Shower curtains may seem unassuming, but there’s more to it than being a decorative piece. Shower curtains help keep the water from splattering on your bathroom floor and provide privacy.
But when doing a bathroom makeover, you can up your styling game by choosing shower curtain alternatives.
These alternatives include frosted glass showers, window-framed, sliding doors, glass blocks, macrame shower curtains, and many more.
This article will explore these options and how they’ll suit your bathroom.
Table of Contents
Alternatives to Shower Curtain
1. Frosted Glass Shower Enclosure
Frosted glass showers are a great alternative that allows you to shower without curtain. This type of enclosure is textured clear glass.
To create its texture, one side is etched through acid or sandblasting, resulting in improved privacy but still allowing a continued flow of light within the shower area.
This design also allows for more functionality within your bathroom, as it’s still usable for others, even if someone is showering.
Maintenance for this glass is easy, yet the frosted side needs elbow grease. This alternative adds a modern style and flexibility, so it will suit any aesthetic design you have.
2. Window-framed Shower Enclosure
A window-framed shower is an enclosure made with clear tempered glass and metal frames. You may choose to have a hinged door or a doorless framed shower. A doorless shower gives more open space to your bathroom, which is excellent if you have a small one.
This shower is another alternative for curtains as it prevents water from splattering on the bathroom floor. It gives off modern vibes to your bathroom’s visual appeal, pairing extremely well with black, white, and wooden bathroom decor.
This type of shower enclosure costs from $600 to $1,800.
3. Sliding Glass Shower Door
Among the popular shower enclosure solutions is a sliding glass shower door. This simplistic design also offers the same benefits as a shower curtain. However, privacy will not be a problem, as you can opt for a frosted glass door for your shower area.
The sliding glass shower enclosure has been favored by many due to its durability and easy maintenance. And when it comes to budget, it’s not as expensive as you thought it would be. The cost ranges from $250 to $780 for a standard one.
4. Glass Blocks
Glass blocks can be used instead of a shower curtain if you’re tired of using them. Glass blocks are blocks piled to make a shower enclosure with improved aesthetic and practical benefits.
Glass blocks are perfect for water retention while using the shower. It is also mildew or mold-resistant, so maintenance for the blocks will not be that hard.
The cost of this one ranges from $250 to $3,900, but the price is dependent on glass size, type, and customization level.
5. Cotton shower curtains
If you still want to go for a shower curtain, we have an option for you instead of choosing the plastic and vinyl ones. You may go for cotton shower curtains, which are easy to wash and available in many colors and nice textures.
If you aim for a boho look in your bathroom, you may add a macrame rope to revamp a simple shower curtain. These intricately woven strands of rope add texture to a shower curtain.
A typical cotton shower curtain costs around $20 and more, while macrame cords and laces are available online.
6. Shower screens
Another shower curtain alternative is the shower screens. Depending on your preferences, you can have a glass door installed, or doorless to achieve that no shower curtain idea.
This alternative is also customizable because you can choose a framed or frameless shower screen.
Furthermore, it will make your bathroom more spacious.
Shower screens create a separation of a shower from the rest of the bathroom as well. The cost for shower screens ranges from $150 to $800 for the panel alone or $300 to $1,000 with installation.
7. Pivot Door
A pivot door is an innovative idea instead of a shower curtain. This kind of door opens like a hinged door, but the difference is the hinges are placed at the top and bottom instead of at the side. So when you open the door, it swivels. This is an excellent choice for walk-in showers, too.
While this might be a cool door, it also has downsides. One is it’s expensive to install. Two is you need regular cleaning. However, if you don’t mind it, this is an excellent choice, especially if your bathroom is gigantic.
8. Wet Room
Wet rooms are an excellent choice as a shower curtain alternative if you have a small bathroom. This is also great if the shower enclosure situation is too much for you.
Because the wet room floor and wall have a tank layer on top of it and the floor slopes towards the drain to catch shower water, this room design is waterproof. In a wet room, the shower area is level with the bathroom floor.
However, this one is quite expensive as it needs a bathroom renovation. It ranges from roughly $6,000 to $12,200 and an extra $800 to $1,220 for professional installation.
9. Rollup Shower Curtains
This is another alternative to a shower curtain. Rollup shower curtains are, in nature, the same as the blind curtains on our window. The difference is it’s placed in bathrooms and is good for bathtubs. This item is made from PEVA plastic and can help from water splashing the floor.
Rollup shower curtains can be a great temporary shower curtain idea if you’re aiming for the permanent alternatives listed above.
You can roll this down when you’re using your bathtub and when the curtain is dry. The cost for this, from the Jakooz brand, is $120.
Factors to Consider When Choosing an Alternative
There can be many reasons you want to consider an alternative to shower curtains. You may use these factors to guide you in choosing the best alternative for your bathroom.
- The overall aesthetic of your bathroom
- Functionality the alternative provides
- Maintenance and durability of the chosen alternative
- How it can optimize the space in your bathroom
- The natural light and visibility it will provide to your bathroom, especially if your bathroom has a limited window
- The budget you are willing to pay
Conclusion
From glass shower enclosures to eco-friendly shower curtains, you won’t be running out of options for shower curtain alternatives. You can even mix two options if that will suit your bathroom well!
There is no wrong or right choice here as long as it fits your personal preferences and budget you are willing to pay. You may also consider how that alternative will impact your bathroom, from the overall bathroom design to the visibility it will provide.
So you don’t need to fret whenever you’re choosing to change your shower curtain with these creative solutions!
As a 3-year architect, my integral tasks have always created beautiful pre-design for many construction projects. I have been a part of the process of designing, planning, and developing buildings. And to bring such experiences into establishing Arthitectural is another dream comes true.
