Showers in the Forecast

It may be called a bathroom, but for most of us, a bath is a quaint luxury that eats up too much time. Along with coffee and a bagel, it's the shower that brings us to life every morning. In this survey of the showery landscape, kitchen and bath designer Nena Donovan Levine tells what to look for in a shower valve to make sure it will deliver the desired amount of water, within a scald-free temperature range. If you're on a budget, learn what to look for to get the most for your dollar. If not, see what luxury awaits in the over $1000 category. A sidebar on shower heads runs down the specifics on low-flow shower heads and handheld wands that can be retrofitted in the time it takes to toast the bagel.