hardware Archives - Shower Door Experts

Fairfax Clamp Party + FREE Handle Upgrade

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Clamp Design in Fairfax, Virginia

Ol’ Clampy. Clampy McClamperton and the Clamptones. Clippity Sir Clamps-a-lot. The Clampinator.

This corner unit in Fairfax picked up a lot of nicknames over the week. And it’s easy to see why: it has a ton of personality! The contractor we worked with on this job is a big fan of clamps at the base of the shower – versus having a channel. We dig it! The side of the door facing us in the photo was a little bigger than normal, so we split that puppy into two pieces. It’s a cool “paneled” look that’s modern, distinctive, but not distracting from the overall bathroom design. The brushed nickel header keeps it all sturdy as can be and was a great color pick against the grey marbled tile.

Oh, and it gets better. Right now we are offering a FREE handle upgrade in chrome and brushed nickel. Any swing door with a chrome or brushed nickel finish qualifies for an upgrade from a standard handle to a 6″ or 8″ ladder pull. Ladder pull is what you see in the photo above. The 6″ LP is normally $85 and the 8″ is $150 value, so that’s pretty sweet!

Speaking of sweet, our beloved graphic designer Jordan of Gypsy Cab Studios created this for us last week:

We encouraged everyone to SHOWER the world in kindness last week and, you know, I think we all felt a ripple of good will spread out from Jefferson, Maryland. Are you wondering who that charming showerhead-lookin’ guy could be? That’s Showerhead! Protagonist in our very own web comic series. Showerhead and his trusty sidekick Barry have already been through intergalactic hijinks, so catch up and stay tuned for their continuing adventures…

Upgrade in Adamstown: Centec Dual Slider

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Centec Dual Slider with Chrome Finish in Adamstown, Maryland

Ready for an upgrade but don’t need every single bell and whistle? Our Centec dual slider could be the shower door for you! This traditional “bypass” style of door doesn’t get the same buzz as barn sliders these days, but they remain a great value option. If you’re upgrading from a shower curtain or getting rid of an outdated door, the Centec is an affordable sturdy replacement.

Did I say sturdy? Yep, I sure did. Our bypasses use heavy 3/8″ glass – not the flimsy stuff you’ll find at a big box store…

… and the Centec is completely customizable to your shower layout. We’ll do the measuring and installation so it’s just done, not a project that takes up your free time. During our consultation you can let us know if you want to upgrade the towel bars or change the hardware finish. Centec hardware finish options: brass/gold, chrome, brushed nickel, polished nickel, oil rubbed bronze, matte black. This blog post prompted some chat in the office about how cool a matte black Centec would be – etch some skulls in and you’ve got yourself a goth shower!

Okay, shower door friends, that’s it for this week but stay tuned for more awesome shower doors – and our favorite holiday of the year! February 5th is Shower with a Friend Day. (No really, it is!) We’ll be posting photos on Facebook and Instagram as always, and we love to hear from our clients and fans.

Expert Advice: Matte Black Trend

Posted on September 25, 2021September 26, 2021 by Emily Watkins

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!

Minimalist Matte Black in Mount Airy

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Minimalist Matte Black in Mount Airy, Maryland

Another piece of matte black eye candy! We never get tired of the matte black trend – and neither do y’all. I’ll get back to the glass in a sec, but can we bask in that funky hardware? The bath faucet, shower head, and hook are so cool! But we’re the door experts, so let’s move on to that…

Still here? Okay, let’s geek out. Sharp-eyed blog readers will notice that the hinges are behind the front face of the glass. What’s going on there? The main appeal of these offset hinges is that more of the metal is “hidden” on the inside of the shower. Sometimes this is a technical solution, but we won’t geek out that hard today. The takeaway is that offset hinges are one option to double down on a minimalist shower aesthetic.

And now for something completely different. From our fearless leader, Noah…

For more shower door hilarity, follow us over on Facebook and especially Instagram. You can also get in touch with us at info@showerdoorexperts.com – or go ahead and start a free quote here on the website!

Bronze Shower in Silver Spring Wins Gold!

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Shower Bench & Oil Rubbed Bronze Hardware in Silver Spring, Maryland

Bronze isn’t third place this week! This stylish and functional shower unit is #1 in our hearts. Why? It not only turned out great, but it’s a testament to good design. In 30 years, we’ve seen a lot of shower layouts! And we highly recommend investing some time up front to think through your options before any remodeling work starts. It can open up design options you might not have thought about – or thought possible! That’s the beauty of custom work.

So what do we have here? First, the shower and bath tub are playing very well together. The off-center spigot of the tub shows that somebody really thought this one through. We helped that corner along with a 1/4″ grind/cut out in the top of the bench so the panel fits seamlessly. So you might want to re-think any “unusable” nooks in your bathroom!

The oil-rubbed bronze hardware also ties the space together. We do offer robe hooks (and towel bars), but in this case the client already had one installed. So the order in which you buy your hardware is also something to think about. There’s nothing wrong with some mix and match hardware if that’s your vision. (Brushed nickel and matte black, yes please.) But it can save you time, frustration, and money to bring us in early in the process. We’re also just really fun and love to chat about shower design!

If you’re still in the lookin’ around stage or just really love well-designed bathrooms (you’re not alone!), you can find us over on Facebook and Instagram.

Thoroughly Modern in Kearneysville

Posted on April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Modern Styling in Kearneysville, West Virginia

Are you digging this thoroughly modern shower door look? Let’s break down how to pull it off!

1. Matte Black Hardware

As we’ve written before, matte black is having a design moment! You can see with our shower door of the week that matte black hardware can be absolutely show-stopping. Especially against white tile. It also plays well with other metallics and colors. Actually, it’s pretty hard to wrong with matte black.

