How to have a curved shower wall

Curved shower wall ideas

It’s official – harsh lines are out and soft curves are in. One particular area this trend has sneaked into is – drum roll, please – the shower…

Curves have become a key feature in interior design – think everything from arched window fittings and voluptuous bedroom furniture to curvaceous kitchen islands. And now, this trend has made its way into the bathroom. But how difficult is it to achieve such a statement shower? We’ve got the lowdown.

Bathrooms are associated with slim profiles and hard angles, Ashley Cooper, marketing director for Triton Showers, tells KBB journo Becca Cullum-Green: “However, a new era of curves has been introduced, to create an aesthetically pleasing space with a sense of flow.”

Neutral bathroom design with a striped shower that features an arched entryway.
Pistachio gloss metro tiles, £65 per sq m, Quorn Stone.

Curvaceous walls add a sense of fluidity to the bathroom and can be used in lots of different, creative ways – the most popular being an arched shower entrance. Incorporating curves in an architectural way can be the starting point of your entire bathroom, but you have to consider this feature and plan it at the early stages of your design.

If you’re not considering a complete overhaul of your space and would still like to soften the look of your shower, an arched panel is a great, budget-friendly alternative. To get you inspired, we’ve rounded up some innovative examples of how to embrace this trend…

Arched shower entryways

Having space for a separate shower enclosure in your bathroom is an understated luxury. Instead of closing off your shower completely with a door, keep your walk-in set-up open and free-flowing, by incorporating a statement archway into the design. You’ll need to consider the extra cost of this when planning your new bathroom, as it is likely that partition walls will need to be built. Also, creating an arch doorway is more complex than a standard one, so this will take more time.

Rather than leaving the curved entrance to your shower painted, create a fun and playful feature by tiling the inside of it. You’ll have to use smaller-sized tiles for this due to the curve of the arch, but small artisan tiles in contrasting colours will look fabulous.

Shower design with white zellige tiles and traditional brassware and a striped arched entryway.
Blue Marine stripes zellige tiles, from £150 per sq m, Otto Tiles & Design. Design by Studio Far West.

Another fun and playful way to contrast a curved shower arch is to adorn your enclosure and walls with stripes. This pattern is classic – the straight lines beautifully juxtapose the softness of an archway.

Striped wetroom in blue and white with an arched enclosure, and red and white checkerboard flooring outside.
Navy Blue Stripes cement tiles, from £140 per sq m, Otto Tiles & Design. Design by Emma Ainscough.

Curved shower walls also work beautifully as the entrance to your shower as they feel warm, soft and inviting. Complement your design and complete the look with other curved elements in your bathroom such as a circular sink, tap and mirror, to make the entire scheme feel cohesive.

Maroon bathroom design with a pale blue wetroom with matt black brassware.
Amala electric shower in Brushed Copper, £259.99, Triton Showers.

Curved walls

Building your walk-in shower into a curved wall can make the space feel cosy and inviting. But you also need to think about what tile design you’d like to choose. Miniature mosaic tiles are incredibly popular at the moment and a practical solution for adding visual interest to such an architectural feature.

Wetroom design with a freestanding tub on the left and a shower design with micro mosaic tiles and black brassware.
Bamboo mosaic in white, £16.25 per sq m, Ca’ Pietra. Bathroom by Roper Rhodes.

Alternatively, a totally curved shower enclosure is ideal for creating a cosy, cocooning effect. But try to avoid a curved shower feeling too dark and claustrophobic by being clever with your choice of decorating. “Warm, rich earth tones complement curved walls well, especially when paired with lighter shower panels or tiles, as they help soften more cooling colours such as brilliant white and blue,” explains Ashley.

Statement, colourful bathroom design with teal wall paint, checkerboard flooring and micro mosaic tiles in the walk-in shower area.
The shower enclosure is the most original part of this bathroom redesign by interior stylist and designer Amy Adams, featuring Ca’ Pietra’s Zen Marble Reed Mosaic wall tiles. Tour this space by clicking here. Photography: Adam Carter. Styling: Amy Adams

Statement shower walls

Do you love the idea of an open shower like the ones you get in boutique hotels? Then you can recreate this aesthetic at home, in the form of a wetroom. Create your very own serene scheme and include a half wall that is curved at the top, for an elegant and luxurious feel.

Boutique hotel-inspired wetroom with marbled tiles, classic brassware and a wood stool.
Green Onyx tiles, £72.16 per sq m, and Ivory Onyx tiles, £77.31 per sq m, both Fired Earth.

Curves in a bathroom don’t have to feel ultra-soft and feminine. Instead, they can feel rustic, inspired by the natural environment. If you love that ‘undone’ look, then you can achieve this by decorating your curved shower wall with plaster. For this, you’ll need to use Venetian plaster, which is breathable and allows moisture to escape.

Rustic bathroom design with an arched wall as the enclosure, patterned floor tiles and paster on the walls.
Naples Eleanora tiles, £86.70 per sq m, Fired Earth.

Arched panels

Design a truly breathtaking bathroom with a trendy arch – or two. If you’ve got the room, carve out an alcove with an arched ceiling into your space, to house your shower enclosure. Then create a mirroring effect and double up with a brass-framed, arched shower screen. If you’re simply looking to elevate your shower, there’s no need for major structural work; a curved panel is perfect for adding a soft, warm touch to your design.

Remember, if you want a flush shower with no curb, then you’ll have to ask your bathroom fitter to create a sloped floor to make sure there is no risk of flooding.

Pale pink wetroom design with a curved enclosure, and gold brassware.
EauZone Arch wet room panel in Living Brass, £1841.11, Matki.

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