Trend Alert: Matte Black Grid Door

Shower of the Week: Gridworks bypass sliding unit with matte black finish in Frederick, Maryland

This grid shower door we recently installed in Frederick, Maryland is doubly on trend! Grid showers and matte black hardware are both having a moment, and we love it.

Expert Advice: Matte Black Trend

The doors we install are actually from the second generation of the grid shower door movement. Early grid showers had small rectangular panes of glass welded together with metal framing. The look was was an immediate hit, especially in urban areas with uber-contemporary design trends. The units sold like hot cakes, but they were ghastly expensive!

Other manufacturers have found better, less expensive ways to accomplish the same look. We source ours from Century Bathworks in New Jersey. By using a single piece of glass with thin grid framing adhered to it, Century is able to provide this trendy matte black look at a fraction of the cost of its competitors.

Matte black hardware is, in general, also having a moment. Oil rubbed bronze finishes are also popular, but their tone can run the gamut from super dark to super light. It’s definitely easier to pair black with black versus two different oil rubbed bronze finishes from two different manufacturers.

If you’re interested in this trend, get in touch! We’re happy to start chatting about what would work for your unique shower space. You can also get the ball rolling with a free quote. We also post more shower door pics and fun bonus photos on Facebook and Instagram.

Expert Advice: Matte Black Trend

Matte black is a bathroom design trend that’s here to stay! We get quite a few questions and comments about matte black options, so here are some ideas to consider when you’re considering a new shower look…

Black and Light

One of the most popular – and show-stopping! – iterations of the trend is black against white or light-colored walls and tile. This beige space, which could have been dull on its own, is completely transformed by the black hardware.

Mix and Match

Matte black can stand alone, but it also plays well with other metallics and colors. Here the black shower frame is paired with silver-tones, marble, and stone for a unique but entirely cohesive look. Grid showers are also having quite a moment, and these two trends are a match made in shower door heaven!

Be Bold

Chrome is the standard choice for bathroom hardware, but it can fade into the background. Totally fine if a neutral is what you’re after. We love how these folks in Frederick paired a more neutral handle with a bold black faucet and painted panels. And that tile! This unit definitely makes a statement!

Or Start Small

If you want just a bit of black in your bathroom, it’s easy to switch up your cabinet pulls or faucet. For the shower or tub that could mean just a black shower head or handle. Who knows, you might get carried away by the trend!

Get In Touch!

We’d love to know what you think about this design – really! Matte black: yea? nay? We are quite active on Facebook, and you can also get in touch the old fashioned ways – well, not carrier pigeons but, you know, phones and email! We’re also on Instagram where we share even more shower door pics for design inspiration.

Or if you’re ready to dive in, you can get a free quote anytime!

Frameless and Framed in Frederick

Shower Door of the Week: Frameless Swing Door with Knee Wall Panel in Frederick, Maryland

This week we’re going back to basics: what is a frameless shower door? We’re fluent in showerdoor-ese, of course, but we don’t expect our clients to know all the industry jargon. So let’s start with this frameless swing door we installed in Frederick, Maryland last week. Within the shower industry, “frameless” refers to any shower enclosure that doesn’t have metal adhered to the edge of the glass. That’s pretty “clear” (hah hah) in the photo below. The only metal in sight is the hardware. It’s a design that’s increasingly popular but not the only way to go…

fraframeless swing glass shower door

You might think that “frameless” = no metal at all. But not so! A door can be frameless even if it has a metallic header on top and a channel on the bottom. In that case the metal still isn’t adhered to the edge of the glass.

For contrast, here’s another installation we did in Frederick last week. It is a fully framed bypass unit in matte black. You can see that the glass has metal on every side. In general, framed shower doors are less expensive than fully frameless doors. (That said, a non-standard layout could cost more, so definitely check with us or start a free quote to get all your options.) It’s a traditional – even retro! – layout. In this case, trendy matte black modernizes the look.

We are always happy to nerd out about design and lingo! Get in touch if you have any questions at all. You can also pick up more ideas over on our Facebook and Instagram. Or stop by our showroom in Jefferson, Maryland!

