Tub vs Walk-In Shower: How to Choose for Your Bathroom

Welcome to Interior Design Tips. I'm Sam, and today we're talking about one of the most common decisions people face in a bathroom renovation: do you keep the tub, or do you swap it out for a walk-in shower?

It sounds simple, but this choice affects how the room feels, how you use it every day, and even your home's resale value. So let's think through it carefully.

First, the practical side. If you have only one bathroom in your home, I'd strongly recommend keeping a tub. Families with young kids need one, and buyers expect one in a single-bath home. Removing it can genuinely hurt your resale value. But if this is a second or primary bathroom in a multi-bath home, you have a lot more freedom.

Now think about how you actually use your bathroom. Be honest with yourself here. Do you take baths more than twice a month? If the answer is no, that tub is mostly just taking up floor space. A walk-in shower you use every day is going to serve you so much better than a soaking tub you use four times a year.

Let's talk space. A standard tub runs about 60 inches long and 30 inches wide. If you replace it with a walk-in shower, you don't have to match that footprint exactly. A 36 by 36 inch shower is technically functional, but it feels cramped. Thirty-six by 48 is more comfortable for most people. If you can go 48 by 48 or larger, that's where a shower starts to feel genuinely luxurious.

One thing I see overlooked all the time is ceiling height. If your bathroom has low ceilings, a big tub can actually look more proportional than a tall shower with a bulky glass enclosure. On the flip side, a frameless glass shower in a room with high ceilings and good natural light can make the whole space feel open and airy. The architecture of the room matters.

If you're leaning toward a shower, think about the entry style. A fully frameless glass panel or door looks the most modern and keeps things visually light. Tiled walk-in showers with no door at all, what's sometimes called a wet room style, look stunning but require really good waterproofing and a well-placed drain so water doesn't wander. That's not a DIY situation. Hire someone who's done it before.

For tub lovers, I get it, there is nothing like a long bath after a hard week. Freestanding tubs are having a huge moment right now, and for good reason. They work beautifully as a focal point in a larger bathroom. Just make sure you have a water heater that can keep up, because a standard freestanding tub holds anywhere from 55 to 90 gallons, which is more than most people expect.

One option worth considering if you're on the fence: a tub-shower combo with a high-quality surround. It's not as glamorous as either a freestanding tub or a custom shower, but in a smaller bathroom it's genuinely the smartest use of space, and modern versions look a lot better than the old pink tile setups from decades past.

So here's how I'd summarize it: only bathroom in the home, keep the tub. Multiple bathrooms, go with what you actually use. Prioritize space and proportions over trends. And whatever you choose, put the budget into good tile, good fixtures, and good waterproofing. Those are the things that hold up.

Thanks so much for listening today. I hope this helps you figure out what's right for your space. Talk to you next time.