That Time We Built an At-Home Spa (MrSteam Steam Shower!)

For as long as I have been in the interior design industry, I have always dreamed of having my own steam shower. The MrSteam brand of steam shower and steam room systems has always been my go-to. Yes, there are other plumbing brands out there, but MrSteam entered my life several years ago with the MOST personalized service I have ever experienced.

A few years ago, I was selected as a DesignHound for the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando. There, I met MrSteam and got to know the people behind the brand. I also learned more about the product's quality and the extra mile MrSteam goes to curate to an audience focused on well-being. Since then, I've met them at several industry events, and they have been my go-to for steam specifications.

The more I learned about MrSteam, it went from being a nice “want" to a "must have" in our home.

As someone who has experienced years of chronic illness, the benefits of Steam were a no-brainer. A 20-minute steam a few times a week has been shown to reduce blood pressure, increase circulation, help relax tense muscles, help release anxiety, and help your mind just reset. It's almost a meditation practice for me to steam now.

When it came time to my home, I immediately reached out to MrSteam to get ideas on what I could incorporate into my shower. I thought I would walk you through my user experience from beginning to end (and, of course, my final review since using the system!).

First things first: The Generator

MrSteam's most important aspect is the generator that literally builds up steam for your shower system. Several sizes are available, and depending on your shower's width, length, height, and materials, the generator size will vary. Luckily, MrSteam makes this super easy with a Virtual Spa tool on the website. You plug in all your information, and voilà! They recommend a size for your space.

Once I had my generator size, the next steps were all the fun details. What sort of package would I go with? Did I want a linear steam head or a traditional square one? Did I want my control panel to double as a television? Am I adding speakers? ChromaTherapy lights? The sky is truly the limit on how to customize the perfect spa for each person. MrSteam allows you to select all these options a la carte or go with one of their pre-bundled packages, as I did.

I chose the Bliss Steam Shower Package with a linear steam head because it came pre-bundled with everything I needed. I want to point out that these added features are totally optional. If you have your heart set on a steam shower and don't want to make the full splurge, all you really need, at minimum, is the generator and control panel. These also can be retrofitted into an existing shower space!

The Bliss Steam Shower package included the iSteamX Control panel, a set of Bluetooth speakers, a ChromaTherapy light, a built-in AromaTherapy diffusion system and bottle of eucalyptus oil, an AutoFlush valve, the generator, and an overflow pan. It was everything I needed to hand my electrician and plumber to get going. One detail that I really appreciated about MrSteam's setup is that it is very much a plug-and-play system to get you up and running (after the initial plumbing!). My house is from the 1950s, and thankfully, we had upgraded our electrical panel a few years prior. The generator I selected required a dedicated 240V to run, and my electrician could easily get that set up for me.

The next big question we had to answer was where to house the generator and parts for the steam unit. The generator comes with a 60-foot cable that allows you to get creative. In past clients' homes, I've housed everything in a nearby closet or built a small storage space. In our home, we dedicated the cabinet above the toilet to house it all! We chose this for easy access and because our house is smaller and storage areas are hard to come by! You can see below how all of it fits into this 36"W x 40H cabinet.

Installed Steam Shower Generator, AromaTherapy Pump, ISteamX Control wiring panels, MusicTherapy controls and AutoFlush system. 

In the above photo, from the top right, is the AromaTherapy pump system, the iSteamX control wiring panels, the audio/music therapy controls, and the generator below sitting on the pan with AutoFlush on the side. (The AutoFlush is a great feature that helps the generator's life span. About an hour after steaming, the auto flush releases the system and excess water is flushed away externally through a pipe).

Now, Onto the Fun: My Personal Thoughts!

I am obsessed. As I mentioned, I see steaming as a form of meditation. After a long day, I've found my practice to just sit in the darkness with only the ChromaTherapy light on, listen to music on Spotify through the speakers, and breathe. I have noticed a personal change in my complexion. I think the daily steam helps clear pores and brings much-needed hydration back to my lymphatic system. I also notice that I sleep a little better on the days I steam. It's pure relaxation and something I hope to always be able to incorporate into people's bathroom remodels.

Below you can see some of the details up close, like the control panel (it reminds me of a small iPad! And yes, I have been watching Netflix in the shower!), the ChromaTherapy light and audio speakers, and the linear steam head. Since AromaTherapy is built into our system, the aroma is naturally released throughout the steam session through the linear drain head. I did one speaker inside the shower and the other on the outside. The wonderful part about all these accessories is that on days I don't steam, I can still listen to music and enjoy the ChromaTherapy light during a normal shower.'

Amala Raj Swenson's Installed Steam Shower System with ChromaTherapy lighting, ISteamX Control, and Linear Steamhead

I went with porcelain on the walls, and the bench and floor are marble. The generator size is perfect for my needs. A good thing to remember is steam rises, so my shower ceiling is only 8 feet tall (otherwise, the steam might rise up too much and leave me feeling cold!).