How to design a stylish age in place shower (with 10 secret tips from a guy old enough to need one!)

Ok, I’m going to admit it right up front. Although I joke about being a ‘dyslexic 46 year old who will continue jogging until his ‘wheels’ (‘er legs) fall off (and yes, I still run an hour a day) in actuality I’m not dyslexic. However, I am 64 years old and also a person who is a ‘prime candidate’ for an age in place shower (whether I care to admit it or not). And NO, I don’t care to admit it.

However, although I’m ‘age ready’ for an age in place shower, this DOES NOT mean I’m ready to walk into a Durable Medical Equipment store and try out the latest wheelchairs, walkers, stairlifts, and ramps. As a matter of fact – the thought of potentially needing these devices as I get older scares the ‘bejesus’ out of me!

And I know I’m not alone.

But here’s the harsh, cruel, reality. Many people look for a ‘safe age in place shower’ AFTER they’ve had a fall (and an extended hospital stay). Or conversely, their adult kids pester them so much they ‘succumb’ to shopping for an age in place shower.

And why – might you ask – do they put this off and dread the ‘safe shower?’

It’s because soooo much of what people think are ‘age in place showers’ are products recommended by people who install ‘accessible showers.’ And they too often show white, plasticky, showers ‘inspired’ (sarcasm intended) by companies (and people) who are joined at the hip to the industry selling wheelchairs and walkers to DME stores……

YUCK!

If you’re like me – I’m NOT having any of that – thank you very much. And fortunately for me, I’ve been in the bathroom remodeling and nationwide supply business long enough to know …,

An age in place shower DOES NOT have to be an ugly shower (or a shower which’ll make it harder to sell your home years down the road)!

At this point you may be asking “Mike, how is it possible to get an age in place shower if I don’t have a big luxurious bathroom or a bank account like Elon Musk?”

 Well – I’m going to share 10 secrets (from a guy old enough to need – and yes, I already have – an age in place shower) on how to design a stylish age in place shower. And better yet, I’m going to share in these secrets ideas so you can achieve the ‘holy grail’ which I’ll call the 5 S’s of an age in place shower. And they are:

• Stylish
• Simple
• Safe
• Space-saving
• Sellable

Without further delay, let’s dig into these 10 secrets.

Secret #1 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– If possible, make the shower big enough

Whether we’re accommodating our ‘expanded waistlines,’ or have a family member with mobility challenges – the need for a larger shower as we age increases. So, what size shower would make sense for aging in place?

If possible create a 60” x 36” shower for a walk in design. Or if your side walls won’t allow 36” depth –consider a tub to shower conversion for your 60” x 30” or 60” x 32” alcove because you’ll have a lot more room to stand in a shower than inside a tub (with its curved sides – which in technical terms is called the bathing well). And, in addition, you won’t need to worry about falling when getting into the tub.

Or another way to ‘trick out’ your space and make it ‘larger’ (without actually making it larger) is to use a curved shower base and sliding glass door like you’ll see below. With this system you’ll get 36” of elbow room in the middle of the shower even if you side walls are only 30” deep.

Or if you only have space for a stand up shower – try to carve out 36” x 36” at a minimum.

Secret #2 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Begin at the bottom (the shower floor or base) – and think sleek, stylish, and safe surfaces

A shower which is age in place friendly (or one which’ll work for people of all abilities from grandkids to grandparents) must first be one you can get into even if you (or someone you love) at some point needs a wheelchair or walker. However, it’s doesn’t have to be one which looks like a shower designed for someone needing a wheelchair or walker. So – what can this look like. Here’s 2 ideas and 1 tip for a sleek, stylish, and safe shower floor or base:

• Idea #1 – The lower cost idea – A low profile shower pan – A low profile shower pan (which can have a curb or threshold height from 1 1/6” to 2 ¾”) is simple to get in – yet is also sleek and stylish (and there’s a cool idea I’ll share in secret #3 where you can make this a ramped pan – WITHOUT it looking ugly).

• Idea #2 – The higher cost idea – A one level wet room – With a one level wet room the shower pan AND the bathroom floor are one continuous space. It’s clean, contemporary yet there’s no curb or threshold to worry about stepping (or rolling) over.

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Tip #1 – Textured surfaces – Whether you choose idea #1 or #2 make sure the top surface has a texture, to minimize falls – because unfortunately (and I don’t mean to be ‘Danny Downer’ here) more ‘older people’ (sorry to use that term, but unfortunately, BEFORE I dye my hair I resemble that remark!) die from falls than from cancer!

Secret #3 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Don’t buy an ADA ramped shower pan – unless you absolutely have to – or don’t care about resale value

It’s funny how many times I’ll talk to a homeowner, and they say they need an ‘ADA shower pan.’ Well – if they live in their own privately owned home – ADA (which stands for Americans with Disability Act) doesn’t even apply. ADA laws are for commercial spaces. However, what the owner usually means is they may need a shower pan with a ramp.

