Whether you're listing your property for sale or redesigning your bathroom for your own aesthetic enjoyment, swapping out the shower curtain with an edgy design is the easiest and most affordable way to quickly improve bathroom ambiance.
1) My favorite, this "Tree" Shower Curtain, in dark brown on a white background, is made of washable polyesterl and brightens up the room with a clean, simple silhouette.
Almost any color pairing can do. White towels will give the bathroom a minimalistic, refreshing look; coral pink will play up on the age-old "retro" brown and pink theme; sage green will invoke the outdoors and a peaceful aura.
Available at UrbanOutfitters online for $40, and a bargain for the impression it makes!
2) PlushLiving's selection of vintage-inspired modern shower curtains are serious showstoppers in the bathroom. "Links" Shower Curtain (second picture) in blue and white combines the best of old and new. PlushLiving's curtains come in a delightful array of colorful bursts, $36 at AldeaHome.com
If you can't match the towel colors perfectly (or close enough) the safe bet is to defer to white. While traditional and contemporary decor often involves an amalgam of colors, truly modern decor is palette sensitive, often either monochromatic, a pairing of two colors next to each other on the pie chart, or two or three smartly matched but strongly opposing colors.
3) Another superb pairing with either white or other strong colors (avoid pale colors, or you might get the "washed out look") is the Paris or Empire State Building shower curtains. These are stellar examples of "usable art"! They are engaging conversational pieces and will create flair in even the dullest bathrooms. Paris Shower Curtain or Empire State Building, $26 each. 
Trick: To keep costs low, purchase one to two new sets of towels, depending on how much hanging space you have. Use your old towels for showers and put them away when you step out of the house for a buyer showing. Leave the new towels out and in perfect condition. Fresh towels make the entire bathroom fresh! Modern=clean!!
Well, I do need a new shower curtain, now that you mention it. Thanks for the ideas. (for home and staging)
Doreen, which one are you going to get? ;)
Sara, I do have to have a couple of sets of towels for guests. With having 5 kids there is never a matched set when we have over night guests. Love the shower curtains, have never seen them before.,
Thank you for the photos and information where to purchase the shower curtains, I have never seen any like the ones shown. Great impact.
Joyce
Hi Sara, I always put white shower curtains in homes with either clear, white or satin nickel hooks depending on the price point of the house. I like to allow the tiles and fixtures to stand out as that is what is being sold in the bathroom. Using white allows these features to stand out.
In Ontario where I live, most showers have a marble 4"- 5 " casing at the perimeter of the shower so the white allows that marble to be marketed. Whenever there is a shower curtain that is coloured, clear or with a pattern it detracts immensely from the the selling point of the shower. I have taken many photos of the shower both ways and it is the same result every time. White allows the finishes to be seen by the buyer.
This is a wonderful post, Sara! I use this trick a lot because you are so right! It is amazing what a shower curtain can do! Shower curtains and paint are about the biggest bang for your buck, right? :)Great pictures!
I REALLY like these. But I'm an Ansel Adams fan too. My wife would want color!!!
Hi Sara,
Shower curtains are one of those things that so many Sellers don't believe can transform a room for so little out of pocket. Thanks for this reminder!
Sara, great point. We were selling an 80's home that had blue fixtures in the master bath. I bought a contemporary blue and brown shower curtain and paired it with brown towels. It updated the bath and worked perfectly. We sold the house in six days.
Well, wouldn't you know...I just changed to the Palm Tree look....towels, rugs, shower curtain etc. Go figure...must be the Hawaii paradise thing :)
The ones I can't stand are the fishy ones in the kids (guest) bathroom
Looks pretty good. Whatever it takes to freshen up the place to make a few dollars is alright with me.
Those are very pretty! Shower curtains can definitely make a difference!
I love the tree from Urban Outfitters, thanks for the share! As a stager, I usually keep the shower curtain open if the shower is nice to make the room look bigger (and not visually cut it off 1/3 of it). But for less-than-attractive showers, designs that look best in the "open" position are great!
You have a lovely selection of shower curtains! An old/dated curtain makes the whole room look out of style. Great post!
These are great ideas for a quick and not expensive update to the bathroom.
Missy, I do too!!! I understand the mismatched towel set scenario. I've simplified my dilemna by using one color upstairs and the other colors downstairs. Of course, kids each want their own colors!!! ;)
Hi Joyce! It's amazing what you can find online! Early last fall, I "switched" over into the group of people who prefer to purchase online (who knew I would?) My primary factor was the search for truly innovative design for my own house. The larger department stores often won't pick up on many smaller or niche genres, missing some of the best design out there.
Hi Michelle, yes, it certainly depends on the bathroom! You wouldn't want to detract from the good features. Color and pattern can "clutter" a space if not careful. Newer properties need less, because they speak for themselves. But a really ugly bathroom...