2. Clips

This shower is all clips, all the time. Going back to basics: clips keep stationary panels secure in frameless showers enclosures. So instead of having a bulky metal header or metal around the glass panels, a frameless shower unit almost floats off the ground! Its minimalism allows other design elements – like tile – to become the focus. We use brass clips that are plated in the hardware finish of your choosing. In this case, a matte black finish that matches their shower head and tile.

3. Shapes

Both the clips and the square pull handle are rectangular, which is perfect for a modern look! Even the shower head is more of a square than the traditional round shape. Some of our door handles are almost ornate, so this was a deliberate choice to go modern and minimal. We truly enjoy helping you pick out the hardware shapes and colors that work best for your space, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a chat!

(We’re also on Facebook and Instagram!)

4. Low Iron Glass

The most subtle finishing touch on your brand new modern shower? Low iron glass. Regular glass has a slight green tint from iron that gets trapped in the glass. You might not even notice it against darker tile, but we do recommend low iron glass for light-colored tile. It has less iron and so is more optically clear. Perfect for a crisp modern look.

If you might be ready to embrace a new shower look, let us know! You can start a completely free quote here on the website or reach out to one of our awesome experts. Happy showering!

Headers Up Keedysville!

Posted on February 13, 2021February 21, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Oil Rubbed Bronze Header in Keedysville, Maryland

Me: Hey, experts! What can you tell me about the shower door of the week?

Emmarose: It’s a ORB GAP PDP CAR01 hinges. with a SQ6x6!

Me: …

Noah: It also has a custom WMZQ and an 80” LMNOP!

Me: Thanks, guys.

Do you see what I’m working with here!? Good thing you have your faithful blogger to demystify shower doors! Kidding aside, we really do try to take all the jargon out of the buying process and get right down to what’s important to YOU! Investing in a shower remodel is a big deal and should last you many many years if not generations. That’s one great reason to go with a timeless look. In that spirit, our shower door of the week is delightfully modern in a way that will certainly stand the test of time!

Minimalism is the trend in shower design. Think glass, glass, and more glass! But this custom shower in Keedysville, Maryland proves that you can have a dark header – in this case, oil rubbed bronze – and still keep that simple elegant look. The hardware is almost like a picture frame for the shower, showcasing that lovely tile.

We are always happy to chat about shower door design – jargon free. You can catch us over on Facebook and Instagram, where we share all our lovely pics and also fun bonus stuff like our own web comic. Look forward to hearing from you!

Almost Heaven West Virginia Shower

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Panel Door Panel in Kearneysville, West Virginia

This West Virginia shower sure does look heavenly to us! Okay, that might be the photo flash, but that’s not the point… We truly love how this project turned out. It’s a perfect example of how you can mix darker hardware like matte black or, here, oil rubbed bronze with both greys and browns. Matte black was the superstar of 2020, but we’re also seeing an uptick in oil rubbed bronze hardware recently. Mixing and matching patterns like the grey rectangular tile with brown pebble floor is a fun way to add visual interest to your shower space.

These Kearneysville clients also went with low iron glass. If you’ve been following along with the blog, you’ll know that low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass. We recommend it for light-colored tile, especially. If you haven’t been following along, welcome! You can also find us over on Facebook and Instagram, where we post lots of design inspiration and also fun content like our own comics series.

Enjoy! And do say howdy if you spot our van anywhere in Berkeley or Jefferson county, West Virginia! We’re often out that way and love it when people say hello.

Expert Advice: Custom Finishes

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Door and Panel with Custom Brushed Bronze Finish

Custom finishes were a big topic of conversation in 2020, with matte black reigning supreme! Bathroom fixtures with custom finishes can be maddening to match with shower door hardware. Fortunately, this wasn’t our first rodeo. These Silver Spring, Maryland clients were looking for a custom brushed bronze to match their bathroom, and we made it happen!

Shower door with custom brushed bronze hardware

The most common custom finishes we use to match your bathroom:

matte black
brushed bronze
satin or polished brass
satin or polished nickel

Matte black and polished nickel are still somewhat uncommon, but they’re becoming more easily accessible. We will usually have them in stock already. Which is a good time to note: custom hardware can add a week or more to your lead time, but trust us – it’s worth it! We will be super-clear in the early stages of the installation process how custom parts and finishes could affect the production phase and the overall timeline of the project.

Get in touch if you have any questions about custom finishes or anything else. We’re on Facebook and Instagram too, where we share comics, coloring pages, and all kinds of weird…I mean… fun stuff! See you over there.

Feeling Fancy in Alexandria

Posted on September 12, 2020May 25, 2021 by Emily Watkins

Shower Door of the Week: Symphony Hardware in Alexandria, Virginia

There are so many ways to make a shower truly your own. For our shower door of the week, you can see the eye-catching tile, always fun to shop for. On the practical side, there’s bench seating and a handheld shower head. Nice! But hardware is an often unsung hero of shower design. Not here in Alexandria! These clients are singing loud and proud with their Symphony hardware upgrade. Handles, hooks, and towel bars can really add that extra something to your bathroom design. Hardware can take almost any look toward more modern and sleek – or here something a little more classic. Shower door expert Emmarose calls this one “fancy”!

Corner shower unit in Alexandria Virginia with Symphony hardware — Shower Door of the Week

You can let us know on Facebook or Instagram what you think about this style. Are you more of a ladder pull lady? Coda guy? Stay tuned for our upcoming quiz to finally find out “Which Shower Door Are You?” We also have a new expert / model in the showroom who you’ll definitely want to meet. He doesn’t say much, but he has a fantastic t-shirt collection…

Tag: hardware