Shower Bench Design Options

Posted on: October 12th, 2011 | 2 Comments



A shower bench can elevate the design of your bathroom, particularly in a steam shower, where it may be desirable to sit and relax for some time. We have some ideas with how to include a shower bench in both a large or a small shower stall.


If you have a bathtub as well as a shower, try to place the shower next to the tub and then extend the tub deck into the enclosure of the shower to create a bench. This will make the tub and shower feel more integrated. One detail to pay close attention to is to ensure that the tiled shower bench inside the shower has a slight slope to prevent water from pooling on the surface.


If you have a smaller shower stall, a flip-up teak bench may be a good idea. These are wall mounted shower benches – the one shown here is from Water Works – and they look good in both the up and down position. One side note, you have to make sure that there is enough blocking behind the tile to securely support the weight of the bench.


Finally, if your tile work is already complete, you may want to consider a small free-standing teak bench. There are standard and corner units available on the market. Teak is naturally water repellent and stands up well in a wet environment.


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  • Frances GF

    Hi John & Matthew,
    I have spent some time thinking of a bathroom remodel, and I would like to know if it is possible to include heating beneath a tilled shower bench. I was thinking of extending the electric heating of a tiled floor to the shower bench to provide some added comfort! Is this a new revolutionary or perhaps impossible plan or is this a common practice?

  • Matthew North

    Hi Frances – Nice to hear from you! My “gut” tells me that the typical electrical under tile heating system would not be compatible in a shower application. Electricity and water don’t mix well! But, it may be possible to use a hydronic system (the type used in a basement slab) in a shower. Of course, this would only make economic and technical sense if there was a larger in-slab heating system in the house and the bathroom could “piggy back” off of the main system. I would be really interested to hear if any other viewers have any thoughts on this. Please post your ideas!