Shower *Room* Experts

Shower Door of the Week: Shower Room with Serenity Door in Catonsville, Maryland

Tiny shower caves with moldy plastic curtains are OUT. Shower rooms with glass doors are IN!

If you’re remodeling and have the space, consider creating your own wet room for all your showering and bathing needs. This is where custom shower doors truly shine. After considering the many options, this client decided on a Serenity panel-door-panel for a minimalist look that showcases the room – not the door. The Serenity’s low-profile header makes it float like a butterfly, but the anti-derailing fittings make it sturdy like… a hippopotamus? Hey, we’re shower door experts, not simile experts.

Two other design notes! The hardware is matte black, an excellent pick with the charcoal tile. Honestly, any finish would have looked great, but look at that matte black bath faucet! 🤩🔥 And for the finishing touch, the clients went with low iron glass. We haven’t talked about low iron in a little while, so to recap: regular glass has a slight green tint from its iron content. Low iron glass is more optically clear. We recommend it against lighter-colored tile, especially, but it gives any shower enclosure a more crisp modern look.

So what’s next for us? A glass shower house? A crystal palace of showers? The only way to know is keeping an eye on our socials! We’re on Facebook. We’re on Instagram. And, as always, we’re all over the greater D.C. area, making your shower dreams come true.

No Place Like Jefferson, Maryland!

Shower Door of the Week: Phantom Unit with Oil Rubbed Bronze Hardware in Jefferson, Maryland

Jefferson, Maryland? We know that town! We should: Shower Door Experts has been here for over 30 years now. So we’re always happy to upgrade a neighbor’s shower door. And this Phantom install turned out great!

I wrote about a Phantom tub unit last week and the same idea applies: that glass header is the ultimate in a minimalist frameless look. And these neighbors also opted for low-iron glass “like some smart folks,” as Expert Schuyler noted last week. Why smart? If you’re already investing in a glass-tastic shower door, low iron glass comes without the slightly green tint of regular glass. The green is especially noticeable against white or light-colored tile, so we recommend it. But not in a pushy way! You do you!

Questions about the Phantom? Low iron glass? What to do in Jefferson? We got you. Get in touch anytime for a chat or free quote. You can also find bonus photos – including our very own comic series! – on Facebook and Instagram.

A Tale of Maryland Tubs

Shower Door(s) of the Week: Three Tub Units in Maryland

Rub-a-dub-dub*, y’all! We’ve installed some very cool tub units lately and thought we’d showcase three of them in one post.

*Note: you might want to wait until our favorite holiday, Shower with a Friend Day (February 5th), to try fitting three people in a tub?

Bathtub #1: A Cambridge Education

This is our standard alcove Cambridge unit, with its sleek minimal dual-sliding system. It comes standard with one towel bar and one disc knob. (Fun fact: the disc knob will always be on the side of the shower head.) It’s not quite as minimalist as the Phantom (see below), but it’s a far cry from the metallic monsters of bygone days. Though I personally love fully framed and not ashamed shower doors…

Tub #2: Disc Knobs for Days

I’m just going to need to stare at these stunning walls for awhile. (…) Okay, I’m back! Do you recognize this shower door? Yep, it’s another Cambridge, this time a corner unit. Here you can really see how its low profile metal thresholds showcase custom tile work and stunning walls. (…) Here in the office we’re digging the choice of dual disc knobs – versus the standard disc + towel bar above. It’s a solid move for that minimalist frameless look. The best part is that choosing two disc knobs doesn’t even cost more money! Groovy.

Tub #3: The Phantom of Middletown

Did we forget to install the shower door? Of course not! The Phantom unit is already about as invisible as it gets, but as Expert Schuyler notes, “They upgraded to low-iron like some smart folks. Phantoms look infinitely better with low-iron. Sexy af.” What’s he on about? (We ask. Every day.) Low iron glass is free of the slightly green tint that regular glass gets from its iron content. If you’re interested in the phantom invisibility against light or white tile, you should certainly consider it.  And the smart folks even splashed out for a glass towel bar! That’s some real commitment to glass. We love to see it.

