportunity to be a little more creative in terms of introducing patterns to your bathroom too; while you could opt for a minimalistic white curtain, you could also choose curtains featuring an intricate design to accentuate a vintage wallpaper. We would recommend selecting a rail that opens up the showering space; either a curved or oval-shaped rail will do this and will leave you with more room while in the shower-bath.

Ideas on How to Enhance a Shower Bath

There a couple of ways you can go about enhancing a shower-bath even more. Firstly, it may be worth having a textured grip mat on-hand to stick to the bath when you’re showering as this will reduce the risk of slipping about while stood upright. Single model shower-baths will often already have a textured surface at the shower end to serve this purpose.

For a contemporary look, you could conceal any pipework for a clean, minimalistic decor. One way to do this is to opt for a rainfall shower fixed to the ceiling and chrome wall-mounted controls to really complement this. Alternately, a traditional approach can be achieved by exposing your pipework; visible brass and copper pipes are characteristic of a Victorian-inspired bathroom and bring a touch of the antique when fitted over a claw-footed free-standing bath.

SHOWER-BATH INSPIRATION

Now that we’ve walked you through a range of shower-over-bath ideas, let’s use some more examples from the products we stock to give you some inspiration and more ideas for your own bathroom.

1. Lakes Over-Bath Semi Framed Double Slider Door

If you don’t want to sacrifice the enclosed showering experience, then the Lakes Over-Bath Slider Shower Door is the ideal solution for giving you the best of both worlds. This elegant bath and showering unit is ideal for a small space and features a toughened door which will eliminate the risk of water spilling over your bath. The ultra-clear finish will keep your bathroom feeling open and spacious without dominating your other fixtures as upright shower enclosures tend to do. This is a practical option and its easy installation makes for the ideal shower-bath combination.

2. Nuie Linton Shower-Bath

Our second shower-over-bath is the Nuie Linton which incorporates the Elation Combination White Furniture Suite. Featuring geometric lines and squared-off edges, this is an attractive shower and bath combination. With a pristine white shower and bath fitted with a screen, this suite fits nicely in either a small en-suite or in a larger master bathroom. The Elation furniture package includes a modern basin which is integrated with the toilet to form a chic vanity. Designed to utilise every centimetre of your bathroom, this is a luxurious suite that draws upon a contemporary approach to modernise your space.

3. Bliss L-Shaped Shower and Bath Suite

Next up, the Bliss L-Shaped Shower and Bath Suite boasts angular contours with a high gloss white finish which will never go out of fashion. Available in a range of lengths, the bath can accommodate both smaller and larger bathrooms and provides a generous amount of showering space. For an eye-catching level of consistency, this combined shower and bath share a sense of symmetry with the geometric shapes of the square toilet, soft-close seat, and clean-cut basin. This suite is designed for installation in anything from a large to small space, all without compromising on an overarching modern aesthetic.

4. April/Nuie Shower and Bath

The April/Nuie Shower and Bath combines the Nuie Linton bath with a practical April Prestige screen. The bath itself is high-quality in its design; constructed out of lucite acrylic for durability and combining soft curves with defined lines for a modern edge, the Nuie Linton bath is the perfect foundation for a contemporary tub-shower.

When you’re looking to save on space, a hinged bath screen will fold back when it’s not in use so that you get the full experience of a luxurious bath or, when unfolded outwards, a secure shower that won’t leave you with a build-up of water on your bathroom’s flooring. Folded into four sections, this bath screen is ideal for shower-baths and integrates a polished silver profile, hinges, and seal for a timeless look.

5. Elation Combination P-Shape White Furniture Suite

If it’s the soft curvature of a P-shaped tub-shower you’re looking for, then this Elation Combination Suite will be a stylish addition to your bathroom. Allowing you to experience the best of both worlds, this is one of our favourite luxurious bath-shower ideas and will provide you with a comfortable bathing area for long soaks and the extra space for showering which is characteristic of a P-shaped shower-over-bath combination. The April Prestige bath screen is shaped to fit the bath and flaunts durability. Included with this suite package is a slimline floor-standing toilet with a concealed cistern integrated into a vanity which has a stone basin atop.

FAQs

We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to making your shower-over-bath ideas a reality.

Can you put a shower over any bath?

A shower can be installed over almost any bath. That being said, certain shaped baths are going to be better suited to it. An L-shaped or P-shaped bath will be the best shapes to fit a shower over, although with the addition of an adequate shower curtain or screen even a standard rectangular bath will work with your shower-over-bath ideas. A free-standing bath is a little more challenging to transform into a combined shower and bath but it’s certainly not impossible; ensure you fit a rounded rail above your bath and hang a shower curtain which is long enough in length to sit inside of the free-standing bath so that you won’t have to worry about a build-up of water on your bathroom’s flooring.

What can I put above my shower surround?

We have a number of ideas in answer to this question. As long as they’re securely waterproofed, you can place anything from patterned tiles to bathroom-friendly wallpapers above your shower surround to enhance your decor. Feature walls are great ideas for distinguishing between each section of a bathroom and work well above a shower’s surround. For a Victorian-inspired feel, you could even fit a brass picture rail and hang water-tight framed artwork.

How much does it cost to convert a bath to a shower?

Transforming a bath to include a shower is far more cost-effective than installing a separate shower enclosure next to a bath. Naturally, the financial costs involved will vary depending on whether you’re simply fitting a shower bracket, mixer tap, and shower curtain, or whether you’re looking to fit a luxurious rainfall shower with wall-mounted controls, concealed pipework, and a glass screen. As there are so many factors determining the overall costs, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question but you can expect to spend anywhere from £150 to several thousand depending on whether you use a simplistic shower handset connected to a mixer tap or a spa-like ceiling-mounted head.