I know what you’re thinking… “Alex, that title doesn’t say ‘Frameless Ultra Clear Showers’.” Yeah, I know. Because we’re talking about something completely new to us here at Builders Glass. Industrial Grid, or “factory window”, showers.
It’s ok everyone – change is a good thing!!
Elaborate
These super cool industrial style showers aren’t meant to seamlessly blend into the background of your bathroom (see what I did there). Unlike frameless showers, these Grid showers are here to make a statement. They are not meant to live off the grid! (Ok, I’ll stop with the bad puns now). Not only are they framed, but the grids are used to really draw the eye. Industrial style showers have been on the up and up lately, so we thought that it would be good to provide that option for you. We pride ourselves, here at Builders Glass, on being the leader in glass innovations.
You’re welcome!
So why are they popular…
One of the reasons that there has been such a rise in this style of shower enclosure is how well they fit in both contemporary and modern style homes! With straight line design and options in both white and black grid, these showers are extremely versatile. And if you are still slightly confused about Contemporary vs Modern styles, as so many of us get them mixed up, you can refer back to my past blog post about it.
A great look!
Speaking of walls, these showers look great with white subway tiles. They stand out against the white background, and the two styles go together aesthetically. Well… I guess that that’s kind of obvious since they come from the same vein right? Subway tiles and industrial style factory window showers? Yeah, they fit together like puzzle pieces to create a picture for you bathroom! We love how great they look with the highly sought after brass fixtures. Brass, black and white- you can’t go wrong.
Important!!
Now, with that said, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you use Ultra Clear glass in these showers. Come on… you know that I had to say it. Should I need to say it? No. But people are still buying regular clear showers. In all seriousness though, if you have white tiles, you REALLY need ultra clear glass – regular clear glass shouldn’t even be an option. I can’t stress this enough. I’ve seen too many showers installed with regular clear glass and it turns a beautiful enclosure into an eye sore. You DON’T WANT to do that! Don’t discolor your tiles, don’t discolor the look of your shower – just DON’T.
It’s a match!
What one of my favorite aspects of this shower is, is that it can be used to match. I like things that match. I’m just oh so slightly OCD like that. When Renovating Your Bathroom, these are things that you need to consider. These showers can be used to help enhance the little details in your bathroom. Match them to your hardware for your shower, vanity sinks, and cabinets. The same grids that are used for your shower can be used to frame out your mirror. You could even create something of a grid frame for your mirrors to match your shower! (I made a mini sample of this kind of frame in the showroom if anyone is interested in seeing it. Just saying.)
I have to clean it though?
Yes, you will have to clean your shower door. Will it be hard to clean, you might wonder? The grids are on both sides of the glass. The good news is they are very low-profile, making it easy to squeegee over. Our 5 year Enduroshield glass protectant would be a wise choice for any shower enclosure, but especially for this design.
We still have another option If the idea of cleaning a bunch of squares isn’t your cup of tea. Coastal Shower Doors, the first to offer this type of shower, has a pretty fabulous option for this! Coastal Shower Doors offers a new line called Gridscape. Now you can have the grids on the outside only. Brilliant! The Design Diva in me, of course, prefers the grids to be applied over the glass on both sides for the most authentic look.
Another thought is to do a twist on the gridded look, and instead do large rectangular, horizontal grids. Clean and Contemporary and a piece of cake to clean. The designs are pretty much limitless.
What about privacy?
Now, you may be going, “well… the grids are nice, but I think I want a little more privacy still.”
AH! But there be frosted glass my friends!!
I really really like the look of frosted glass in these showers. My boss actually has a grid divider at her desk that is frosted in and it’s great! And, if you want a really unique look, you could have some panels frosted and leave some clear by using frosted film! One idea is, and just kinda spit balling here, you could have a strip of frosted squares in the middle and leave the top and bottom clear. When it comes to grids that provide block areas, you can get pretty creative. Maybe you choose to frost out just a couple of squares, or a pattern of them. We haven’t tried anything like that yet to my knowledge, but designing it would be cool. Oh yeah, the ideas are rolling and I’m going to stop myself here before I start rambling again.
Anyways friends, if you have questions about these awesome new shower designs, or want to check out our favorites – Ultra Clear Frameless Showers – you can scroll back through this blog post to find links to other related pages, or you can come visit us here in our showroom! You never know, you may even get inspired.
