Shopping for Shower Curtains

If renovating your bathroom isn’t in the budget this year, don’t despair. Try changing your shower curtain instead.

A new shower curtain is one of the easiest ways to improve the look of a bathroom, said Regan Baker, an interior designer based in San Francisco: “Even if you don’t have tile that’s magnificent, you can always have a fantastic shower curtain.”

For one of her own bathrooms, Ms. Baker recently had a shower curtain custom made — in bold swirls of yellow, green and blue — to match the hand-painted Porter Teleo wallpaper that covers the wall. “It’s a focal point,” she said.

But you don’t have to go to such lengths to get a good shower curtain. Many manufacturers make appealing options — from those that offer a punch of color or pattern to more understated, textured neutrals.

Having a glass door is nice, but as Ms. Baker pointed out, shower curtains do have certain advantages: They can be pushed out of the way to make more elbow room, she said, “when you have to bathe a dog or a child.”

• Do you need a separate liner curtain? In most cases, yes, Ms. Baker said. If your decorative curtain doesn’t repel water, it should be paired with a plastic or water-resistant fabric liner.

• How high should a shower curtain hang? The decorative curtain should hang “an inch or two off the floor,” she said, and the liner should be shorter, so it doesn’t touch the bottom of the tub.

• What about the hardware? If you use a standard shower rod with hooks, try to match the finish of the hardware to other accessories in the room, Ms. Baker suggested. For a minimalist alternative, consider a ceiling track with rollers instead.

Beacon Shower Curtain

Canvas shower curtain with brass grommets

$198 at Quiet Town: quiettownhome.com

Waffle Weave Shower Curtain

Textured Turkish cotton shower curtain

From $169 at Restoration Hardware: 800-762-1005 or rh.com

Navy Imperfect Plus Shower Curtain

Percale cotton shower curtain by Ashley Goldberg

$78 at Schoolhouse: 503-782-6118 or schoolhouse.com

Within the Tides — Crashing Waves Shower Curtain

Polyester printed shower curtain by Monika Strigel

About $65 at Society6: society6.com

Turkish Shower Curtain

Turkish cotton shower curtain with fringe

$89 at Parachute: 888-967-8832 or parachutehome.com

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