10 Reasons to Choose Either Shower Screens or Curtains
Lift the look of your bathroom, and keep the floor dry, with the clever use of glass screens and curtains
There are shower people, there are bath people, and there are even shower-over-the bath people. For many people, how you fit out your bathroom is as polarising as any political debate. What is important is how you keep water off the floor and where it belongs – inside the bathtub or shower.
Whether you are simply refreshing the decor in your existing bathroom or doing a complete upgrade/rebuild, will you be using curtains or glass to increase the eye appeal in your bathroom … and to contain the water? This is the question everyone wants the answer to.
Whether you are simply refreshing the decor in your existing bathroom or doing a complete upgrade/rebuild, will you be using curtains or glass to increase the eye appeal in your bathroom … and to contain the water? This is the question everyone wants the answer to.
2. Create a softer, living-room look
If you go to the trouble of sourcing vintage furniture to re-purpose the bathroom, then gorgeous textiles help continue the theme. A patterned curtain that repeats the tile colours adds an important layer of warmth to all the hard surfaces.
If you go to the trouble of sourcing vintage furniture to re-purpose the bathroom, then gorgeous textiles help continue the theme. A patterned curtain that repeats the tile colours adds an important layer of warmth to all the hard surfaces.
3. Stretch the space
It’s tempting to think that disappearing glass walls make a small bathroom appear bigger, but you can play even more visual trickery using drapery. Here, double curtains at either end visually stretch the width of the tub, while the rod right up to the ceiling draws the eye upwards.
The weight of the print matters. Medium-sized prints are Goldilocks perfect (too big and the pattern becomes too overwhelming; too small and it disappears into blandness).
It’s tempting to think that disappearing glass walls make a small bathroom appear bigger, but you can play even more visual trickery using drapery. Here, double curtains at either end visually stretch the width of the tub, while the rod right up to the ceiling draws the eye upwards.
The weight of the print matters. Medium-sized prints are Goldilocks perfect (too big and the pattern becomes too overwhelming; too small and it disappears into blandness).
4. Add some wit to the room
Come on, this is one of the most heavily used rooms in the house, by you and by guests, so have some fun with changing out the look.
Here the splash of living greenery is repeated in a swath of curtain greenery for a fresh, fun look. You might like to limit the witty cartoon characters to the kids’ bathroom though.
Come on, this is one of the most heavily used rooms in the house, by you and by guests, so have some fun with changing out the look.
Here the splash of living greenery is repeated in a swath of curtain greenery for a fresh, fun look. You might like to limit the witty cartoon characters to the kids’ bathroom though.
Or this pebbly curtain is more sophisticated, to complement the natural grey tiles on the walls, but it still makes you do a double take.
Shop for pebble-patterned curtains now
Shop for pebble-patterned curtains now
5. Get around curvy corners
Unless you spend a fortune on custom-shaped pieces, there is no way glass can get around the curved corner of an oval bath. So, when you’d love to add a shower to your luxury egg-shaped bath, you’re better off borrowing a trick from hospitals by adding a curved ceiling track.
The curtain can swish away to one corner, so you still enjoy the lines of your special bath when it is not in use.
Unless you spend a fortune on custom-shaped pieces, there is no way glass can get around the curved corner of an oval bath. So, when you’d love to add a shower to your luxury egg-shaped bath, you’re better off borrowing a trick from hospitals by adding a curved ceiling track.
The curtain can swish away to one corner, so you still enjoy the lines of your special bath when it is not in use.
ON THE SIDE OF SCREENS
6. Create a sleek, no-sill floor
With efficient under-tile flooring systems and hidden drains, the shower floor can be a sleek continuation of the bathroom floor. A half wall, with no door or hinge hardware, disappears, making your bathroom appear much larger.
TIP: Look for a drainage system that butts up to the wall, so there are no ugly drains in the middle of the shower floor.