I've not seen shower curtains like these, Sara. Thanks for sharing your source!
Courtney, yes they are! Paint's a better buy, of course, assuming the homeowner doesn't mind doing the work.
Hi Greg, I LOVE color too! We're moving into a new downtown Seattle condo this month, and our bath has sleek large retro brown
tiles with a strip of deep blue running horizontally. I've actually purchased two shower curtains, (LOL), a retro-mod colorful curtain and the Tree curtain on this page. Since I have art that I swap out, and duvets that I swap out, I thought, why not shower curtains? Most people wait for their shower curtain to become extinct, but it's always refreshing to mix it up a bit!
Celeste, I'll keep you in mind if I come across some "fishy" bathroom curtains or accessories on sale... ;)
Lisa and Robert, I think most sellers intend well, but they may not be that savvy in design. Or sometimes they are rightfully content with what they have (it's not inherently better just because it's new or the current fashion) and don't realize that it might limit buyer perception of their property.
Hi Robert, thanks! Can you tell I just love modern design? Hopefully other people will have some fun with these too!
Erin, I like to keep the curtain open, too--more inviting that way, the room appears larger, and it showcases the bathtub. Then there's those times you hide it, LOL! On the dime!!
Tanya, they caught my eye! I finally crossed over from "safe" (and normal) to edgy (and fun) with my own bathroom. It's hard to do primarily because the options can be limited when shopping at the traditional outlets. All four listed above can only be found (unless there's a random hole-in-the-wall-store here or there) online.
Good tip for snazzing up a bathroom at a low cost.
What a great idea, I had never thought of this, of course, I am a man....thank you so much.
I just finished 5 bathrooms.....and will share some of my stuff soon....consider that the curtain is the biggest thing in the room....great splashes of color....the tree goes well with the ever popular khacki colored walls....but I agree some more color wakes up the room.
Funny thing you mentioned white towels. I used to buy designer color towels, and sheets, etc. now I try to stick with white, This way nothing fades and dissappoints me. It always looks clean and crisp, and I feel like I am in a hotel, of course that is until I wake up and realise I have to make the bed. My colors now come in the form of pillows, throws, and duvets. I also love the bathroom carpets (rigs) which are cotton and do not have the padding on the bottom, they are usable on both sides and very absorbant. Look updated and cool too. Would look great with your tree curtain.
have not thought of it from the pov of the shower curtain, but makes good sense. like the blue one too.
Those are some very cool curtains!
Any suggestions for how to jazz up a bathroom with those shower doors? Love the shower curtains you showed.
These make great, inexpensive changes/updates to a bathroom. Thank you for the suggestions and the great pictures to illustrate it.
I like it, shower curtains are the most overlooked part of any bathroom.
Well Sara, I haven't chosen the curtain at this point. I kind of like the tree and wonder if it would go with the towels I just ordered... colors desert khaki and soft moss. I'm afraid it may not match.
What do you think? It's hard to tell what things really look like on the internet.
Great idea. Those are real eye stoppers and really do spruce up the bath.
Stan Stepak
Real Living / Realty One
Northeast Ohio 440-476-0234
Sara, I just love the one with the tree! Thank you! I'm going to follow that link and go shopping. These are great ideas.
Later in the rain~Deb
Sara, Nice post, I really like the tree and the blue Links curtain.. They do have quite an impact.. God bless,
Sara~ thanks for the source on the Paris shower curtain. It will certainly make a statement in a simply done bathroom.
I am absolutely in LOVE with that Tree shower curtain! Thanks for posting this amd putting up the link. :)
I'm off to get one.
I don't know... I think the Finding Nemo shower curtain is a great selling point too! (LOL)
I recently deleted a spam that posted a few days ago (sorry, I don't like spam on my blog, please don't spam because I'll delete it) but it's worth mentioning that the site whose spam I deleted (www.bowlandboard.com) sells the Tree Shower Curtain for $30, and also offers the choice between white and brown or black and brown. [Direct link to Tree Shower Curtain on their site]
On another note, it's interesting what constitutes a "spam" as opposed to a "comment". Posting a comment and mentioning, "Btw, another place to get the Tree Shower Curtain is such and such site, and they have it cheaper" is useful and appreciated information. Because it's pertinent to the conversation, it's not a spam. A spam, however feels like a spam... almost like someone is forcing something on you...
This just made my day much brighter. Thanks a lot. Something else I across was this http://www.buygreensavvy.com .Take a look!
Thanks for letting us see those curtains.
I only want to ask if you also have the reteo shower curtain, honestly speaking I'm longing to have that one. If you have please tell if it is okay to you.
Thanks!
retro shower curtain