You know how you take a shower somewhere else and think, “Man, I wish my bathroom was this nice?” Trust me—I know the feeling. I’ve thought about remodeling my bathroom approximately seventeen times since I moved into my house two years ago. Each time I took that nice hotel shower, I’d immediately get home and mentally make a list of every shower-related upgrade I wanted when I replaced my tired old ceramic tiles and almond-colored fixtures.
Spoiler alert: I recently got that opportunity. My builder basic shower became victim to a leaky tile backsplash (apparently there was no waterproofing behind the tiles whatsoever). All of sudden, I was forced to upgrade my plain jane shower to something spa-worthy (or hire someone who could do it for me).
At least now I could put all of those Pinterest hacks I’ve been saving up to the test. Lesson 1: Skip the Rainfall Showerhead About halfway through construction, I decided I wanted a rainfall showerhead.
You know, the ones that spread the water over a wider surface area so it feels like you’re showering in the rain?
Yeah, those are super nice—for like three weeks. Then you realize it doesn’t actually clean your thick hair better and that the water pressure doesn’t feel as strong when you need it to. Like, if you just want to rinse off after a light yoga session, awesome!
But when you want to shave your legs and rinse the soap scum off the walls, not so much. Moral of the story: Opt for a rainfall showerhead with a handheld attachment that you can switch back and forth. That way, you still get the rain vibes when you want it, but you can wash your hair or soap off the walls with stronger water pressure.
Lesson 2: Skip the Built-In Shower Niches I was obsessed with the idea of having built-in niches to store my shower supplies. No more hanging shower caddy or cleaning up soap scum from shower shelves! I had the contractor tile three niches into the walls specifically at shower head height to house my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
They’re super cute, and they photograph like a dream. The struggle comes when you try to actually keep them clean. Because of the way they’re built, you have a lot of inside corners where soap scum can collect.
Also, if the bottles you’re putting in them aren’t an exact fit width-wise, then the whole thing looks sloppy. If I had it to do over again, I would make the niches deeper and maybe add little LED lights inside so you can actually see your soap at night. Lesson 3: I regret installing heated floors throughout my entire bathroom Heated floors felt like such a luxury!
That is, until I got my first electric bill. Next time I would only do the floors around the shower and right by the sink. Honestly, who sets foot near the toilet or the corner of the shower by the linen closet?
Lesson 4: Skip the frameless glass shower door Those frameless glass shower doors look so sleek and high-end! Right up until they get dirty. See, water spots show up BIG TIME on glass, which means you basically have to clean the glass with vinegar every day to keep it looking perfect.
And don’t even get me started on the little plastic squeegee that comes with it to dry the doors. The first month I religiously ran that thing over every surface of the shower doors after I finished my shower. Now it hangs in my bathroom as art.
Moral of the story: If you go with a frameless shower door, accept that you will have to wipe it down weekly and that it will always look a little foggy. At least the glass doors are still better than the shower curtain I had before! Lesson 5: Installing Digital Shower Controls Was Magical…Until It Didn’t I decided to splurge on digital shower controls with preset water temperatures that you can turn on with a remote or even start from your phone so it’s perfectly heated by the time you hop in the shower.
While I do love start the shower from downstairs with my phone, I’ve used the controls about three other times since the initial install (two months ago). What I DID find super helpful was being able to program the perfect shower temperature during those cold winter months when my pipes are extra chilly. Overall, I still think digital controls are the way to go.
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If you’re gonna do them, don’t cheap out! Ours leaked from the start because we went with the cheapest model possible, so make sure you do your research. Lesson 6: Add Some Shower Lighting and Skip the Ceiling Light This wasn’t something I had to learn the hard way, but once I added recessed lighting inside my shower I never went back.
There’s nothing worse than showering under a bright light and only being able to see the shadow of your face. Now I have tiny shower lights rated for wet locations strategically placed so when you look up, you can actually see what’s going on with your hair. Best of all?
They have dimmers on them so you can still create a relaxing ambiance at night. Lesson 7: One Tile Feature I Regret Is The Slipperiness Okay, hear me out. I love how my shower tiles look.
I picked super trendy large- format porcelain tiles with a marbleized finish. Two thumbs up for style. One thumb down for safety.
These babies are so slippery when they’re wet, even with the added texture the tile company promised would prevent “slip and falls.” Slip and slide is more like it. I’ve already had a few close calls falling in the shower this year, and I lived in my old tub shower with gross carpet tiles for YEARS. If I could go back, I would’ve chosen a tile with more grip OR add grippy shower strips that match the color of the tile.
Just pay attention to the “CO-efficient of friction” when you pick your tiles (that’s the official term for “slipperiness”). Safety should be your number one priority! Lesson 8: Skip the oversized shower bench!
Okay, FALSE. I will never skip the oversized shower bench AGAIN. At first, I was like, “Who needs a shower bench?!
I’ll never use that!” But then I started using it every time I shaved my legs because OMG it’s the BEST thing ever. Or if I wasn’t feeling well, I could shower seated instead of standing. It’s also great if you want to lounge in the shower and have a place to set your cup of coffee.
My shower bench was installed at chair height and tiled to match the walls. I love it. Lesson 9:Skip the steam function Ugh, I spent so much money on this useless feature.
The steam function was so tempting.
Hell, I live vicariously through我吸汽吧 Instagram influencers and dreamed about having my own personal steam room every time I watched one of their stories. But unless you want to invest in proper ventilation and purchase special steam controls that require yearly maintenance to avoid mold growth, skip it.
I used the steam feature exactly a dozen times then decided it wasn’t worth the money. Lesson 10: Your Water Pressure Matters More Than You Think If you live in an area with low water pressure, you will notice every time you upgrade your shower. That uber-cool multi-jet body spray system I mentioned above?
Yeah, that was never going to work with my water pressure. It literally sprayed two sad dribbles of water out of the ceiling. Always check your home’s water pressure before buying pretty fixtures that won’t work properly.
Lesson 11: Consider How You Actually Use Your Shower vs How You THINK You’ll Use Your Shower When I was planning my bathroom remodel, I had visions of steamy shower dates and long showers where I would shave my legs in the oversized shower chair I was definitely getting. I didn’t factor in HOW often I actually use my shower throughout the day vs thinking of showering as this special event that happens twice a week. If I could do it all over again, I would focus on improving the daily basics first and then worry about making it “Instagram worthy.” Good lighting, adequate water pressure, surfaces that are easy to clean, and safe footing are things I didn’t appreciate until I had them.
Sure, having a steam shower and matching tile niches for your shower supplies are nice perks, but don’t judge your shower upkegrade choices by Instagram standards.
