re: Shower Benches

They definitely depend on the size of your shower. However if your still in the design phase there's no way I'd go without one.

And what we almost always do with is something like these granite or quartzite seats. These stones are strong enough to be supported by tile on three sides and allow for a more open (tile less and metal less) seat. In smaller showers or if simply wanting something smaller we often go with a triangular corner seat. It's just like the shampoo shelf in top pic only large enough to sit or prop one leg. Women find these a particularly nice option/compromise for shaving their legs, especially when coupled with some type of shower wand.



or



A nice touch is to match seat and vanity top(s) using the same slab. Which is why this cluttered second pic. The top of half wall, threshold, vanity top, and seat were all from same stone. As was the top of a mid-height built in cabinet (not seen). And of course they're installed with a little down slope for drainage. . . .best of all they're made using your left over scrap/slab and the extra cutting cost is minimal.