How to Design a Custom Shower Doors?

Want to upgrade your bathroom with a custom shower? Here are the 7 steps to follow to create a budget and design for your own.

Imagine stepping into an oasis that was actually built just for you and includes everything you need to relax and rejuvenate. That custom shower might take many forms, but what matters is that it suits you and your personal style.

With that being said, there are some down-to-earth considerations, like your budget. Let’s take a look at how to build a custom shower for your home.

Step 1: Look at Your Budget

It can be easy to go wild with all the options for a custom shower, and that can easily reach into the tens of thousands of dollars. If you can go all-out and create that kind of shower, by all means, go for it.

But most of us can’t afford to drop that kind of money on a custom shower, so we have to start choosing the things that matter most to us or learning where it’s okay to cut corners. Does it really matter to you to have a steam sauna as part of your shower, or would you rather use the cash to knock out part of a wall for a true walk-in shower?

Start out by listing everything you want, with no holds barred. Write out those prices. And then start tweaking, removing, and changing things to find a lower cost. Keep in mind that you need a 10-20% buffer in case things go wrong, and you’ll need to add the cost of labor to your custom shower work.

Step 2: Choose the Shower Enclosure Style

A custom shower can take any form you like. Most people opt for a corner shower or an alcove shower that replaces the space originally intended for a bathtub. Some might choose to simply enclose their bathtub with shower doors

However, many choose an entirely separate shower, one that might be a feature in the corner of the room or, if you have the space, right in the center of a long wall, creating a focal point for the rest of the room. Some might even choose to knock out a closet or smaller bedroom or even convert a half-bath to a shower cubicle.

If you’re on a tighter budget, prefabricated shower kits work well. A luxurious shower can be had through a prefab model fashioned in a rectangle, square, or even round shower enclosure. Acrylic and fiberglass are the most common enclosure options. If your budget is a bit broader, you could opt for a shower built from the ground up using tile, stone, glass block, and more.

Step 3: Choose a Type of Shower Door

Choosing a custom shower door can be just as important as choosing the materials for your shower walls. Here are the options:

Framed. The framed shower door is a traditional style that uses hardware along all sides of the door to keep the glass in place. This is often made with a thinner glass than the other options, potentially allowing for a better view. The metal frames come in a wide variety of finishes that can look quite high-end, including gold or composite metal.

Frameless. The frameless shower door uses glass panels that don’t have framing support systems. As a result, they provide a more seamless look and can show off expensive, high-end fixtures. These are usually made with thick safety glass.

Semi-Frameless. A semi-frameless shower door has some hardware, usually on the top and bottom, which holds the shower door in place. The shower door itself is made of thick safety glass. The result is a shower door that helps keep the water inside, where it belongs, but also opens up the bathroom in a visual sense.