The best shower curtains to smarten up your bathroom in 2025

Shower curtains offer a practical and aesthetically pleasing alternative to glass shower screens, providing an opportunity to introduce color, texture, and pattern into a bathroom space. They are particularly beneficial in modern builds or rental properties where permanent design changes are not feasible, allowing for personalization and softening of potentially clinical environments. Additionally, shower curtains are generally more affordable than glass screens and can be easily replaced or machine-washed, addressing common issues like limescale build-up. When purchasing a shower curtain, several retailers offer a wide selection, including H&M Home, Ferm Living, and Toast, which is noted for its striped options. Although some design-led curtains are more readily available in the US, shipping and taxes for lightweight items from platforms like Etsy are typically manageable for UK buyers. The choice of material for a shower curtain is varied, encompassing waffle, linen, and plastic options, each with its own advantages. The primary considerations are water repellency or resistance and mildew resistance, rather than a specific material type. For those desiring a more traditional fabric look, a regular curtain can be treated with a waterproofing spray and paired with a vinyl or purpose-made shower curtain liner to ensure water containment. Attention should also be paid to shower curtain rings, with options beyond standard white plastic, such as black metal rings from H&M Home or chrome rollerball styles from John Lewis, enhancing both function and aesthetics. The article highlights several examples of stylish shower curtain applications in interior design. A waffle shower curtain in a London flat, designed by Ben Pentreath, demonstrates how texture in neutral tones can add warmth and contrast to sleek surfaces like marble. For similar effects, affordable seersucker and waffle options are available from H&M Home and Dunelm, with premium selections from brands like Lene Bjerre. Another instance, seen in Charlotte Boundy's London townhouse, showcases a pale pink shower curtain made from Pierre Frey's ‘Manosque’ fabric with a waterproof backing, used to introduce texture and break up harsh lines in a small bathroom. Flounce-trimmed or pale, spring-colored shower curtains are suggested to achieve a similar soft and feminine aesthetic, with options from HAY, Etsy, Laura Ashley, and Anthropologie. For spaces with bold geometric tiling, a soft broderie anglaise style white shower curtain, as featured in Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay's project, can create a striking contrast. Anthropologie, Laura Ashley, and H&M Home offer various white and subtly patterned curtains for this look. In a Georgian house renovation by Ben Pentreath, a striped organic cotton shower curtain from Toast (no longer available but with similar options at H&M and Ferm Living’s ‘Chambray’ series) contributes to a refined bathroom design. For a retro feel, checkerboard shower curtains from brands like Colours of Arley or Mette Ditmer are presented, offering bold or neutral choices. Finally, the article suggests patterned shower curtains from Marimekko and Penshurst for adding cheerful color to cottage bathrooms, or striped and linen options from Etsy for injecting luxurious color and texture into characterless bathrooms, as exemplified by a beige linen curtain in Patrick Williams’s London flat which brightens a dark room. #ShowerCurtains #BathroomDecor #HomeDecoration #InteriorDesign #HomeTextiles #BathroomAccessories #TexturedFabrics #RentalFriendlyDecor #HomeStyle #ShowerCurtains #BathroomDecor #HomeDecoration #InteriorDesign #HomeTextiles #BathroomAccessories #TexturedFabrics #RentalFriendlyDecor #HomeStyle