The Italian shower offers tenfold advantages, combining efficiency and beauty. So much so that it has become a must-have. So that the shower is more than ever a real well-being.

They are all the rage and are both a fad and the opposite, a groundswell made to last. These are the so-called "Italian-style" showers. "Italian-style" because they came to us from the land of sunshine. Because, there, sun and water have to give the best pleasure. But also because Italy is the country of design.

Italian showers are undoubtedly a fashion, as they bring an unparalleled aesthetic and harmonious look to the bathroom - a room that is increasingly considered to be a "living space" where you can enjoy the benefits of water. And what's more, they can be combined with almost any style. But this fashion is obviously made to last, to become a must-have. This also underlines the fact that walk-in showers are not just the opposite of a fashion, but also the affirmation of a unique practicality. For all generations, but also for the elderly and/or people with reduced mobility, regardless of aesthetic criteria.

What is a walk-in shower?

Do we even need to remind you here what a walk-in shower is? A walk-in shower is a shower without a shower tray (also known as a "shower tray"), but completely integrated into the floor. And it can be separated from the rest of the bathroom or room - because many people, for example, do not hesitate, quite rightly, to put it in their cellar or laundry room, to wash themselves after having done some DIY - by a simple curtain or by a wall (made of glass, plexiglass, bricks or anything else you like: the imagination is in control). Or by nothing at all, provided that the surface area of the room allows it, so that splashes do not get everywhere. This proves all the advantages for the elderly or the sick in wheelchairs, etc. It is no coincidence that hospitals and nursing homes, senior citizens' homes and other care centres have been using walk-in showers for a long time. Of course, without the design.

It is obviously out of the question that the water can spread throughout the room. Walk-in showers therefore have a slope of 1 to 3 cm per metre, in four 'diamond' profiles, to bring the water to its discharge point, which is not necessarily central (but usually is).

Note that, if slope problems arise, some manufacturers offer a system with a discreet drain at the bottom of the wall. This innovative solution, in addition to its advantages in terms of installation, also gives your bathroom an even better "look", as the trap - which, as a precaution, must always be of the "high flow" type - is no longer visible in the centre of the shower.

Aesthetic and practical

In most building, renovation or refurbishment projects, the shower cubicle (in whatever form it may be) is nowadays most often replaced by a walk-in shower. Precisely because of the design. Because, in terms of aesthetics alone, a walk-in shower is an undeniable addition to your bathroom, while also making it easier to clean. And because a shower should always be a moment of pure happiness. A happiness which, through the walk-in shower, also passes by this privileged framework and this space, out of the walls of a cabin.

The principle of the walk-in shower is that it is open to the interior of your shower room. This is of course very beautiful as the shower becomes part of the harmony of the room, rather than breaking it up. It also gives an incredible sense of space.

However, if only because of the splashes or for the sake of privacy, there is a clear trend to separate the shower from the rest of the room, albeit very discreetly. By means of walls which, whatever their material and style, can in turn reinforce the design and provide a remarkable touch of beauty. A touch of beauty that some people reinforce by putting a floor (which must always be anti-slip) of pebbles. Superb, indeed. However, you should bear in mind that this makes maintenance much more difficult and that the joints between the pebbles quickly lose their beauty and sometimes their quality. In this case, simplicity is certainly preferable to beauty. Especially since all manufacturers offer floor coverings that compete with each other in terms of aesthetics.

Find also all our advice for theThe design of a spa in your bathroom.