And while a ramp (or zero barrier threshold) may be needed, the question is how will a ramped pan impact you (or your kids) ability to sell the home when the time comes?

I’ll tell you a shower pan with a ramp built into it is a TURN OFF for everyone – except those who require it (‘er that’d be wheelchair users).

So, you may be asking, “Mike – what do I do if I need, or may need, a ramped shower pan but don’t want to negatively impact my ability to sell our home?” Well, I have 2 practical ideas.

• Buy a shower pan with a ramp kit which can be ‘attached’ to the pan with silicone – then removed when you sell the home. Or …

• Buy a shower pan with a removeable threshold which has a ramp hidden underneath the threshold.

Both options allow your shower to be safe – and work with a wheelchair – but NOT mess up your ability to sell the home (because if a prospective buyer wants the ramped pan removed as a condition of the sale, you’ll need to take out everything that’s above it as well (including shower walls and a glass door). And that ain’t no ‘picnic’ – or ‘cheap date!’  

Secret #4 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Don’t buy tile. Use simple, yet stylish wall panels instead

I know when people think of a stylish bathroom their mind automatically goes to tiles walls. And they’re right, tile walls are stylish…..or at least they’re INITIALLY stylish (until they get old, moldy, and brown – unless you – or a grout cleaning company (or housekeeper) you hire, and hire, and hire keeps them clean.

And if you want to design a stylish age in place shower the last thing you need is a maintenance nightmare. So – what can you do about it?

Look for wall panels which are SIMPLE AND STYLISH. And yes – these 2 words CAN be used in the same sentence. One example are 3/8” thick laminate shower walls shown below.

And if you want to get ‘extra credit’ for creating a system which can be outfitted now (or later) with accessories to make a more fully functioning shower – install extra blocking (and for those of you not familiar with this construction term this isn’t trying to shrink an offensive lineman behind the wall…they probably wouldn’t fit. However, it is to install wood for support) behind the wall so you can mount grab bars or fold down seats now or in the future.

And what’s cool is these wall panels are available in 31 styles from modern minimalist wall panels to Transitionalist to traditional subway tile design (and everything in between).

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Secret #5 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Contrast colors

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ll state the obvious and tell you – if you’re like most ‘age in place people’ (and doesn’t this make us sound like a ‘bunch of rocks who are going to decay in place – and yes, I’ll admit I hate the term!) your eyesight ain’t what it used to be. And given this fact you’ll want to be thoughtful about color in designing your age in place shower.

One way to accomplish this is to contrast colors to lessen the chance of falling. For example, if you have a curbed shower pan (even if it has a low threshold) consider contrasting the color of the shower pan to the bathroom floor (so you can differentiate one from another).

Also – when you add fixtures it’s cool (and a smart age in place design) to contrast the colors of your grab bars, shower fixtures and niches vs. the wall panels to see them better. So, for example, if you use white walls, you could choose matte black fixtures.

IMHO it’s really a raw deal our bodies are a bunch of ‘wear parts’ which don’t get better with time. And unless you’re the ‘actual’ 6 Million Dollar Man (even if your name isn’t Lee Majors and you don’t have a spare $6 mil laying around), you and I can count on the fact our eyesight IS NOT as good as our grandkids.

Secret #6 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Store it – and fuggaboutit!

Storage – especially in small showers– is sorely lacking. And if you’re designing an age in place shower (even if it’s tiny) the last thing you want to do is leave slippery shampoo bottles on the shower floor (like a ‘banana peel’ in a slapstick movie) or hang an ugly plastic ‘Dollar-Store-esque’ shower caddy over your shower head. Can you say tacky?

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So, how are you going to get effective and efficient storage in an age in place shower of any size?

One idea is to use corner shelves. They’re simple to install and if you buy good ones (this would be one which IS NOT made of wire, so soap falls through the cracks. Don’t you hate that???) you’ll also see it won’t consumer your showering space because your body isn’t pressed into the corner anyway.

Or another way to go is with larger horizontal or vertical recessed niches (and note you can even get them with LED lights – although those can be pricey). And this brings us to secret #7.

Secret #7 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Light, light and mo’ light!

Dark bathrooms are not only depressing, they’re unsafe. And let’s face it, there’s a good number of bathrooms which are dark – or have windows covered with curtains. Or worse yet – a remodeler installed a shower system over the window (and yes, I’ve seen this happen more times than I wish to admit). It’s incredibly stupid, but it does happen.

And given the eyesight challenges I discussed in secret 5 – how can you get more light into your bathroom? Here’s how:

• Add a transom window – These small horizontal windows are usually at the top of the wall. They let light in – but prevent you from showing off your ‘killer-bod’ to the rest of the neighborhood.

• Use a glass block window – Glass blocks have been around FOR-EVER. They’re sturdy. They’re private. They’re energy efficient and eliminate wood or metal frames which rot and rust, especially in a moisture-filled bathroom.

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• Add a solar wall tube – This contraption is installed through the roof and brings in light from a small roof penetration.

