Renovating a bathroom provides a ton of opportunity to enhance the entire space. One of the more subtle yet impactful areas you should focus on has to be the bathroom window treatments.
Windows in all rooms play a crucial role in shaping the ambiance of the space. In the bathroom, this is even more pronounced. Windows are not just opportunities for you to add aesthetic flair, it offers functionality too. After all, it allows natural light to flood through and should be functional enough to offer you all of the privacy needs you need.
Finding the Best Bathroom Window Treatments
How do you go about assessing which of the many bathroom window treatment ideas are right for your home and application?
Here’s a step by step breakdown to help guide you through the process.
Step 1: Assess Your Needs
The first step is to stop and take stock of what you are looking for and what you need from your windows.
Privacy
Where is your bathroom located? Is it on the ground floor? Is it visible to neighbours or in close proximity to public spaces?
Determining how much privacy you require is a critical consideration before evaluating which treatment suits your space best.
Light Control
Windows – of course – can offer an abundance of natural light. While for many this may be ideal, some people prefer a more subdued and insular feel in an intimate space like a bathroom.
Note where your bathroom sits, how it lets the sunshine in and the direction in which natural light streams through. This will help you determine the right treatment to achieve your objective.
Moisture Resistance
Steam, moisture, water… Bathrooms are humid environments and are required to withstand a lot of moisture.
Don’t neglect to take into account how your window treatments will affect your ability to keep the space clean and withstand the exposure to moisture and other elements.
Aesthetics
Of course, your chosen bathroom window treatments need to complement your chosen aesthetic and live up to your design preferences.
There are many different treatment ideas out there, so it’s easier to come to the table with an interior design in mind than without aesthetic direction.
Which takes us to…
Step 2: Evaluate Aesthetic Impact
Aesthetics are not just important, they can be complicated as well. Think about the different treatment options and consider how they will influence the overall feel of the room.
Which of the following bathroom window treatment ideas are you aiming to achieve?
Light and Airy
If you want a bathroom that feels and looks light and airy, consider something along the lines of sheer curtains or even light-coloured blinds. Whilst functionally softening harsh sunlight, they are also subtle enough treatments so as to maintain the spacious, airy atmosphere you’re after.
Luxurious Elegance
If you’re after a more luxurious and even indulgent vibe in your bathroom, heavier drapes and even velvety curtains can be a strong option. Deep colours and rich textures add a touch of tangible opulence even in a room like the bathroom.
Cosy and Rustic
For homes that have embraced a rustic charm vibe, wooden blinds or woven shades can help to echo and reinforce that cosy and warm feel. Bathroom window treatments are a no-hassle way to incorporate that cosy cottage feel.
Minimalistic Modern
Do you prefer sleek, modern, and minimalist styling? Simple blinds or shades in a neutral, monochromatic colour offer all the functionality you need whilst complementing a modern design aesthetic. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t hero other areas of the bathroom either with more bold or colour design elements.
Vibrant and Playful
There’s nothing wrong with a whimsically designed and vibrantly coloured bathroom, whether for the kids or not. Strongly coloured shades or patterned curtains infuse a sense of life and joy in what otherwise could be relegated to just a functional space.
Step 3: Determine the Treatment Type
Once you have a strong understanding of what you need from your bathroom window treatments and have a grasp on the aesthetic of your choosing, it’s time to find the right treatment idea.
Curtains and Drapes
Curtains and drapes are popular for adding warmth to a bathroom. You can choose the colour, fabric and thickness of material to allow as much light to filter through as you want. Additionally, curtains and drapes add another level of depth, softness and visual complexity for those wanting such an aesthetic.
Blinds
Blinds are highly practical and make controlling light coming through easy. However, with many types of blinds out there, there’s nothing holding you back from incorporating your design preferences with this practical bathroom window treatment idea.
Shutters
Like blinds, shutters are practical and stylish. Perfect for bathrooms needing high levels of privacy and light control, you can find the right style of shutter to suit your needs and complement the existing or intended design.
Frosted Glass
Frosted glass has been a consistently popular option for window treatments. They both allow light to come through the glass and obscure transparency to provide privacy. Of course, frosted glass cannot be open and closed on a whim, though the window itself can.
Textured glass functions similarly to frosted but adds a slightly different aesthetic.
Roman Shades
Roman shades are fabric coverings that don’t open by sliding to the side but fold neatly when raised. With a ton of variety in terms of texture, colour, pattern and material, if you’re not quite sold on shutters or regular shades, these can be quite a versatile and practical solution.
