The dilemma that shouldn’t be one
Bathtub or shower. It is the question that surfaces in the first meeting of any bathroom project, posed as though only one answer could possibly exist. And in most homes, you do indeed have to choose. But there is a category of bathrooms where that choice simply does not apply: those with enough space for both to coexist without competing.
We are talking about bathrooms from nine square metres upward. Those generous floor plans found in villas in La Canyada, in penthouses in Patacona overlooking the sea, in full-scale renovations of stately Ensanche apartments where the decision has been made — wisely — to sacrifice a bedroom in order to gain the bathroom the home deserved. In such spaces, giving up the bathtub or the shower is like having an enormous living room and dispensing with the sofa because there are already armchairs. It makes no sense.
What does make sense is planning the coexistence with the same rigour one would apply to a dual-aspect living room. Because fitting a bathtub and a shower into the same bathroom is not difficult. What is difficult is making the result look intentional, proportionate and elegant, rather than a catalogue of fixtures crowded together.
When you can have both (and when you cannot)
Let us be honest from the start: not every bathroom can accommodate both a bathtub and a shower. And forcing coexistence in a space that does not allow it is worse than choosing a single, well-executed option.
The real minimum is 9 m2, and we say “real” because we have seen floor plans where both pieces technically fit yet the result is a bathroom where you cannot dry yourself without knocking your elbow against the screen. From nine square metres, with an intelligent layout, coexistence is viable. From 12 m2, it begins to feel comfortable. And from 15 m2, design can breathe and each piece has its own territory.
But square metres are not everything. The proportion of the floor plan matters as much as its area. A long, narrow bathroom of 10 m2 offers very different possibilities from a square one of the same size. The position of the door, the window and the plumbing risers determines both cost and circulation.
If your bathroom is under 8 m2, our recommendation is clear: choose one piece and make it extraordinary. A generous walk-in shower with a continuous floor can be more luxurious than a poorly planned 12-metre bathroom with bathtub and shower fighting for space.
4 layouts that work
There is no single way to integrate bathtub and shower. The right layout depends on the geometry of the bathroom, the habits of those who use it, and the visual hierarchy you wish to establish.
Freestanding central bathtub + lateral walk-in
The most dramatic layout. The freestanding bathtub is placed as the bathroom’s centrepiece, functioning as a sculptural focal point. The walk-in shower occupies one of the side walls, with a floor-to-ceiling fixed glass panel and no door.
You need a minimum of 12 m2 and a floor plan wide enough to allow circulation around the bathtub (at least 60 cm on each accessible side). Our Classic Freestanding Bath design is an example of how a freestanding bathtub becomes the piece that defines the entire space.
Built-in bathtub in a niche + walk-in shower opposite
The most balanced layout and the one that works best in rectangular bathrooms between 9 and 14 m2. The bathtub is built into a niche or set against one wall; opposite, the walk-in shower occupies the facing wall.
Each piece has its own wall, its own tapware and its own zone of influence. Circulation is intuitive: bathtub on one side, shower on the other. The finishes can play with this duality: natural stone in the bathtub zone, large-format porcelain in the shower.
Bathtub beneath the window + corner shower
If your bathroom is fortunate enough to have a generous window — something common in the villas of Patacona or in the houses of La Eliana — placing the bathtub beneath it is a decision that never disappoints. There are few pleasures comparable to immersing yourself in hot water with natural light streaming in from the side and, if the orientation obliges, the last sun of the afternoon drawing reflections across the surface of the water.
The shower, in this configuration, is resolved in the opposite or adjacent corner, generally as a walk-in with a side entrance. The key is that the shower does not compete with the window for visual prominence. Transparent glass, minimal framing and a flush shower tray are the formula for making the shower zone functional without imposing itself.
Wet room with integrated bathtub (fully open)
The most contemporary option. The wet room concept eliminates physical barriers between the wet zones: the entire bathroom is waterproofed, the floor slopes toward drains, and bathtub and shower coexist in a continuous space without screens.
The bathtub sits within the wet zone, and the shower is simply a ceiling or wall-mounted rainhead in the same area. When neither is in use, the space is a continuous floor of stone or micro-cement that conveys a monastic calm. Our Home Spa Wellness design explores this open-space philosophy.
It demands flawless waterproofing and a careful study of drainage slopes. It is not the most economical option, but the result is a bathroom that feels like a private spa.
The bathtub as a moment, the shower as a routine
Beyond the layout, there is something that merits a more measured reflection: bathtub and shower do not fulfil the same emotional function, and understanding that difference is key to designing a bathroom where both make sense.
The shower is efficiency. It is Monday at seven in the morning, the post-gym rinse, the quick shower before going out to dinner. It is a functional act we complete in five or ten minutes, almost on autopilot. A good shower is one you do not think about: the water reaches the right temperature instantly, the pressure is generous, the space is comfortable and drying off is easy. Full stop.
