After years of dreaming, we finally set out to create our dream bathroom. I spent hours pinning bathroom inspiration to my various bathroom boards on Pinterest: modern bathroom, zen bathroom, colourful bathroom, rustic bathroom – and finally settled on a combination of modern and zen. I longed for a black and white tiled bathroom with bronze or gold hardware and fixtures. It was going to be sharp.
The only issue was…I was about to find out soon that my dream faucets would actually become my nightmare. Not only are bronze fixtures harder to find but putting together a combined shower system is like trying to learn an entirely new language. To make it easier for you to embark on your bathroom redesign project, I’ve created a series of 101s, starting with one of the most challenging: picking a shower system!
The Finishes
Because I saw so many pretty Pins, I assumed I’d be able to find a plethora of options when it came to bronze fixtures. I found out very quickly that I was mistaken. To note, the most common finish for any faucet is chrome and there is a LOT of choice if you plan to go in that direction. Every brand makes pretty much any component in chrome.
But being stubborn, I was bound and determined to find something in bronze or, at least, antiqued bronze. You heard that right, there is more than one bronze to choose from when it comes to finishes. In fact, there are several finishes you can search for:
Chrome
As I mentioned above, chrome is the most common and easily found finish option. But not all chrome is chrome. Many of the options you will find online and in-store are “chrome-looking” plastic, especially with shower heads. Though this turned me off at first, I was assured by a representative at my local box store that plastic shower heads work just as well and may even last longer than their metallic brethren.
Nickel
A close cousin of chrome is nickel – quite often found in both polished and brushed versions. If you want a more champagne or golden look without springing for the gold or bronze finish, nickel is a good option. There are still quite a few options in a nickel finish.
Bronze
Bronze finishes are more difficult to find and can be an extra expense, but bring a lovely rustic look to a bathroom design. But you don’t have to stick with rustic. There is a rich, metallic brown shade that looks sophisticated in almost any setting, even ultra modern.
Antiqued bronze
Antiqued bronze is a slightly more common version of the bronze finish. Almost black in its appearance, it can also create a striking look in a shower system design.
Gold
A gold finish is incredibly rare to find in fixtures and will set you back quite a bit more than the other finishes, but I can almost guarantee you’ll get an incredible return on your investment in the compliments you will receive. Like nickel, you will find gold in both a brassy, polished tone as well as a brushed version. If you are looking for a gold finish, you can also search for “brass” or “antique brass” finishes.
Black
Another incredibly rare and striking finish is black, which is the hardest finish to find of all. I fell in love with an Australian brand called Meir, and Canadian brands Brizo and Rubinet have some true black (not oil-rubbed bronze) fixtures, as well.
And more!
While attending the recent Interior Design Show in Toronto, I was introduced to a couple of lines that offered a rainbow of finishes, including blue, purple, red, yellow and more. Some of them even allow you to choose two finishes together. Since I finished my bathroom, I’m trying to fight off the sadness of missing out on having a red shower system. I may have to redo my second bathroom now. 😉
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The Components/Trims
Simultaneous to searching for finishes, you’ll also want to know the components you will want for your shower. Do you want a fixed shower head only? Rainfall? Do you want to add a wand? A spout? Body sprayers? Misters? The more components you have, the more complex it will make your system.
Another name that I call components is a “trim kit.” The trim kit is, in basic terms, what non-plumbers see when it comes to the components. Trim kits include faucets, taps, wall plates, sliding bars, mixers, diverters, and more. These trim kits connect to the valves, which I will cover next.
Shower head/shower faucet
This may seem like a basic component as a shower head is necessary to a functioning shower. However, there are some options in this arena: wall-mount (or standard), ceiling-mount (or overhead), handheld (or wand), sliding bar, and body spray. I’ll be going more in-depth on these below, but the most common version is the wall mount.
Rain shower head
Rain shower heads are the dream, or at least, they are mine. These large shower heads come in round, square or other wide, flat shapes and, literally, rain down on you. They can be wall-mounted, ceiling mounted or part of a shower panel, but the differentiating factor is the simulation of pouring rain.
Hand shower/shower wand
Many people use a hand shower as their main faucet, using it as a hands-free overhead as well as a wand to get full-body coverage. However, if you opt for a rain shower head, or fixed wall or ceiling-mounted head, you may also want to add a shower wand for those times you want to get into nooks and crannies.
You can wall mount the hand shower or attach it to a sliding bar to adjust the height as needed. I opted to have the wall-mounted rain shower head and a hand shower on the sliding bar so I have choices.
