Retro Renovation » shower bases

3 shower pans in enameled cast iron from Kohler

pam kueber — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:00:20 +0000

Here are three fantastic additions to our choices for bathroom renovations: Enameled, cast-iron shower receptors (aka shower pans or shower bases) from Kohler. I am kind of crying, because I looked for these when I did my own bathroom renovations seven years ago and swear I couldn’t find them. I used Swanstone (a saga is involved), which are okay, but golly I much would have preferred enameled cast iron. I think it is much easier to keep clean — and that glossy finish, yummm.

There are three Kohler models available:

1. The Purist cast iron shower pan comes in a handy 48″ x 36″ size, and has very nice looks. It comes in 19 colors and prices start at $850+. These shower receptors are all “tile-in.” See that little flange/edge all the way around? The tile comes right down past that to seal in the pan and protect what is underneath from water.

2. The Kathryn cast iron shower base also is simple and sleek… same size, 48″ x 36″. Seven colors, starts at $850+.

3. The Salient cast iron shower receptor is sized the same as most standard bathtubs — 60″ x 30″. You can get the drain center, left or right. 20 colors, prices start at $637.

A few thoughts on shower pan sizing. I’m not a professional bathroom designer, but I’ve paid a lot of attention to this issue based on my own renovation experience:

I think that if you have the space, it is wise to get at minimum, a shower pan that is 48″ wide and 36″ deep. Width for stretch room, 36″ depth for elbow room.
I don’t think the 60″ x 30″ shower pan sounds like a good idea if you plan to install glass doors — to be sure it would be fine if the shower pan is open to the rest of the bathroom, like in a spa / steam setup. 30″ works in a tub with a shower curtain because your arms and elbows still have stretch room. Hey, every hotel now has those arching-out shower rods for just that reason. If you plan for glass shower doors, get 36″ depth so you can truly linger langour in the shower.
That said, the one reason I still may have ended up with Swanstone is that they offer many more sizes. The two bathrooms where I put showers are both long — the shower runs horizontally on the same wall as the vanity. In one spot for sure I know that I could not go deeper than 34″ because of an adjacent door — and that’s the depth of my Swanstone base. In the other bathroom, I possibly could have handled the extra two inches in shower depth — but it would have taken away from the space from the toilet. It would have been a tough decision. In addition, in that second bathroom, I specified a 54″ long shower base. Swanstone gave me that versatility.
Finally: Remember terrazzo shower bases, too. I have not seen these live, but I think they look like additional superb alternatives.

Bottom line: These Kohler cast iron shower receptors — Purist and Kathyrn, especially, along with the terrazzo shower bases from Crane/Fiat or Stern Williams are my top choices for shower bases, if you don’t want to go the route of unglazed tile.

Terrazzo shower pan from Stern Williams Reader Christina writes with a second supplier for terrazzo shower...
ReStore Habitat for Humanity, Charlotte, N.C.: Mom and I do some retro recon The ReStore Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte is one groovin’...
16 vintage Kohler kitchens — and two mid-century kitchen sinks still offered today Let me take you on a little stroll though...

Terrazzo shower pan from Stern Williams

pam kueber — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:00:05 +0000

Reader Christina writes with a second supplier for terrazzo shower bases — Stern Williams. These are terrific for mid-century homes, I see them all the time in time capsules. One tip: Think carefully about the size of shower pan you get. The Stern Williams rectangle is 32″ wide, the Crane/Fiats are 36″ wide. 32″ is going to be good if you are tight for space, but that’s not much elbow room for a 5′8″ amazon like me. 36″ would be better, I believe, *if* you have the room for it.

FYI, two of my bathroom have Swanstone shower pans that are 34″ wide — as much as we could squeeze in. Honestly, I am not sure which way I would have gone if I had known of the terrazzo options. In other bathroom, I simply don’t believe there was room for 36″. The other – it would have been tight and meant a narrower enclosure for the toilet. This particular decision would have caused me anguish: More room in the main part of the usually already small postwar bathroom, or more room in the shower? Such is the retro renovator’s life, alas.

Snaps to Christina, who writes:

I have an original 1962 terrazzo shower base downstairs and I love it! I’m turning my upstairs master bath tub into a shower-only and I’ll be getting a new terrazzo base for that shower. After much research, I’m getting one made by Stern Williams, ordered via Ferguson. It’s super-heavy, but even with shipping the cost is comparable to Swanstone. So, the only downside is reinforcing the floor enough to handle its weight. I’ll get photos of each to you at some point. Great site – thanks for doing this!

Here’s the link to the Stern Williams site.

3 shower pans in enameled cast iron from Kohler Here are three fantastic additions to our choices for bathroom...
Terrazzo tiles in 19 color ways and 3 sizes from Daltile Daltile snuck these in on me: Authentic terrazzo tiles. Terrazzo...
Marimekko shower curtains and towel sets from Crate & Barrel This site is first and foremost about resources, so I...

Shower pans: Swanstone…Crane terrazzo…Tile-Redi

pam kueber — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:00:20 +0000

I have three bathrooms, and originally, they all had 60″ (beat to heck) tubs. When I renovated them five years ago, I wanted showers rather than tubs in two of the three. But, I was on a budget and was put off by the high cost to have a plumber prepare a shower base to tile. So…with little other choice…I installed plain white Swanstone solid surface shower pans. In reality, these have been fine. They get dirty fast – but clean up nicely with Lysol Basin Tub & Tile cleaner.

If I would have known then about these Crane Terrazzo shower bases, I most likely would have gone with them. Or – if this Tile Redi easy-to-tile shower base had been available, I might also have used it. (Website: tileredi.com). One thing to remember when tiling a shower base – you must use unfinished tiles, or else you will slip. I am generally quite matchy-matchy when comes to surface finishes, especially in small bathrooms. So if you go with the tiled shower pan, I’d tend to also recommend the same unfinished floor tile for the rest of the bathroom floor.

Terrazzo shower pan from Stern Williams Reader Christina writes with a second supplier for terrazzo shower...
Terrazzo tiles in 19 color ways and 3 sizes from Daltile Daltile snuck these in on me: Authentic terrazzo tiles. Terrazzo...
Marimekko shower curtains and towel sets from Crate & Barrel This site is first and foremost about resources, so I...

Retro bathroom: Crane shower bases in terrazzo — a most noble, retro material!

Pam Kueber — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:30 +0000

These terrazzo shower bases from Crane look like the real deal. The website says that they truly are marble chips embedded in concrete, then polished to a high gloss. I have shower bases in two of my three bathrooms, and when I renovated about 5 years ago, I went with simple white Swanstone solid surface. While the Swanstone has worked out fine, I definitely would have checked out these Crane bases, if I’d known about them. Terrazzo is a most noble, retro material! These bases come in several colors (hint: go neutral) and sizes (hint: go minimum 36″x42″). Here’s the link to the Crane page.

Hey, if you have a Swanstone or fiberglass base, the only thing I can get to really keep it clean it Lysol Basin Tub & Tile Cleaner. The liquid spray is best – my husband actually orders it online. Using this cleaner, I really can keep the white base looking like new – although it may take several soaking applications. Suzie Homemaker (a real joke, you can bet), over and out.

Terrazzo shower pan from Stern Williams Reader Christina writes with a second supplier for terrazzo shower...
Terrazzo tiles in 19 color ways and 3 sizes from Daltile Daltile snuck these in on me: Authentic terrazzo tiles. Terrazzo...
Montgomery Ward American Kitchens sink bases, drainboard sinks and faucet MIB, Boise INCREDIBLE FINDS — Two American Kitchens sink bases and porcelain...

Victorian-style cast iron shower pan

pam kueber — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:12:00 +0000

I would have loved to use this cast iron shower base for my 50s bathroom renovations a few years ago. In two of my bathrooms I was forced to use Swanstone (fiberglass style) bases because I simply could not find any other materials. I’ve seen numerous vintage 50s bathrooms with these square style tubs/showers. The porcelain on cast iron finish is GREATLY preferable. If you use this, though, do not use the Victorian feet. I’d set the base onto a tile base/surround/alcove with the tile base built out along one side created for a glass shower door. Use 4″ x 4″ field (wall) tile for a 1950s look. This pan is made by Strom Plumbing – here’s their complete catalog.

Terrazzo shower pan from Stern Williams Reader Christina writes with a second supplier for terrazzo shower...
Alexander Girard bedding and shower curtains at Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters features bedding, shower curtains, cloth curtains and wall...
Vintage shower head blogging Over on flickr there’s a group called “Mirror blogging”...