Maryland Day 2021

Happy Maryland Day! We’ve been a proud Maryland-based business for 30 years! Although we install shower doors in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and DC too, Maryland has a special place in our heart. This past Thursday was Maryland Day, so we challenged our local customers on Facebook to tell us what they liked best about the state. Here’s what they had to say…

Carroll Creek in our neighboring city: Frederick, Maryland.
“So many fun places to go and special things to do😀 Ocean City, Maryland🏖 The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland Crabs🦀, fantastic bay and ocean fishing🐟 The cute town of Frederick”
“Maryland is a small state but absolutely beautiful and so charming. Friendly people and such lovely parks and the mountains and the beautiful Ocean. Proud to be a Marylander.”
“I love the 4 seasons, the ocean, the mountains, the Chesapeake Bay and most of all our blue crabs!”
“I love Maryland’s diversity not only of its people, but neighborhoods and styles of homes. You just have to know what you want, it’s here.”
We agree with all of that!

Let the Sun Shine In!

Shower Door of the Week: Minimalist Panels in Frederick, Maryland

One of the major advantages of frameless glass versus a shower curtain is natural light. Our pick for best photo of the week illustrates this wonderfully! It’s especially important in the winter that we get as much sunlight we can. Natural light improves your mood and keeps you in a healthy circadian rhythm. And it’s just beautiful!

As our poll showed the other week, we’re seeing a solid trend in minimalist shower design. We might need to rethink the company name if doors go out of style! Kidding – they never will, but they certainly are optional for some layouts. We’re always happy to give feedback on how minimalist you’re able to go with your enclosure.

In other shower door news, we had a couple comments this week on our Facebook page about keeping glass clean. Love the glass look but worry about maintenance? Bottom line: new glass that’s been sealed is ridiculously easy to take care of. We offer glass sealant on all our doors, and then you only need a microfiber cloth to keep your door all sparkly clean! Here’s a full write-up on the process, and we include a maintenance card with every installation. And, as always, just give us a call if you have any questions, anytime.

Expert Advice: Our Trusted Tile Companies

Choosing tile is the time for your inner interior designer to shine! There’s something special about making a unique interior space that’s all your own. But who do you turn to for options and advice? Who actually installs your dream tile? We often get asked for referrals, and with 30 years in the shower door business, we’ve made some excellent local contacts. Please do let them know that we referred you! But without further blogging ado, here are our most-trusted tile contractors:

Frederick County, Maryland

Epic Kitchen & Bath / Scott Phucas / 301-363-5531

HH Homes / Hank Parater / 240-870-2985

J Grubbs Construction / John Grubb / 301-748-7374

Lighthouse Craftsmen / Pete Ring / 240-315-832

Newell Property Services / Tom Newell / 301-371-0645

PKS Home Improvements / Paul Sager / 301-337-0134

Premier Contracting Services / Tyler Timberlake / 877- 928-7767

Quality First Home Improvement / Dave Farnum / 443-398-1100

Woodsboro Craftsmen / Jeff Crum / 301-304-0945

Carroll, Howard, & Washington Counties, Maryland

Woodsboro Craftsmen / Jeff Crum / 301-304-0945

 

Montgomery County, Maryland

PKS Home Improvements / Paul Sager / 301-337-0134

 

Washington, D.C.

Falcon Construction / Kaz Malachowski / 301-294 – 3100

 

Loudoun County, Virginia

Goode Guy Handyman / Ronnie Goode / 703-431-2754

 

Berkeley County, West Virginia

Miller’s Residential Creations / Travis Sprouse /  304- 918-0007

Tristate Home Improvements / Chris Hill / 304-240-0646

 

Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Innovative Kitchen & Flooring Supply / Ryan Stouffer / 717-263-2611

 

Note: We are not responsible for any mistakes, mix-ups, or mayhem caused by these contractors. Kidding: they’re good people. But please let us know if you have a negative experience that might cause us to retract our recommendation. And definitely get in touch when it’s time to plan for your perfect shower door! In the meantime, follow along on our social media (Facebook and Instagram) for tile and other design inspiration!

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