Custom Raw Brass Shower Screens
Three individually designed shower enclosures fabricated for a complete home renovation by Hardwick Design and Build, using genuine raw brass, 10mm low-iron toughened glass and purpose-selected heavy-duty hardware.
Designed as part of the architecture, not added at the end
This Point Cook project called for something well beyond a standard frameless shower screen. The renovation included three separate bathrooms, each with a different layout, but all linked by the same architectural language: clear low-iron glass framed with genuine raw brass.
The screens were developed from site measurements, hand sketches and CAD drawings before fabrication and installation. Raw brass channel, angle and flat bar were combined to create the visual grid, while the glass remained structurally independent from the decorative brass detailing.
Unlike plated or powder-coated brass-look finishes, raw brass is a living material. It begins bright and gradually darkens, marks and develops a natural patina. That ageing process was intentional and forms part of the character of the finished bathrooms.
Bathrooms
Front ensuite, rear ensuite and main bathroom.
Low-iron glass
Selected for greater clarity and reduced green tint.
Solid brass detailing
Channel, angle and flat bar designed to age naturally.
Heavy-duty hinges
Stainless-steel bodies with brass cover plates.
How the three custom shower screens were developed
The project began with an initial site meeting with the designer, followed by a working hand sketch, detailed site measurements, cutting sheets and staged installation.
Each bathroom was developed individually so the brass grid could respond to its exact walls, tiled returns, door position and glass-panel junctions.
The first working sketch
This early sketch recorded the proposed glass layouts, openings, approximate panel divisions and brass grid. It provided a practical starting point before each screen was measured, drawn and developed in greater detail.
Measure, prepare and install
Measured layout to full enclosure
Channels first, followed by glass and hinges
And the final result?
Three individually designed shower enclosures, each shaped around its own bathroom, but connected by the same raw brass detailing and clear low-iron glass.
A glass enclosure built around the room’s central tiled structure
The main bathroom became the most sculptural of the three installations. The shower enclosure sits over the tiled hob and uses the raw brass lines to frame the glass without visually closing in the room.
Large transparent panels preserve views of the handmade tiles and twin shower fittings, while the brass grid gives the enclosure enough visual weight to belong within the architecture.
A corner enclosure with continuous brass lines
The front ensuite consists of a wide door and connected fixed glass panels to form a generous enclosure. The grid lines continue around the corner, creating a consistent architectural rhythm from each viewing angle.
A stepped glass layout designed around the tiled nib
The rear ensuite combines a hinged door and fixed panel with a shorter glass panel positioned above the tiled nib.
The brass framework was proportioned to connect the different glass heights visually, allowing the enclosure to read as one considered composition rather than a collection of separate panels.
Why genuine raw brass behaves differently
This was not a standard brushed-brass hardware package. The visible framing was fabricated from genuine raw brass sections chosen for their colour, weight and ability to develop a natural patina.
It will darken naturally
Fresh raw brass can appear bright when first installed. Exposure to air, moisture and handling gradually changes the surface and creates a deeper, less uniform tone.
Variation is part of the finish
Small marks, colour differences and changes in sheen are expected. They are characteristics of an unlacquered material rather than defects in a factory-applied coating.
It can be maintained or allowed to age
The owner can periodically polish the brass to restore brightness or leave it untouched so the finish continues to mature.
Real brass, low-iron glass and hardware selected for the extra weight
This was not a standard frameless shower screen with a brass-look finish. The visible framing was fabricated from genuine raw brass channel, angle and flat bar.
Because the decorative brass added extra weight, the glass, hinges and supporting details had to be considered as one complete system.
Genuine raw brass, designed to change over time
Unlike plated or powder-coated brass-look hardware, raw brass is a living finish. It will gradually darken, soften and develop natural variation as it is exposed to air, moisture and handling.
That evolving patina is part of the intended character of the project, not something the material is expected to resist.
10mm low-iron toughened glass
Greater clarity and less green tint than standard clear glass.
Raw brass channel, angle and flat bar
Used to create the architectural grid across all three enclosures.
Heavy-duty concealed-screw hinges
Stainless-steel bodies with brass cover plates for the added weight.
Measured, drawn and custom fabricated
Developed from site measurements, sketches and CAD planning.
Builder and homeowner perspectives
“Testimonial from Hardwick Design and Build will be added here.”
Hardwick Design and Build
“Janine’s comments about the design, installation and finished bathrooms will be added here.”
Janine · Point Cook homeowner
Planning something that cannot be bought off the shelf?
Projects of this level require more design time, custom fabrication and site coordination than a standard shower screen. Send through your drawings, bathroom plans or early concepts and we can assess whether the idea is practical to develop.
Discuss your project