Honestly, the traditional bathroom layout is kind of a mess. You’ve got a plastic tub tucked in a corner, a glass-boxed shower that gets moldy in the tracks, and a bath mat that’s perpetually damp. It’s cramped. It feels like an obstacle course. That’s exactly why everyone is obsessed with the wet room with shower and tub concept lately. It basically turns your entire bathroom—or a very large chunk of it—into a waterproofed sanctuary where the shower and the bathtub live together in one open zone.
It’s a vibe. But it’s also incredibly practical.
When you walk into a well-executed wet room, you aren't stepping over a 6-inch acrylic threshold. You're walking onto a continuous floor. The barrier between "where I wash" and "where I dry off" disappears. This isn't just about looking like a boutique hotel in Copenhagen. It’s about accessibility and the simple fact that cleaning a room you can literally hose down is a total game-changer.
The layout most people get wrong
Most homeowners think they can just rip out a wall and call it a day. If only. A real wet room with shower and tub requires a "tanking" process. This is the non-negotiable part. You’re essentially turning the room into a swimming pool liner before you even think about picking out that pretty Zellige tile. If the waterproofing fails, your subfloor rots. Period.
One of the coolest ways to arrange this is the "shower-through" layout. You place the freestanding tub at the very back of the room, often under a window, and the shower heads are positioned in front of it. You walk through the shower zone to get to the tub. It saves an incredible amount of square footage. In a standard 5x8 bathroom, this is almost impossible, but if you have even a little bit more wiggle room—say 6x10—this layout makes the space feel double its size.
Designers like Kelly Wearstler have leaned into this "open zone" concept because it allows for massive slabs of stone rather than busy, small tiles. It creates visual continuity. When the floor doesn't stop and start, your brain thinks the room is huge.
Dealing with the "splash factor"
Let's be real for a second. The biggest fear people have with a wet room with shower and tub is that their toilet paper is going to get soggy. Or their towels. Or their vanity.
It’s a valid concern.
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To avoid a swampy mess, you need a glass splash guard. You don't need a full enclosure—that defeats the purpose—but a single fixed pane of frameless glass can direct the spray. Also, the pitch of the floor is everything. In the trade, we call it the "fall." The floor needs to slope toward the drain at a rate of about 1 in 60 or 1 in 80. If your contractor doesn't use a level every five minutes during the screed pour, you’re going to have standing water in the corners. That leads to slime. Nobody wants slime.
And since we’re talking about water, let’s talk drains. Linear drains are the gold standard here. They look like a sleek metal slit in the floor, usually placed against the wall or right at the entrance of the wet zone. They can handle a much higher volume of water than those old-school circular drains. If you’re planning on one of those high-pressure rain heads that feels like a tropical monsoon, you absolutely need a linear drain.
Why the tub matters in a wet zone
You might ask: "If I have this amazing open shower, why do I even need a tub?"
Resale value. That’s the boring answer. The fun answer? Deep soaking.
In a wet room with shower and tub setup, the tub isn't just a utility; it’s a sculptural element. Because it's sitting in a waterproof zone, you don't have to worry about splashing over the side. You can fill it to the brim. You can let the kids go wild. You can even have a "wet" teak bench nearby.
The freestanding tub—think matte stone or heavy cast iron—acts as the anchor for the room's design. It breaks up the vertical lines of the shower. Brands like Victoria + Albert or Kohler have been pushing these "wet area" specific tubs that don't have exposed plumbing on the outside, making them way easier to wipe down when they get hit by stray shower mist.
The heating mistake everyone makes
Here is the thing: wet rooms can feel cold.
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All that tile and open space means there's a lot of air to heat up. In a standard shower, the steam stays trapped in the cubicle and keeps you warm. In a wet room, that steam drifts away.
The fix is underfloor heating.
