Long shower curtains are the key to a chic bathroom

I hear designers talk all the time about how you should never mount drapes just around a window, you should take the pole higher than the frames and take the curtains all the way to the floor. It’s a tried and tested hack to make windows look bigger and more elegant. So why has it taken me so long to work out that you can create the exact same effect with your shower curtain?

This shower curtain idea might seem incredibly elementary, but it actually can make a huge difference in the design and aesthetic appeal of a bathroom. Now, I have to be honest, I never thought twice about shower curtain lengths in the past. However, when I came across a recent video on Instagram demonstrating the aesthetic-altering effects of long shower curtains, I had to know more about this super simple design idea.

‘This is a timeless and classic style that has been around for years and has the ability to really elevate a bathroom,’ explains Gabriela Eisenhart of Silo Studio Design. She says that long shower curtains used to be a traditional bathroom trend, but lately she’s been seeing this done in transitional bathrooms – that is, bathrooms that tastefully blend both modern and traditional interior design styles.

Typically, shower curtains measure around 72 inches in length. They hang from a rod mounted about a foot below the ceiling, and they fall to about a foot above the ground. But lesser-known, long shower curtains measure 84 inches or longer. They can be ceiling-mounted or hung from a rod hung very close to the ceiling, but the idea is to create a crisp, clean, and uniform look that stretches from ceiling to floor, just as expensive-looking drapes would.

Although it may seem like a small change, a long shower curtain can make a big difference in a bathroom. For starters, it creates a level of unexpected visual interest in the bathroom. ‘A longer shower curtain infuses elegance into a bathroom while adding height, as it draws the eyes up, giving smaller bathrooms the feeling of spaciousness,’ Gabriela tells me. ‘This is the same concept as hanging drapery higher over your window frame.’

According to designer Wendy Smit. ‘Ceiling-mounted shower curtains draw the eye upward and instantly create a sense of drama and height, she says. ‘It’s a simple design move that transforms the bath into a more intentional, luxurious, and refined space.’