Choose Frames and Fixtures for Your Shower Enclosure

Frame Finishes

Generally speaking, you have the same finish options for the shower frames as you do for any other fixture. These include:

•  Chrome
• Nickel
• Bronze
• Brass
• Powder-coating

Powder-coated frames are usually white or black. With the metal finishes, you can usually choose between a glossy or matte finish.

Nickel is the typical finish you see for framed enclosures. The frame profile will not stand out much. If you like silver but want to kick the look up a notch, consider chrome. Whether shiny or matte, chrome frames promote a modern appeal.

You see bronze and brass frames in contemporary bathrooms. However, they're more common with traditional or old-world décor. Bronze is darker than brass, so these frames carry more visual weight. However, they also tend to present a statelier profile.

As noted, you usually choose either white or black for powder-coated frames. White recedes into the background more than black, which presents a bold profile. Powder-coated frames are common for modern and contemporary bathrooms.

Fixture Finishes

You'll typically match your shower enclosure fixtures - meaning the door handles and towel racks - to the frame. So if you choose a bronze framework, you'll probably choose the same metal for the fixtures.

However, you can mix the shine factor. For example, you don't often see distressed finishes on shower frames, but they're more common on door handles. These handles have been manufactured to feature a patina as if they're antique. Concerning the handles, you can also choose clear acrylic if you don't want them to interfere with the sightline into your shower stall.

Handle Styles

With handles, the traditional style is the C-pull, which resembles the letter C mounted flush to the shower door. Within that style, you can choose streamlined designs or those with elaborate detailing. Naturally, more ornamented styles are suitable for glamorous décor, while streamlined handles work well with contemporary décor.

Crescent- and square-pull handles are versions of the C-pull. Crescent handles look like a partial circle. Square handles feature corners. Both styles of handles are more contemporary than traditional.

The ladder pull is another version. These handles feature extensions above and below where the handle affixes to the door. When installed in back-to-back construction, the two pulls together resemble a ladder, which is where they get their name. With ladder pulls, you can have both streamlined and ornamented designs.

With framed glass enclosures, you usually have a sliding door. The slide action makes the door easier to maneuver, so you often see knobs in place of pulls. As noted above, acrylic knobs are one option. Some styles are clear, but you can also choose frosted or crystal styles.

With metal knobs, you often see a lot of minimalism in the design, so the knob itself makes less of a visual statement. However, you can choose more ornamented styles as well. The best advice is to let your choice in frames guide you in the handle styles.

Customized Enclosures

In addition to the above options, you can further personalize your framed shower enclosure with customized options. For example, a common replacement for the standard tracking system on the sliding door is a barn style. The door and stall are outfitted with a bar across the top. The door features rollers that move along the bar as you open it. This style creates a bold profile.

An even bolder profile comes in the shower stalls that feature multiple panes of glass. The panes usually feature prominent framing, often in black or bronze. The result is a modern checkerboard effect.

Design a framed glass enclosure that offers a unique profile in your bathroom. Contact Palmetto Glass & Mirror Inc for help with your custom glass enclosure.