If you're already ripping up the floor to install the waterproof tanking system, you’d be crazy not to lay down electric heating mats or a hydronic system. It dries out the floor faster—preventing mold—and it makes the experience of stepping out of the tub actually pleasant rather than a shock to the system. It’s one of those things you’ll regret skipping every single morning in February.
Real talk on costs and complexity
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This isn't a weekend DIY project. A wet room with shower and tub is a high-end architectural feature. You’re looking at:
- Enhanced Plumbing: You’re often moving drains and adding multiple valves for the shower and tub filler.
- Waterproofing Kits: Materials like Schluter-Kerdi or Wedi boards add a few thousand dollars to the budget just in "stuff you’ll never see."
- Structural Reinforcement: Cast iron tubs are heavy. Fill them with 60 gallons of water, and they are really heavy. Sometimes you have to beef up the floor joists so the tub doesn't end up in your kitchen downstairs.
Usually, you’re looking at a 20% to 30% premium over a traditional bathroom remodel. But, the trade-off is a room that is basically indestructible.
Materials that actually work
Don't use marble. I know, I know. It looks gorgeous in magazines. But marble is porous. Even if you seal it, it’s going to stain from your shampoo or turn orange from the iron in your water.
For a wet room with shower and tub, go with porcelain.
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Modern porcelain can look exactly like Carrara marble or Belgian bluestone, but it’s dense and waterproof. You want a "grip" finish on the floor—look for a COF (Coefficient of Friction) rating of 0.6 or higher. If you put high-gloss tile in a wet room, you’re basically building a slip-and-slide. Not safe.
Textured slate or "satin" finish tiles are great because they hide water spots. If you have hard water, avoid dark tiles like black or navy. You’ll be scrubbing white calcium deposits off them until you eventually decide to move house.
Small space vs. Large space wet rooms
If you have a massive primary suite, the wet room is easy. You put the tub in the middle like a trophy.
But in a small bathroom? That’s where the wet room with shower and tub really shines. By removing the partitions, you open up the floor plan. You can have a full-sized soaking tub in a room where a standard tub-shower combo would feel cramped.
One trick is to use the same tile for the walls and the floor. This "infinity" look blurs the edges of the room. I’ve seen 40-square-foot bathrooms transformed this way, and they honestly feel like luxury spas. You just have to be smart about where you put the vanity. Floating vanities are a must here so the floor can be easily mopped underneath.
The maintenance reality
People think wet rooms are hard to clean. It’s actually the opposite.
Think about it. In a normal bathroom, you have to clean the shower glass, the tub rim, the floor tiles, and the weird gap between the toilet and the wall. In a wet room with shower and tub, the "wet" parts are all in one place. You can use a squeegee on the floor and walls in about 60 seconds.
The main thing is ventilation. You need a fan that’s actually rated for the cubic footage of the room. Not a cheap $50 fan from the big-box store. You want something powerful and quiet. If the air doesn't move, the humidity will sit on your ceiling and eventually cause the paint to peel. Look for a fan with a humidistat that turns on automatically when it senses moisture.
Actionable steps for your project
- Check your joists. Before buying a tub, have a contractor verify that your floor can handle the "dead load" of the tub and the "live load" of the water and people.
- Hire a specialist. This isn't for a general handyman. You need someone who specifically understands tanking and slope-to-drain systems.
- Choose your drain first. The type of drain (linear vs. center) dictates how the floor is sloped. You can't change your mind once the mud bed is poured.
- Test the waterproofing. Once the tanking is done but before the tile goes down, do a "flood test." Plug the drains and fill the floor with an inch of water. Let it sit for 24 hours. If the water level drops, you have a leak. Fix it now, or pay for it later.
- Think about lighting. Standard lights aren't always rated for "wet" zones. You need IP65-rated recessed lights if they are directly over the shower or tub area to prevent electrical issues.
Investing in a wet room with shower and tub is a commitment to a different kind of living. It’s less about "getting clean" and more about creating a ritual space that’s easy to maintain and beautiful to look at. Just don't skip the heated floors. Trust me.