Hand held shower only placement

I'm putting in a Grohe Atrio hand held shower on a 24" bar in my guest bath. My shower is 37" wide. My plumber is recommending we put the 7.5" pressure balance valve in the center of the 37" and put the bar off center with the shower head tilted toward the center. I'm thinking I'd like the bar centered and put the pressure bal valve off center. The issue is the valve trim is pretty large at 7.5" will it look funny off center? All of the photos I see of this set up are for larger showers so there's more space for the bar and trim. Anyone have this kind of setup and how did you do the placement. Thanks.

I think I'd prefer the showerhead to be centered left-to-right. Put the valve where you want - maybe towards the outside so you can turn it on and adjust the water temp to where you want it before stepping in.

no space is symmetrical. A door opens on one side or the other, so a perfect rectangle gets opened into and walked into more on one side than the other. You may have shelves or lights or something else that throws off the supposed symmetry too. You don't want to have any shower head directed at a glass door where it opens so you may not want "symmetry" in the wall that has the shower head.

Aesthetics is a balancing out of the components. You may have to put the valve where it makes sense mechanically because of the studs in the walls and the existing pipes. You won't have total freedom to choose where the valve goes.

After you see the options you have (for the valve), choose one that balances with the bar and handheld so that the space "makes sense" to you as a user when you are inside, and also if possible to whoever looks through the shower door or walks past looking in.

In other words, the question you have asked cannot be answered based on the information you have provided. A lot more context is needed before good alternatives can be suggested.

david

Thank you for the feedback. I've only ever had 3' deep bath/showers that had fixed heads centered over the tub so I'm a little thrown off by the idea of putting the shower head on the bar off center between the wall and the glass door. The way the wall framing exists it's easy to put the valve in the center of the space and move the bar/head about 7.5" off center. I just don't want it to feel awkward to have to crowd more into the corner to be under the showerhead. But since the showerhead projects out the head could be almost centered when turned on an angle. I hate obsessing on things like this but just want to make sure I think it all the way through.

so i guess you are going to put the bar in a vertical position and not on a 60 or 75 degree slant?

Yes, it's going vertical.

it'll look good.

Best thing I can suggest is stand in the area and see if it is ackward to turn to where the showerhead would be. Unless you have the bottom part of the handle vertical, it will sort of droop so it is facing down, so that will try to recenter it towards the bar. The holder can be turned horizontally and the head can be twisted in the holder vertically.

Your arms aren't centered on your body, either, so it is easier to just reach forward rather than across to adjust the valve. I actually put the kitchen faucet on the side of my sink rather than in back because it was easier to get to. I don't have any problems with the way it looks.

I usually center the valve then offset the wall elbow to the side opposite the shower door. The slide bar then mounts centered above the valve. The height of the wall elbow is determined by the lenth of the hose (The higher the wall elbow is mounted the less reach you have.) Mounting the elbow at the same height as the top support of the bar about 6" off center looks good and prevents the hose from dangling in front of the valve but you sacrifice reach (only matters if you have a large shower and intend on using the hand shower to wash down the walls)