Although not as sleek as a glass shower screen, there are merits to a good old fabric shower curtain. For starters, bathrooms can be clinical spaces without much texture or character (especially in a modern build or rental where you didn’t choose the bathroom), and a shower curtain can add softness and colour to a space that might not feel like your own. Shower curtains also tend to be relatively inexpensive, so instead of fighting a battle with limescale on a glass screen, you can replace it once it’s no longer looking its best or, provided it’s machine washable, just pop it in the wash.
FAQs
Where’s the best place to buy a shower curtain?
Whether you go for a chic plain shower curtain or a stylish patterned one, many of the best furniture shops lead double lives as shower curtain retailers. H&M Home has some excellent options and Ferm Living’s selection is particularly good. Annoyingly for us in the UK, shops in the US tend to have a broader selection of design-led shower curtains (such as Heather Taylor Home’s collaboration with West Elm) but the shipping and taxes shouldn’t be too painful if you did take a fancy to one from a maker on Etsy, for example, as they’re generally a lightweight and affordable purchase. Finally, Toast take the crown for the smartest striped options.
What material is best for a shower curtain?
There are waffle shower curtains, linen shower curtains and plastic shower curtains. Some have high quality metal grommets, others have weighted hems. With so many options, how does one choose? The best shower curtain doesn’t need to be made of a specific material. Each one has its merits. We recommend finding a style you love first, then checking to see if it’s water repellent or water-resistant, as well as mildew-resistant.
If you’d rather the visible part of your shower curtain wasn’t made of plastic and looked more like a proper curtain, have one made from a fabric of your choosing and coat it in a waterproofing spray, then line it with a vinyl sheet or purpose shower curtain liner (you can buy these from Amazon for a few pounds) so there’s always a barrier between the fabric and the water. Don’t overlook shower curtain rings either – they don’t need to be white plastic; H&M Home sells chic black metal ones and John Lewis has a really smart chrome style with rollerball detail to help them open and close smoothly.
Best shower curtains to buy in 2025
Simon Bevan
A waffle shower curtain in a London flat by Ben Pentreath adds softness and texture to the bathroom, contrasting nicely with the sleek marble bath and the dark wood furniture. We’d suggest sticking with neutral tones if going for texture on a shower curtain. To get the look and add a similar layer of cosiness to your bathroom, H&M Home or Dunelm would be a great place to start, with highly affordable seersucker and waffle options. A slightly more premium choice would be this pale grey curtain by Scandi brand Lene Bjerre.
Mark Anthony Fox
In Charlotte Boundy’s London townhouse, she has employed pale pinks and dark wood in this small bathroom. To add some texture and break up harsh lines, she created a shower curtain from Pierre Frey’s ‘Manosque’ in poudre with a waterproof backing. To create a similar effect, look to use a flounce-trimmed shower curtain or one in pale, spring-like colours. In a rental where redecorating may not be possible, this HAY one would be a pretty and easy way to bring personality to a tired or plain bathroom. Another option is this linen pick with valance from Etsy. Available in a wide range of custom colours, it’s an easy-breezy shower curtain that will add texture to a plain white bathroom. For more frills and ruffles to help create a soft and feminine bathroom, consider these white curtains from Laura Ashley and Anthropologie.
Paul Massey
This bathroom is in designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay’s project in the South Downs which won H&G‘s project of the year 2023. The white shower curtain, in a soft broderie anglaise style, contrasts the bold geometric tiling. To recreate the look, head to Anthropologie. The high street favourite has a few pretty options, from the ruffled to the understated. Other pared back, white curtains with embroidered trims or subtle patterns can be found at Laura Ashley and H&M Home.
Paul Massey
The shower curtain in this Georgian house renovation by Ben Pentreath is one from Toast, made from striped organic cotton with a separate polyester lining. Though the exact shower curtain is no longer available, H&M sell a similar, more affordable option for anyone looking to achieve the same look. A second good option is Ferm Living’s ‘Chambray’ shower curtain. Available in multiple colourways and patterns (including the similarly neutral ‘Grid’, seen below) it’s on the more expensive side, but worth it.
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Simon Upton
In Patrick Williams’s London flat, the interior designer and founder of Berdoulat has used a warm, subtle palette in his bathroom. Perhaps unexpectedly, the brilliant white shower curtain does not jar in this space. Instead, it brightens up an otherwise dark room. This beige linen shower curtain from Zara Home is stylish in an understated way and reminds us of breezy bathrooms on holiday. A chic and perfectly simple white shower curtain from the master of bathroom design, Sarah Balineum. This would be excellent paired with a black and white tiled bathroom floor. Another more premium choice, Humdakin’s simple curtain is made from 100% organic cotton, with an acrylic coating which helps it to resist water and stand the test of time. More affordable is Ikea’s subtle seersucker curtain with woven grey stripes, at just £15.
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More shower curtains to buy 2024
Checkerboard shower curtains bring a joyful retro feel to a bathroom. Use Colours of Arley’s blue small check curtain with a contrasting colour tile or towels for a bold, maximalist effect. Or for a more neutral version, this black and white one by Mette Ditmer is a smart choice, the overall effect of which is softened with a brown trim on top and bottom.
Add some cheerful colour to your bathroom with these patterned shower curtains – ideal for small but sweet cottage bathrooms. Both styles will add a bold dash of print and colour to your bathroom whilst still being low-key enough to keep the room feeling peaceful and relaxing.
This striped shower curtain is pared back way to inject some colour into a bathroom, or to pick up hints of orange or yellow elsewhere. For those keen to dive into a bold colour palette, this linen shower curtain from Etsy has a luxurious drape to it and the colour is beautiful–just the ticket to warm up a characterless bathroom.
