Locating the tub and shower together and then enclosing the space is a design trend that has been gaining in popularity. 

Though the concept has come into view more often recently, we can’t call it new.  It’s ages old.  At DT Glass, we’ve had the honor of enclosing wet areas with one of our Japanese designers for years.  In Japan, bathing is a ritual that begins with a cleansing shower before moving to the tub to soak.  Time spent in the tub is for relaxation, not for washing.  Romans had a similar experience.  Baths were communal with many people soaking side by side, more like our current hot tubs than our current bathtubs.

Even if you’re keeping your tub all to yourself, you might consider how hygienic it is to hop straight into the bath.  Without washing first, the dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and grime of the day are soaking in the water that surrounds you.  Despite this, plenty of Americans still choose to clean their bodies while sitting in the tub.  After all, baths are how our parents taught us to get clean while growing up.