Spiffy Speak

BATHROOM WINDOW CURTAINS: IDEAS & TIPS

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One of the first rooms in a new home to get a window dressing is the bathroom because privacy is beyond compromise. If you’re planning on introducing curtains, you have the additional advantage of being able to introduce striking design elements like colors, textures, and patterns. Assured privacy, excellent light control, and a touch of style – that’s what bathroom curtains are all about. So, stick on if you want to explore some great ideas and tips for inspiration!

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Bathroom Curtain Ideas & Tips

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Curtains are the most preferred bathroom window dressing for many because no other treatment fares that well in enabling privacy with opulence and style. In many cases, curtains might be the only element that lends an element of chic to this highly utilitarian space. Hence, wanting to introduce some color, pattern, and a stamp of one’s own personality in this decor accessory is understandable and highly recommended.

However, getting the right set of bathroom curtains is easier said than done. Given that they are constantly exposed to water and moisture, they warrant serious forethought to prevent the elements from tarnishing their charm. So coming ahead are tips and tricks to make this task much simpler and enjoyable.

Be Wise with the Material

Image by Joe Fletcher

When selecting the fabric for your bathroom curtains, give prime importance to the privacy factor. Refrain from using flimsy sheers and loosely-woven fabrics that may compromise privacy. If you do want to include a sheer or linen option, consider layering them with a thicker, opaque fabric on the front with sheers in the back.

Another factor to be considered is the dimensional stability of the cloth; some fabrics will stretch and others will shrink when they are exposed to water constantly. You need fabrics that are indifferent to water and retain their original size and shape. The chosen fabric should also dry fast, resist mold formation and retain the least moisture.

So, polyesters, cotton blends, and linen blends often become the natural go-to fabrics for bathrooms. However, if you prefer pure natural materials, make sure that you do everything possible to reduce their exposure to water splashes.

What you must try to avoid in bathrooms are delicate fabrics like velvets and silks. They are high on opulence and have irresistible charm, but for all their class and goodness, they fare low for damp areas. Velvets trap moisture and dust like no other, and silks are not forgiving toward water stains.

Mind the Length

Image by Tim Salisbury

Part of the task of protecting curtains from unpleasant molding is to be wise with their length. Here are our stylists’ suggestions:

Floor-Length Drapes: Long puddled drapes in baths run the risk of catching mildew, but they are a luxury well-deserved in large opulent spaces. With sufficient distance between the wet area and the window, floor-length drapes are safe. Small bathrooms, however, should avoid long drapes as they clutter small, enclosed spaces and cannot be protected from splashes.
Sill-Length Curtains: Short curtains that frame the window will best avoid wet zones. You can either make them touch the sill or reach a few inches below the sill. Covering the entire window, they guarantee full privacy. Besides, you can trust that they won’t overwhelm a small restroom.
Cafe Curtains: Café curtains are the other sought treatment for bathroom windows. About half the length of a window, they are traditionally hung across the center of the pane. For large windows, this would mean covering up to the overhead level. Since they provide natural light as well as assure privacy, they don’t need to be operated often reducing the fuss over preparing the bathroom for the ablution ritual.

If your bathtub or shower is located close to the window, short curtains and cafe curtains present a safe option. Besides, the relatively lesser use of fabric reduces the weight of the curtains, making them that much easier to operate. But if it is luxe decor that you’re looking for and the bathroom size works in your favor, long drapes are the default choice.

As compared to cafe curtains, sill-length short curtains offer more privacy, making them the best candidates for bathroom windows facing busy lanes. Whereas, if you’re not in a crowded locality and the climate is very hot and humid, cafe curtains are a respite since the floors and surfaces can dry faster and smell fresher with good air circulation.

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Aesthetic Considerations for Bathroom Curtains

Image by Tineke Triggs

The aesthetic value that curtains add to the bathrooms is unparalleled by any other window treatment. So, make full use of their potential to bring vibrance, variety, and chic.

PALETTE

Since bathrooms are a private space meant for rejuvenation, consider the mood you like to foster here when you decide the palette. Color can influence mood, and there are few things in a bathroom that can bring color vibrance as the curtains.