The bathtub is something else entirely. The bathtub is a Friday evening with a book and a glass of wine. It is a rainy Sunday with no plans. It is the ritual that marks the boundary between activity and rest. Nobody takes a ten-minute bath: a bath lasts as long as it needs to, and during that time the hot water works on the muscles, on the mind, on that accumulated tension you did not know you were carrying. The bathtub does not address a hygienic need: it attends to an emotional one. We have written about this singular power in our article on the freestanding bathtub as a sculptural piece.
This is why it makes sense for both to coexist. Because they cover distinct territories of our daily life. Those who have both do not use them interchangeably: they use the shower every day and the bathtub when they need it. And that “when they need it” justifies every euro of investment, every square metre of space, every hour of planning.
Tapware and plumbing: the dual installation
Having a bathtub and shower in the same bathroom means, from a technical standpoint, a dual plumbing installation. And this has implications worth understanding before falling in love with a layout on Pinterest.
Two hot and cold water feeds with their corresponding independent shut-off valves. Two drains with their traps and connection to the main soil stack. Two sets of tapware that can be — and we recommend should be — from the same design family to maintain visual coherence. A recessed thermostatic valve from Grohe for the shower and a bath-edge or wall-mounted set from the same collection, for instance, create an aesthetic continuity that reinforces the sense of an integrated project.
Water pressure is another factor. Two simultaneous consumption points require the installation to support the flow rate. In older homes in the centre of Valencia, where supply connections are not always generous, a pressure booster may be necessary.
In terms of cost, the dual installation adds between 1,500 and 3,000 euros above a single installation, depending on the distance between points and the complexity of the drain connection. It is not prohibitive in the context of a premium renovation, but neither is it negligible. You can get an idea of the overall budget with our renovation calculator.
Brands such as Roca offer complete collections where bathtub and shower tapware share a design language, facilitating the visual coherence that turns two separate installations into a unified project.
The mistake of the bathtub with a shower screen (and why we do not recommend it)
There is a solution found in a great many Spanish bathrooms that, frankly, strikes us as a compromise that satisfies no one: fitting a screen over the bathtub so it can also serve as a shower. It is the most common workaround when space only allows one piece and the desire is to have “the best of both worlds.”
Our position is clear: if you have space for both, give each one its own place. And if you do not have space, choose one and do it well.
The bathtub with a shower screen has problems that go beyond aesthetics. Standing in a bathtub to shower is uncomfortable: the curved base offers no stability, you must step over the rim every time (a real risk for elderly people or children), the screen accumulates limescale inside and out, and the sense of openness a shower should convey is entirely negated by the bathtub walls surrounding you at knee height.
But it does not work as a bathtub either. The screen — however good it may be — breaks the relaxing aesthetic the bathtub should convey. Nobody imagines a moment of disconnection in a bathtub crowned by a sliding screen with aluminium framing. The bathtub is a piece that calls for air around it, visual clarity, room to breathe.
It is rather like those sofa beds that are neither a good sofa nor a good bed. They serve an emergency function, but nobody would choose one if they had an alternative. Well then: if your bathroom has nine metres or more, you have an alternative. Use it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum number of square metres needed for both a bathtub and a shower?
The functional minimum is 9 m2 with an efficient layout, although the user experience improves notably from 12 m2. Below 9 m2, we recommend prioritising a single piece and executing it with the highest quality and greatest sense of space possible.
Does having both in the main bathroom increase the property’s value?
In high-end homes, yes. A main bathroom with a freestanding bathtub and an independent walk-in shower is one of the features most valued by buyers in the premium segment. It is an indicator of generous space and a level of finish that transcends the merely functional.
Is the renovation significantly more expensive if I include both pieces?
The dual installation represents an additional cost of 1,500 to 3,000 euros, in addition to the cost of the second piece and its tapware. Within a premium full renovation of 20,000 to 45,000 euros, it is a moderate percentage for a significant qualitative leap.
Can I add a bathtub to a bathroom that already has a shower without major works?
It depends on the space and access to the existing installations. If the floor structure can bear the load (a full bathtub can exceed 300 kg), it is feasible. But it does require building work: plumbing and drainage to the new point, which means opening the floor or wall.
Two pieces, one project
Integrating a bathtub and shower in the same bathroom is not a matter of adding two elements: it is designing a space where each fulfils its function without diminishing the other. It requires square metres, planning and a holistic vision that goes beyond choosing attractive pieces from a catalogue.
At Azulia we work with the conviction that a premium bathroom is one where nothing is superfluous and nothing is missing. Where the morning shower is every bit as satisfying as the Sunday bath.
Explore our designs to find the configuration that best suits your space, or visit our studio in Valencia so that a professional eye can assess the real possibilities of your bathroom.