6. Create a sleek, no-sill floor
With efficient under-tile flooring systems and hidden drains, the shower floor can be a sleek continuation of the bathroom floor. A half wall, with no door or hinge hardware, disappears, making your bathroom appear much larger.
TIP: Look for a drainage system that butts up to the wall, so there are no ugly drains in the middle of the shower floor.
7. Join shower and tub in a wet room
If you love the resort look of a separate shower and tub, ask your designer about creating a wet room at one end of the bathroom.
Using the same floor and drain technology as a walk-in shower, the shower does not need a separate sill and can be as roomy as you like – no cramped box here. A glass wall, with or without a sliding door, opens a light airy room. Keep the floor tile pattern running in the same design to help make the wet room ‘disappear’.
If you love the resort look of a separate shower and tub, ask your designer about creating a wet room at one end of the bathroom.
Using the same floor and drain technology as a walk-in shower, the shower does not need a separate sill and can be as roomy as you like – no cramped box here. A glass wall, with or without a sliding door, opens a light airy room. Keep the floor tile pattern running in the same design to help make the wet room ‘disappear’.
8. Make a tiny space seem larger
Even in a tiny bathroom – this one is barely more than a metre wide – a glass wall extends the space, particularly if you run the same flooring through without any interrupting sill or drain.
TIP: Ask your glass installer about an easy no-clean finish on the glass to stop it going cloudy from soap and shampoo residue.
Even in a tiny bathroom – this one is barely more than a metre wide – a glass wall extends the space, particularly if you run the same flooring through without any interrupting sill or drain.
TIP: Ask your glass installer about an easy no-clean finish on the glass to stop it going cloudy from soap and shampoo residue.
9. Create a walk-through shower
If you have the space in your dream bathroom, go one better than a glassed box at the of end of the room and put your shower front and centre.
You’ll need to discuss the structural underpinnings to create a half wall such as this (and probably upgrade the glass to commercial-strength so that you don’t need to add distracting columns or frames).
If you have the space in your dream bathroom, go one better than a glassed box at the of end of the room and put your shower front and centre.
You’ll need to discuss the structural underpinnings to create a half wall such as this (and probably upgrade the glass to commercial-strength so that you don’t need to add distracting columns or frames).
10. Blur the lines
Who says a glass wall has to be transparent? Turn your glass wall into a feature with a printed photograph of your favourite scenery – you could be bathing in a woodland glen or mountain creek. Check out these off-the-shelf designs from photographer Peter Latham.
TELL US
What’s your preference, bath or shower, screen or curtain? Share your bathroom ideas and a photo of them in the Comments section.
MORE
How To Update Your Bathroom Without a Sledge Hammer
You Decide: Shower Doors or Shower Curtains
Shower Power: How to Get the Design Right First Time
Who says a glass wall has to be transparent? Turn your glass wall into a feature with a printed photograph of your favourite scenery – you could be bathing in a woodland glen or mountain creek. Check out these off-the-shelf designs from photographer Peter Latham.
TELL US
What’s your preference, bath or shower, screen or curtain? Share your bathroom ideas and a photo of them in the Comments section.
MORE
How To Update Your Bathroom Without a Sledge Hammer
You Decide: Shower Doors or Shower Curtains
Shower Power: How to Get the Design Right First Time
1. Change out the look of a bathroom
If you love constantly refreshing the look of the rest of the house with new soft furnishings and accessories, a shower curtain gives you your chance to do the same in a bathroom. After all, apart from towels and the odd accessory, most bathroom fixtures are permanent. Here the classic Marimekko poppy print dramatically brings a mid-century vibe to a neutral bathroom.
TIP: If you cannot find the print you like in a waterproof curtain, compromise with a clear liner for the inside (you can buy by the metre) and a designer fabric you love on the outside (use grommets or reinforced button holes to hold the rings). Alternate curtain rings (one for the clear liner, one for the fabric) across the rod so that you can remove each separately for cleaning.