If you made it this far, you might enjoy geeking out about showers, glass, bubble baths… we’re here for all of it. You can get in touch any time for free quotes, top tips, questionable jokes, etc. You will also find more photos (and questionable jokes) on Facebook or Instagram.

Bonus Content

My original poem to Schuyler, in thanks for his ongoing support for Shower Door Sunday:

Completely Custom Corner Shower

Shower Door of the Week: Completely Custom Corner Door in Poolesville, Maryland

“Custom” is the word of the week around here. I asked our office experts how they would describe this corner unit. Expert Schuyler chimed in, “It’s certainly not standard! The return panel doesn’t extend to the wall. Only 2 of the 3 panels extend to the ceiling.” That was the client’s vision, and we made it happen!

Schuyler adds, “We are the gods of custom.” Not sure that part was meant for the blog, but… I’m not denying it.

Personally, I dig the postmodern vibe of the different heights and open door space. We often recommend low iron glass against light colored tile, but in this case it’s especially key to the vibe. For anyone new to the ol’ blog: low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass. Iron gives a slight green tint that’s not super noticeable against darker cool tones. But if you’re going for a crisp look, low iron glass is something to consider.

As ever, get in touch if you have any questions about shower door design. We love it when clients come to us with a vision, but we also love starting from scratch to figure out what you want and need from a shower space. In short: we love you guys! If you <3 us too, follow along on Facebook and/or Instagram. This month we once again featured original art from Gypsy Cab Studios to celebrate our favorite holiday of the year…

Shower with a Friend Day!

Full Height Corner in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Shower Door of the Week: Full Height Corner Unit in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

It’s been awhile since we shared a photo from Pennsylvania! We’re located in Jefferson, Maryland – just outside Frederick. But our service area takes us to D.C., northern Virginia, the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, southern Pennsylvania, and of course most of Maryland. We get around! So keep your eyes peeled for one of our unique vans…

This shower of the week is a full height frameless corner unit. It looks fairly simple, but let’s take a look under the hood. Under the bath mat? Anyway, here are the details:

  • oil rubbed bronze hardware is a great match for the beige and lighter brown tones of the floor and tile
  • upgraded handle and robe hook – these are our Symphony handles, which add visual interest
  • low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass, looks great against lighter tile colors
  • glass sealant that makes the glass a breeze to clean

We regularly get questions about cleaning shower door glass. So often that we created a handy blog post about it. The shorter version is that glass sealant fills the microscopic pores and ridges in your glass to prevent scum from accumulating in the first place. After that, your best friends are environmentally-friendly cleaner like Diamond Blue Wash and microfiber cloths. No scrubbing required!

Let us know if you have any questions about shower design, shower maintenance, best songs to listen to in the shower. We are, after all, the shower door experts! We’re over on Facebook and Instagram with behind-the-scenes pics and special offers. Hope to see you there – or maybe on the road in Pennsylvania…

Glamor Clamps in Eldersburg

Shower of the Week: Door and Panel Door with Clamps in Eldersburg, Maryland

Clamp your eyes on this shower door! The most noteworthy feature of this door and panel unit is the clamps along the bottom. Usually there would be a channel, but clamps are a minimalist and perfectly sturdy option too.

Ding ding! We have another low iron glass door this week. Long-time readers know the drill. Low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass and looks great against light-colored tile. Iron particles give glass a slight green tint, which is why low iron glass is more clear. It doesn’t matter as much against darker tile, but with the marbled tile here it was a good choice.

The other upgrade for this unit was glass sealant. We’ll never push it on anyone, but it is quite nice! Especially if you’re not a huge fan of scrubbing glass. Even though glass looks smooth, it actually has lots of teeny tiny ridges and valleys where scum accumulates. Sealant fills in those microscopic gaps so your glass stays cleaner – and easier to clean!

You can keep up with shower of the week – and lots of other fun pics! – on our Facebook and Instagram. We’re also always on standby for shower door chats. No question too small or weird! Get in touch with your friendly local experts!  (That’s us.)

Total Clarity in Germantown, Maryland

Shower Door of the Week: Corner Unit with Low Iron Glass in Germantown, Maryland

Shower door of the week was once again unanimous: behold this lovely corner unit! It features brushed nickel hardware, a pull ladder handle, and low iron glass. Combined, these elements make for a de-light-ful shower space. Long-time readers will know that I love a matte black finish, but in this case brushed nickel keeps the look light and open.

corner unit shower with low iron glass

Newer readers might be asking: what’s low iron glass? It’s magical! Low iron glass is crystal clear, lacking the slight green tint of regular glass. Iron causes the green hue that dulls the overall perception, so lower iron glass is more optically clear. We recommend it especially against light colored tile. If your tile is, say, turquoise, you can probably skip the low iron glass.

In other Shower Door Expert news, this pic of one of our experts was a big hit on Facebook and Instagram this week! I’ll repeat: this move is for experts only! Do not try at home!

But it turns out that we’re NOT the only ones who can do this! Local teacher Ramona is also a badass expert…

Thanks for sending us the pic, Ramona! If anyone else has sweet shower moves, let us know! You can get in touch all the usual ways – and start a free quote right here on the website if you’re ready for a sparkly new shower. Thanks for tuning in, loyal readers. We’ll be back with another SotW soon!

Waldorf’s Phantom Shower

Shower Door of the Week: Phantom Unit in Waldorf, Maryland

The Phantom strikes again!

Me: Hey, Schuyler, what do you think of the Waldorf photo for Shower Door of the Week?

Schuyler: I don’t see it… nvm 🤦‍♂️ that bar is dang near invisible!

Noah: this may be the most phantom-y pic I’ve seen

Me: Did they even door??

Noah: 👻

With its extreme clarity and metallic silver tile, this shower unit is pure magic. So how did they achieve this gleaming sorcery?

The Phantom

This unit is a dual-sliding shower door with an innovative all-glass header system and clear acrylic stoppers. And these clients took minimalism to the next level by forgoing the standard towel bar. Instead, they opted for two chrome disc knobs that hardly show up against the silver tile. 

The Glass

We never push for upgrades you don’t want, but these clients wisely invested in sealed low-iron glass. What does that mean? Low iron glass is more optically clear than regular glass. It doesn’t have that slight green tinge from the iron content. We usually recommend it for light-colored tile, especially, but you can see here how it preserves the pure silver tones too. And sealant? It helps reduce residue that leaves spots and streaks on your glass. It also makes routine maintenance easier – almost as if you have a phantom maid…?

Shower Singing

You know you want to…

 

Need to sing us a snippet? Or want to talk shower door design? Get in touch – we love a chat! Or follow along on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration and behind-the-scenes shenanigans…

Glass-tastic Low Iron & Sealant in Mount Airy

Shower Door of the Week: Low Iron Glass with Sealant in Mount Airy, Maryland

The vote for shower door of the week was unanimous! This corner unit in Mount Airy is just stunning. The minimalist frameless glass doesn’t distract from the natural spa-like feel of the room. It also makes the space look a lot bigger! We love how the chrome hardware pairs with the greys and tans of the tile work. It’s just a lovely design. But this week, let’s dive deeper and talk all-things-glass…

Low Iron Glass

Regular glass has a slight greenish tint that comes from particles of iron. Low iron glass is more optically clear. It might not be a big deal against darker tile, but we do recommend low iron for light-colored – and especially white – tile. It’s part of what gives a frameless shower that “barely there” look.

Sealant

Every so often we get a comment on our Facebook page: “Glass is so hard to keep clean!” Oh, friends, not so! With some basic prevention and maintenance, clean glass is a breeze. These Mount Airy clients opted to have us treat their glass with sealant. We offer this service to all our clients. Sealant fills up the pores and ridges in your glass to prevent scum from accumulating in the first place. Read more about how to keep your glass clean – it’s easy!

We’d love to hear from you! We’re over on the Facebook and the Instagram. And, as always, at our showroom in Jefferson, Maryland – where we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary!

 

 

Thoroughly Modern in Kearneysville

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!

What our Clients Say

"Professional and Attentive"

“After much research we decided to use Shower Door Experts, and we are extremely happy about our experience. They are very professional and attentive to your needs!”

"I LOVE It!"

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"You Can Have the Best"

“Sometimes you can have the best. The folks at Shower Door Experts know how to install a quality shower door and the end result is well worth the money.”