• Install a skylight – Skylights are more energy efficient today than in the old days – and really improve lighting even if there’s no place for a window.

• Add LED lighting in the shower or bathroom – One of the dangers of lighting (in the old days) was needing to stand on a ladder (or on the bathroom vanity counter as I did with the bulbs in the ‘before’ picture below. Today- you can add lighting and eliminate the challenge (and risk) of replacing light bulbs. Check out the new LED light fixture my wife and I had installed over our vanity top. Now I’m no longer climbing on the vanity to change light bulbs. Yay me!

Secret #8 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Instead of needing to ‘simma-down,’ how about designing a shower where you can sit down?

Since I love to laugh (which is thing I’m convinced keeps us younger AND because I believe maturity is overrated … don’t you???) and this skit about needing to ‘simma-down’ is so funny, I’ve included it below.

But the reason I bring this skit up is because a shower (or age in place shower) should not only help us ‘simma-down’ (and relax) but also provide the opportunity to ‘sit down’ whether it’s to shave your legs or because showering in a seated position is safer if, or when, you have mobility challenges.

So, when designing an age in place shower – whether you have a large shower or not – including seating (or equip the area behind your walls to accommodate seating down the road) is smart.

And unless you have a large shower (which most don’t) where a bench seat is possible, generally a contemporary fold down seat is a cool option – and you WILL NOT need one of those ugly geriatric ‘shower chairs’ you’ll see in the DME (Durable Medical Equipment) store we’ve all ‘dreamed’ (sarcasm intended) of owning!

Secret #9 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Get the right shower head. Put the shower valve in the best location

Back in the (in this case) bad old days shower heads and valves were simple. The valve was located under the shower head and mounted to the ‘plumbing wall.’ It was simple – and worked fine…. kind of.

The problem with this design is if you need to shower in a seated position it’s darn near impossible to shower with this set up. Or if you have a walk in shower you may have to walk past a fixed glass panel, get doused with cold water to ‘welcome’ your day.

Fortunately, today shower heads for age in place showers have advanced.

You have options like shower heads which are on a slide bar with a hose which can be brought to you if you’re showering while seating.

Or you can get a shower head which is attached with a magnet and can be moved to a different location (it’ll be lower for someone using it in a seated position).

Or you can use a rain head which minimizes water (in the case of a walk in shower) from ending up on the floor.

So, don’t overlook your shower head options.

Secret #10 for an age in place shower (from a guy old enough to need one)– Don’t assume an age in place shower can’t have a glass door. And don’t buy one which is a future P.I.A.!

I know a number of age in place or accessible remodeling contractors who think showers for people in their ‘golden years’ (and don’t you hate that term – it makes me think of the movie the Golden Girls), or those 55+, should be doorless with curtains. And although I don’t know about you – but I like my shower to be hot, hot, hot – and my wife and I hate shower curtains and the dirt they attract. So, a glass door is the way we want to go.

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So, if you’re like me you’d prefer to have a shower door – but may be wondering how can you chose one which will also work ‘down the road’ if someone using the space needs assistance?

Well – in situations where you think a caregiver could be involved I love the concept of the walk in glass shower screen. It’s got a 23” fixed panel – with a pivoting 15” door on the end which – when opened allows 36” width to enter for a 60” wide alcove shower. In addition, it’s simple to turn on the water without entering the shower.

And if you aren’t worried about a caregiver then consider a frameless bypass shower door where both doors slide. I know some people hate this style because you’ve been cleaning shower door tracks for years – but the better models today DO NOT have those nasty tracks.

So, are you better equipped to know the products you need for a stylish age in place shower? Do you need more help?

If I did my job right in this article I’ve provided you practical ideas for an age in place shower. And as you’ll see from the article below titled 15 Lessons You Can Learn from My Safer, Simpler, and more Stylish Master Bathroom my wife Rose and I actually used many of these ideas in our own shower we remodeled a year ago!

And while I’ve tried to give you a good number of ideas, I know this article WAS NOT talking specifically to your situation and bathroom.

So, given this – I’d love to offer you personalized help.

If you’re looking for design insights for a stylish, simple, safe, sellable, and space-saving age in place– or referrals for contractors to get it done for you, call a Shower Specialist at Innovate Building Solutions at 877-668-5888 or request a Free Design Consultation

Or if you’re a bathroom contractor, a kitchen and bath showroom, or multi-unit property owner (or buyer) looking for products for accessible or age in place showers call me at 888-467-7488 or visit the wall panel dealership or multi-unit wall panel supply areas of our site.

And lastly if you’re looking for an Akron or Cleveland age in place remodeling contractor to professionally install an accessible or age in place shower or do a tub to shower conversion, call 216-531-6085.

And lastly – thanks for reading this article – and putting up with my wacky personality. Basically, the older I get the more I like to laugh along the way as I’m dishing out advice. And for your info it’s not a problem for me if you’re laughing with me or at me! I can take it!

Mike