Body spray/misters
If you want to get really fancy, you can install body sprayers or misters into the walls of your shower. These wall-plates can usually be adjusted slightly side to side or up and down to cover almost everywhere, and are often the choice for people who want a full-on rain experience – from all angles. They are also a great choice for someone who doesn’t want to wash their hair, but just have a quick full-body rinse off post-workout.
Tub spout
When we moved into our condo, there was a tub spout in the shower…but no tub. I couldn’t figure out why this was, other than it allowed me to test the temperature with my toes before pulling up the diverter to turn the shower faucet on.
If you have a tub with a shower, you will definitely need a tub spout, but if you only have a walk-in shower, you can probably skip the tub spout. Even using it for temperature gauging is imperfect as when you flip the diverter, the first blast from the shower head will be chilly.
Temperature control/mixer
Temperature control, whether pre-set, digital or standard, is something you’ll need if you are buying your components separately. In the next section on valves, you’ll discover that not all temperature systems are created equal, but they work to both control water pressure and temperature for your shower.
Diverter
If you have more than one faucet, you will need to get a diverter. A diverter allows you to switch between faucets – for instance, your rain shower head and shower wand. In the valves section below, I discuss a few options when it comes to diverters.
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If trying to piece together all of the components above seems too complicated, shower systems do come in packages that include all components:
Shower panel
These space-age-looking shower systems are actually pretty convenient as they come with all components built in, sometimes even including the body sprayers/misters and Bluetooth speakers!
They come in all sorts of colors and configurations, too. The only thing that held me back from going in this direction was that they didn’t fit into my design vision.
Complete Shower system
Much like the shower panels, these are all-in-one systems where the “guts” are on the outside of the wall. They can look pretty sharp, but there are fewer choices when it comes to this system and you are usually stuck with the components they give you.
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The Valves
Up until about a month ago, I didn’t even know there were choices when it came to valves. And if pushed, I probably couldn’t have told you what a valve does. Now, I feel as if I can hold a conversation with a group of plumbers over a beer. “Listen, Jackie, I wouldn’t go with anything but a thermostatic mixing valve, but it’s your choice.”
So, here is what I learned about valves:
Pressure balancing valve
This is the most common of all valves in shower systems. It controls the temperature and the pressure all at once (usually with the pressure being consistent). Not only does it allow you to control the temperature of your shower, it also regulates any fluctuations that may throw that temperature off – such as a toilet flushing! You may recall from pre-pressure balancing days that a toilet flush meant “jump out of the water stream before you get burned!” Thanks to pressure balancing valves, this is a rarity now!
Thermostatic/thermostatic mixing valve
This type of valve allows you to pre-set the temperature for your shower. The advantage here is you can just turn on the water and wait for the shower to warm up without fiddling with the temperature. These come in both digital or manual form. In the digital form, fancier models allow you to pre-set the desired temperature for each member of the household, which can be incredibly useful if you share the shower.
Diverter or transfer valve
Diverter valves allow you to change the flow of your water between faucets. For instance, twist the diverter one way and you’ll be standing under a lovely rain shower, twist it the other way and water will flow out of the wand. The difference between a diverter and a transfer valve is that a diverter only allows you to flow water to one faucet at a time, whereas a transfer valve allows you to run water to multiple outlets.
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Important to note:
You cannot mix and match between manufacturers or even trim kits. If you buy a specific shower faucet from Moen, you must buy the valve from that specific line of Moen as well. So, if you are trying to change out an existing system, you will have to buy both the trim kit as well as the valves and reinstall both.
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Water Pressure
Water pressure for the modern shower is measured by gallons per minute (GPM). You won’t find a new system that outputs over 2.5 GPM and most are 1.5-2.0 GPM. Compare this to the old days where shower pressure was around 5-8 GPM. With the modern shower heads, you won’t feel much of a difference except to your water bills!
Where to Buy
This is a bit of a trick-question as where you will buy your new shower system will depend on your design and your budget. There seem to be endless options when it comes to finding the perfect shower system and finding some of the rare finishes isn’t simple. We must have driven all over the city before we found the oil rubbed bronze finish we wanted, but then ended up ordering them online because they didn’t have all of the components.
Some of the easier-to-find brands in Canada are Delta, Moen, Rubi, Rubinet, American Standard, Riobel, Grohe, and Blanco, but the list is pretty long. The key is to go with a system that is good quality, but also flexible. Some of the companies, like Rubinet and Delta, actually have their own apps that suggest valves when you pick your desired trim kits.
If you decide to go with a chrome finish, you can go just about anywhere to pick it up, including your local hardware store. Technically, it’s probably more of a sound move as your contractor can just pop in if you forgot anything.
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Who knew that merely buying a shower system would be such an adventure?! I’m grateful that I don’t have to install it myself! I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below and I will find you the answer.