For example, use contrast if you want to make a visual impact and a break from the monotony. If the bathroom happens to be a clinical white, pack it with a punch of color to bring it to life. If it is skewing dark and gloomy, bring bright-hued curtains to the windows to introduce a speck of cheeriness. In a small bathroom, however, continuing with the color of the walls establishes a sense of continuity that elongates the space.

You can let your curtains define the palette of the bathroom by binding all the accent hues for cohesiveness. Pick cues from both the background and foreground items — the marble veins, vanity desk, wallpaper, the accent painting, or vertical wall art, for example, to make the bathroom decor come together as a whole.

PATTERNS

A moderate dose of patterns can give an unexpected facelift to the space, a much-loved surprise in a small area such as a bathroom. It is especially recommended if your bathroom is covered with solid-colored surfaces. The play of shapes and hues in the motifs bring dynamism and a fun element to a space otherwise dominated by the austerity of stone and marble.

Imagine a vivacious botanical print or a playful polka-dotted fabric contrasting with the boxy layout of the tiles. Or a set of trend-right geometric patterned curtains offering the erratic marble veins a visual contrast. So full of potential!

ACCESSORIES

Since the bathroom is your most intimate space, letting it rub with a touch of your personality is appreciable.

Curtain trims, though so small in size, are laden with color, texture and character. Pompoms bring whimsy, tassels add a regal touch, fringe trims look dressy, and ribbons have a sophisticated flair – and each fosters a unique mood.

Whether your curtains are plain or patterned, these decorative bands can make them more visually representative of you in your beloved ‘me space’. As for use with plain curtains, trimmings are almost indispensable for an allure.

What you have to consider carefully though is how much you can keep them protected from mildew. Given that the curtains are far from the wet area, bathroom curtains with trinket trims are nothing but pure delight. But if they are in close proximity, go for flat-surfaced ribbon trims that are easy to maintain.

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Heading Styles for Bathroom Drapes

Image by Paul Massey

Choosing a heading style that supports the functional aspect of window treatments is crucial. Many of us leave the bathroom windows wide open so that sunlight and fresh air can take over and sanitize the space. But when it’s time for a shower, the curtains must be efficient enough to move without hassle so they can be closed promptly. If this ritual takes a ton of time or if the curtains don’t close well, it’s going to be immensely bothersome.

Considering that bathroom curtains need to be operated often, going for styles that incorporate rings or eyelets is highly advised. They glide easily on the drapery rods, making the business that much smoother especially when you’re running short of time. Therefore, grommet tops, flat panels, and pinch pleats are advisable since they are easy on the pole because of the accessories involved.

An exception is made for cafe curtains that don’t need to be operated often. Rod pocket curtains are ideal for them so they bunch up making beautiful frills and stay intact on the pole, promising privacy without a slip.

Small Windows, Big Impact: Short Curtains for Bathroom Bliss

Image by Dustin Peck / Caroline Brackett Studio

Within compact spaces like small bathrooms, the windows – often limited by their Lilliputian proportions – call for special consideration.

After roman shades, short curtains are the most popular choice for small bathroom windows. And why not? Short, sill-length curtains can be skillfully tailored to fit small bathroom window sizes. They hang at a safe height, away from splashes of water, which in turn ensures they do not catch mold as easily as long curtains. Clear off the floor, they also provide safe passage space, avoiding unwanted stumbles.

Sold yet?

If so, to help you style these gems and make your small bathroom windows look larger and brighter, here are the top tips from our drapery stylists:

Seamless Spectrum: Harmonize Hues to Widen the Space

Match your drapery fabric colors with the walls to create a seamless optical flow. This simple tactic blurs the edges of the window, thereby underplaying its small size, while creating a sense of visual continuity. We also recommend choosing lighter colors for your curtains as they are more reflective and can help maximize natural light in any small space.

Sheer Delights: Choose Light-Filtering Fabric Materials

Want your small bathroom windows to filter in maximum light without giving up on privacy? The trick is to avoid thick, light-blocking fabrics, and opt for lightweight sheer and semi-sheer fabrics instead. Or pick a non-sheer fabric but leave the drapes unlined. Lightweight, translucent fabrics not only increase light inflow but are also aesthetically better suited for small windows as they don’t overwhelm the windows like a bulky dressing might do.

Beyond Boundaries: Increase Curtain Length & Width

If space allows, let your curtain poles extend 6 to 10 inches beyond the window frame. With this simple trick, you can assure that the panels will clear your windows completely when open and have room to stack on the side walls, allowing maximum light to stream in. We also advise mounting the pole a few inches above the frame to create the illusion of a longer window.

