Did you know that shower doors didn’t start to appear in bathroom designs until the 1950s? The early shower door design was much different than the shower doors we see today. We escape the inconvenience of getting the entire bathroom wet by having a separate shower area.
However, discovering that separate shower areas with shower doors were not always a reality makes us ponder how the idea of shower doors came about. Let’s talk about how shower doors have changed over the years.
History of Shower Doors
The concept of showers first came from our ancestors, who called caves their homes. The caves lacked necessities like a bath forcing our ancestors to have baths in lakes or waterfalls.
The people of that time stood under waterfalls to clean their bodies. Unlike today when we can conveniently walk into our bath and shower whenever we please, ancient people traveled and looked for lakes and waterfalls to have a bath.
The first design involving mechanical showers was issued to William Feetham at the end of the 1760s. As people learned more about the impacts of disease-causing bacteria, the world’s notion of sanitation slowly began to evolve.
People soon realized the importance of having a separate shower space. The energy system rose to fame and improved in terms of affordability at the beginning of the 19th century. Tempered glass was used in the earliest shower door models. Shower doors are not made of the same glass used in windows.
When it came to developing a shatter-proof glass material for shower doors in those early days, the producers were up for the challenge because the glass in the era was sensitive and cracked easily. What is now known as safety glass was created in 1903 by a scientist from France.
More formulations for shatter-resistant glass were created over the next ten years. During this time, tempered glass was invented by an Austrian chemist.
It wasn’t until 1963 that an Ohio-based company made history by being the first to manufacture shower cubicles with transparent doors and walls. The tempered glass developed by the Australian chemist was used in these designs.
The Evolving Design of Shower Doors
The designs of the vintage shower doors lacked attractiveness and flair. These shower doors had plain frames and tempered glass, making them functional but not particularly appealing. However, shower doors transformed when the 1970s inched closer, and people started paying closer attention to design.
Hence, manufacturers began experimenting with new and better designs as customers demanded added appeal. Frameless shower doors were a brand-new and widely used invention during this period, and everybody wanted them in their bathrooms.
The discovery of something that enhanced and stood out from bathroom decor delighted homeowners as they fled to shops to purchase frameless shower doors.
The world of shower doors witnessed fresh and original ideas after discovering frameless shower doors. Through the following years, manufacturers came out with new designs, which eventually evolved into the shower doors we see in baths today.
In recent times, if you want to purchase a shower door, you have many choices, unlike the conventional cubicle with a simple framed shower door. Here are a few different types of shower door designs you will find in shops now:
- Frameless sliding shower doors:Frameless sliding shower doors combine the classic elegance of a frameless shower door with the luxurious feel of sliding doors. Frameless sliding shower doors are ideal for people looking to add a touch of minimalism, class, and luxury to the showers
- Semi-Frameless shower doors:A semi-frameless shower door is ideal for spaces where you need the stability provided by a frame, along with the sleek look of a frameless shower door. These shower doors have minimal metal frames attached to them. However, the metal framing is not as prominent compared to framed shower doors
- Framed shower doors:The term “framed shower doors” may conjure images of dull, old-fashioned shower doors. Modern framed shower doors, however, have the elegance and attractiveness we desire. High-grade metal frames are used to construct framed shower doors. These shower doors stand out thanks to the pristine glass and polished chrome hardware
- Frameless hinged shower door:These shower doors are great if your bath has limited shower space. The frameless swinging design provides a minimalist aesthetic touch and a sleek finish to your bath. Frameless hinged shower doors also have a distinctive and vivid polished chrome hardware finish and clean clear glass, which can also be modified
Wrapping Up
When it comes to bath interior design, we’ve come a long way from unsightly framed shower doors to appealing frameless shower doors. Shower door designs have evolved and continue to improve over time, and there are now numerous variations and models that you can play with to spice up the look of your bath and add personality to it.
