You want it located so that you are not going to end up restricting movement and can reach any area you wish with the hand-held. This is somewhat a question of the length of the hose you select, but placement is important, too. You want to be able to reach over your head to get your back without putting strain on the hose and for cleaning up the shower, get close to any corners. You need to balance asthetics and function, so it can take some time to decide. Maybe have one person stand in the space while the other person holds the end to see what works out best. There is no one correct answer to this. Personally, I like the bar since it gives you the ability to adjust the height to the person using the shower from a little person to a basketball player.