Pattern Perception: Make Clever Choices

Since the bathroom windows are small, select patterns that trick the eyes into thinking that the windows are larger than they actually are. For example, choose patterns like stripes that make the eyes travel upwards, making the windows look longer. Similarly, patterns like horizontal stripes or chevrons will optically enlarge the breadth of the windows.

If you are planning to go bold with patterns, do consider your choices carefully. Oversized patterns may feel out of proportion aesthetically on a small window. The scale of your fabric pattern should be chosen carefully, keeping in mind the dimensions of the window you are working with. You may find pinstripes to be a better choice than a bold stripe, and a ditsy, medium-scale floral more fitting than an oversize botanical prints.

Headturner Heading Styles: Choose an Apt Heading Style

If you’ve chosen a plain, monochrome fabric and are worried about your short curtains looking too plain, fret not! Opt for one of our tailored heading styles such as French pinch pleats or Euro double pinch pleats. Intricate pinch pleats styles not only make up for a simplistic fabric, but can also bring tailored refinement to the otherwise humble-looking short bathroom curtains.

Streamlined Sophistication: Fall for Unlayered Simplicity

While we’re fans of layering window treatments for a rich look in most rooms, we recommend avoiding layers in small bathrooms where there is a crunch of space. Instead, it is advisable to stick with the simple elegance of a single-layer drapery treatment for a clean, uncluttered, and light-filtering look.

Fuller Isn’t Always Better: Opt for Less Fullness

Overfull curtains with dense pleating can overwhelm small bathroom windows. While our standard recommendation is to order curtains with 2x fullness, in case of small windows, we advise ordering curtains with 1.5x fullness. What does that mean? It means the curtain width should be 1.5 times the pole width. For instance, if your pole measures 36 inches, order curtains with total width 36 x 1.5 = 54 inches width. You can then decide if you’d like one panel of 54 inches or a pair of 27 inches based on your personal preference.

Inspiration Corner for Bathroom Curtains

With the above tips in mind, explore some of the top client favourites from Spiffy Spools!

Spotlight On: Summer Ferns

Our flamboyant Summer Ferns curtains will make a tropical statement in your restroom. They feature a motif of fern fronds in fabulous colors like periwinkle purple, sapphire blue, pale gray, mint green, and olive green. Plus, the layered watercolor print adds another unique and interesting element to these beautiful floral curtains.

Spotlight On: Hush Hush Mauve

Evoke an elegant feel in your restroom with the addition of Hush Hush Mauve roman shades. This regal fabric is embroidered in white thread on a lilac mauve backdrop. The alternative print combined with a delicate color palette come together to create an alluring look.

Spotlight On: For the Love of Blue

For a subtle coastal look, consider our For The Love of Blue fabric for your bathroom roman shades. The gorgeous azure, ultramarine, pale blues, light browns, and hints of gray beautifully mimic the colors of the sea. These lovely hues in a washed watercolor effect further add to the oceanic feel of this inspired fabric.

Spotlight On: Alcamo

Our Alcamo curtains will bring the cheery feeling of spring to your bathroom. The gorgeous print of blooming wildflowers and chirping birds is both playful and relaxed. The pattern paired with vibrant turquoise, indigo, fern green, and corn yellow on the white backdrop looks absolutely stunning!

Spotlight On: Cool Sabz

Maintain a simple, casual look in your restroom with Cool Sabz curtains. This straightforward, no-nonsense fabric is a lovely cotton-linen blend that’s both sleek and stylish. The unique, cool green color adds an extra design element that sets these cotton curtains apart from traditional solids.

Spotlight On: Cosenza

Give your bathroom a fresh new look with our Cosenza printed curtains. They’re adorned in a classic Fleur de Lis print, but given a modern twist with a color palette of brilliant blues and soothing greens. These French-inspired curtains are sure to liven up your restroom!

Order Custom Curtains from Spiffy Spools

We hope you enjoyed these bathroom window curtain ideas! If you’re ready to shop, order custom curtains for your bathroom from Spiffy Spools today. We make it easy to create custom window treatments that fit your exact specifications and design style. Explore our site to find the perfect options for your bathroom, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions!