Natural stone shower trays: 5 ideas for a stylish designer bathroom
03.2022
Natural stone is not only elegant and stylish but also extremely practical, making it the perfect material for a luxurious but functional bathroom
The elegance of a natural stone shower tray
There are few, if any materials that can match natural stone when it comes to combining aesthetics and functionality, so it is little wonder that it is a popular choice for use in interior décor, and particularly in bathrooms where it is more than able to stand up to the daily rigours and constant exposure to water.
In modern homes, a particular bathroom element that is increasingly being installed is a walk-in shower, wet room or shower tray in stone. After all, the combination of water and stone is as old as the earth itself, and transmits an extraordinary sense of wellbeing that many people seek in a bathroom which is no longer merely a purely functional space. A shower tray in natural stone is wonderfully tactile underfoot, helping foster a relaxing, soothing environment far from the stresses of the external world.
In this article, we take a look at just why a shower tray or wet room in natural stone is a winning choice, and also share 5 elegant and practical ideas if you want to create a stylish, Salvatori-style bathroom.
The advantages of a natural stone shower tray
Of course, we’re slightly biased when it comes to natural stone and its aesthetic value, but besides the sheer beauty of this glorious material, there are at least 3 exceedingly practical reasons it’s the perfect choice for a bathroom:
- Hardwearing
- Non-slip
- Easy to install and look after
One of stone’s key qualities is how tough and enduring it is. It can withstand knocks, water, temperature and weight, as well as scratches and other types of damage, so when you choose an item of furniture or tiles in it, you are making a smart investment as it will last for decades.
When you think of marble or other types of natural stone, often you may immediately think of smooth or highly polished surfaces, but that is a more traditional approach. At Salvatori, we develop innovative stone textures, so for shower trays, for example, we ensure the surface is sandblasted or finished in such a way that it provides grip, meaning there is also no need for an anti-slip rubber matt that can spoil the look of your beautiful bathroom.
Last, but definitely an important consideration, stone showers are easy to install and care for. There’s no particular need to completely pull your bathroom to bits, especially if you opt for one of our shower trays that uses our revolutionary Plug&Play system that makes installation a breeze.
The main types of shower trays
There is yet another advantage to stone shower trays, and that is their versatility, offering plenty of choice when it comes to:
- Type
- Shape
- Colour
Generally speaking, there are 3 main types of shower tray: flush, raised and recessed. The first creates a seamless, fluid look and also has the advantage of easy access if anyone using it has mobility impairment. A raised shower tray is perhaps the most traditional, while recessed variants are a kind of midpoint between the other two options, with a slight step down from the bathroom into the shower itself.
In terms of shape, today there is an incredible array to choose from, with the most common being square, rectangular, round, semi-round and quadrant, which has a curved front and fits into the corner, making it a popular choice in particularly small bathrooms.
Another factor to take into account is colour, and this is where natural stone really comes into its own, with an extraordinary range of tones and patterns, from classic white through to dark, moody browns, so you can create the perfect mood in your bathroom. We shouldn’t forget that stone can also be textured in many ways to add a further dimension to your bathroom décor.
Let’s now take a look at 5 natural stone shower trays idea if you’re looking to create a designer bathroom.
An outdoor shower in natural stone
An outdoor shower may sound like a luxury, but if you live somewhere hot and you have the space, it’s a supremely practical solution for cooling down during the day. And, if you’re lucky to live near a beach, it’s the perfect way to get rid of sand rather than traipsing it through the house.
Stone is the ideal material for an exterior shower because it won’t discolour, it’s easy to look after and it finds its natural environment in the open air. This al fresco example features a Balnea marble shower tray in cool white Bianco Carrara, with its lovely curved shape and low lip contrasting beautifully with the warm tones of the floor tiles in Stone Parquet Imperiale.
A raised shower tray in natural stone and wood
A raised shower tray, probably the most traditional variant, sits on the floor at a height that makes it easy to step up onto, while the structure itself is designed to ensure that the water flows away efficiently.
Extremely easy to install, it is particularly favoured in homes where you don’t have enough depth to excavate and install a recessed or flush shower tray. An example is our Ishiburo with its recycled teak slats that are easily removed to clean the stainless steel tray underneath.
The contrast of the wood with a natural stone frame, in this case Crema d’Orcia, creates a lovely sense of warmth and harmony, and in this case, we also have the Ishiburo texture as a backdrop, with its defined vertical lines adding depth and movement to the overall look.
A flush shower tray in natural stone
Flush shower trays are increasingly in vogue, with their modern, minimalist look that amplifies the perception of space and creates a fluid, elegant bathroom look. Designed with a tray beneath that is angled so that the water runs into the waste positioned in the centre and drains away easily, it is slightly more difficult to install than a raised version, and also requires sufficient depth, which is why it’s more often found in new builds than older homes.
This striking wet room in natural stone features our Filo shower tray in Pietra d’Avola, sandblasted to provide a non-slip surface, and making it a little lighter in colour than the same stone on the floor and wet room walls in a honed finish and in Romboo texture on the exterior wall.
This dark, moody bathroom is stylish and extremely practical, with its mini wet room-cum-shower nook including no glass door or wall, making cleaning that much easier, and access safe and easy. Its design is simple but the overall effect, with the combination of textures and the luxurious chocolatey brown tones, make for a decidedly special shower experience.
A shower in dark natural stone
For sheer understated luxury, it’s hard to beat a dark brown or black shower, especially if you go for a total dark look, with the walls and the shower tray in the same colour.
This gorgeous niche shower in darkest brown is completely furnished in our Pietra d’Avola, a limestone that in certain lights appears almost black. Designed to maximise the available space, its neat square shape has a shower tray lip that is not too high, and is in proportion with the entire space.
From the Balnea collection, the shower tray is a triumph of simple geometry, with its juxtaposition of a circular recess and square frame. The combination of honed Pietra d’Avola with our CNC texture ensures the overall look is uniform but eye-catching and elegant.
Natural stone is a stunning material in any guise, but in the luscious rich tones of black or darkest brown, it is the perfect choice for a bathroom that oozes discreet luxury.
A white marble shower tray
If dark stone is associated with luxury, a white marble shower tray is the ideal solution for a small space, with an all-white bathroom a great trick for amplifying the perception of space and light.
You can take this even further with a flush shower tray, for a look that is linear and completely unimpeded visually, as in this example where the surrounding floor in Infinito merges seamlessly with a Filo Flush, with tiles in a sandblasted finish for grip and a touch of textural contrast. On a practical note, the marble slats can easily be removed when you want to clean the stainless steel tray beneath, making a Filo Flush an excellent solution for a wet room or walk-in shower in natural stone.
When it comes to an all-white bathroom, what better material than classic Bianco Carrara? The result here is a refined, luminous space, with the deceptively simple white marble shower tray key to creating a sense of airiness and timeless style.
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