Walk-In Showers in Kennedy Heights, Cincinnati, OH

Kennedy Heights (ZIP 45213) is a historic east-side hilltop neighborhood that began as a Victorian-era resort community, now known for its arts center and large early-1900s homes.

The detail that quietly ruins good showers is storage. Bottles end up on the floor or on a suction rack that falls off, because nobody decided at design stage where they belong. A recessed niche sized to what you actually own, tall bottles included, set at the right height and on the right wall, is a small piece of planning that removes a daily irritation for twenty years. It has to be framed before the wall closes, which is why it is a design decision rather than a later one.