The Glass Bathroom Wall: Love It or Lose It?

Pacific Coastal Home Staging @PCH Staging, I would trade nothing for privacy, but if I didn't have the privacy, I would use those windows that you can switch on and off. They are clear when off, and then click, they are opaque. Other option is to use a lighted quartz surface instead of glass. Comes in all and every color and carries light through it. Total privacy also, but no view. Love It.

bepsf I've stayed in one of the suites at the Flamingo in Las Vegas that has a frosted glass bathroom.

It's fine when you're alone - or with one other person as long as the TV in the bathroom is on...
...but my parents came by to use the facilities one afternoon and I couldn't jump up to grab the remote control to up the sound on the TV faster: Glass does nothing to muffle unpleasant bathroom sounds!

midmodfan For me, it's not so much a privacy thing. Even if I were completely alone, I just wouldn't want to look into a bathroom.

Bathrooms open to the outside, on the other hand, are very pleasant if the possibility of someone looking in is minimal. When the lights are off, it's not so easy to look into a room and actually see something.

cb12 I am remodeling a bathroom and looking to install a glass shower, but a frosted glass sliding door for the entry to the room. I may change the doors of the other bathrooms to frosted glass also. I would love to have a glass exterior wall but none of the bathrooms face the rear of the house.

marytn while I love the modern lines and the introduction of light, I find these rooms look like hotel rooms. They also remind me of the old hotels in Europe that added bathrooms to rooms by building a "pod" into the corner of the room.

garylane Glass walls are a maintenance curse. You can never avoid streaking when you clean them. Plus, if you do manage to clean them you may find people walking into them unexpectedly. This is a real hazard unless some opaque finish breaks the transparency.

dancingfish Not attractive to me.. and its not the privacy issue..
I do love the large glass doors/windows looking outside though.

Gail I so agree with the others, the only wall of glass I would even consider is the one overlooking the lake and only if it were one way glass. I don't even like clear glass shower stalls, heck I got rid of the glass for a shower curtain that I can throw in the washing machine. I prefer privacy for ALL that goes on in a bathroom, and keeping the glass clean is to much work, I have more important things to do like gardening and quilting.

Joanne Fairmont Yinger My daughter has a wall of glass block, a little over half way up to divide her master bath from the rest of the bedroom. I found it very uncomfortable to use even though the exterior window in the room is on the second floor (looking outside). Not enough privacy for me. Most of your examples present the same problem. However, the one with the full length window overlooking the river is a handsome space. Maybe that's because we only see the sink function....

wandat I love the openness and the light!

Jean Corey Clear glass in bathrooms that others can see into is not a good idea; you don't want to possibly embarass yourself or others, or encourage perverts. Glass block doesn't work either. We stayed at a motel one time with an obscure glass block outside wall in the shower. I thought I was safe, but my husband went outside and said that way too much could still be seen, so he guarded the wall while I showered.

tlhogii I agree. Looking into a bathroom is not.nice. I think it would be counter productive to the relaxation that's supposed to happen in a bedroom...especially if it belongs to two people. Looking out from one though, would be great :) - That, on condition that the view is good, and no one can peep in...

beckyward there is no privacy issue if the space is just for yourself. I quite like several of these.

aussierozzie love them all.....privacy is a state of mind!

Lori Morrison I would lose it! I like a retreat...a private one.

fredericklc Lose it. If your bathroom isn't private, what is?

Judy I agree 100% with PCH Staging and also garylane. The only way glass wuld be acceptable to me would be if it could be made opaque when in use. I actually forgot about the cleaning of the glass until garylane mentioned it. Glass would be a good idea if the bathroom and the bedroom were small, but I wouldn't want to give up my privacy. Same goes for an outside window. I do like the way these rooms look on the pictures, but the only way I would consider it if there was zero chance of anyone seeing in. The only thing worse than a clear glass wall between the bedroom and the bathroom I can think of is the bathroom IN the bedroom. (seems to be the latest "in" thing here in Australia. Even if no one shares the bedroom, why would you want steam in the bedroom, not to mention other things best kept in the bathroom. :-)
BTW, I just moved into a house that has glass shower, opposite a mirror. No one can see me, but I HATE having to look at myself showering. :-)

arconaut Shawn, did you have any other information about the designs that you critique in your article other than the photo's shown. The very polarized reactions of those commenting may be in part a product of lack of context. I speak from the experience of buying a house with an enclosed show and toilet but which has wash basins and tub in a glass bubble that extends outside the profile of the house. It may sound scary but this end of the house is totally enclosed by an embankment and thick vegetation except on one side where it has a panoramic view of over a valley. A steep hillside means that the nearest observer is about 5 miles away on the opposite mountain. I am my own gardener so that's not a problem. Its pretty cool, so cool that I am considering putting the shower in that location and making a louvered fence up to eye height so that one can either see the fenced in garden surrounding the shower with a clear view to the sky, or see the view when no one else is around. Some people will not be comfortable with such things but as a journalist you could offer both perspectives. I totally agree with those noting that shower, bath and toilet all have different privacy requirements, and that includes sound and vapor not just sight lines. Among your examples there are some that look seriously challenged in this regard but others that could be stunning successes, in my opinion. Context is important.

paulaj I would just like a bathroom bigger than 6X6 in which we put a clear glass door on the shower just to keep it from looking like it's 6X6!

amberm145 I have a fully walled shower with an opaque glass shower door that looks into the bathroom. The bathroom is fully separate from the bedroom. I hate that shower. It's so dark in there. When I renovate, the shower is going to be fully glass.

As for privacy, in my opinion, the master bedroom is a sanctuary and should be private in itself. Anyone else that is in that room when you're showering should be your own lover, so I don't see an issue having the shower visible to the bedroom.

The toilet, on the other hand, should be it's own room, so that the whole bathroom isn't off limits when one person needs to use it.

librarygirl1955 Glass walls in the bathroom may be fine for you, but I would guess that it may cause difficulties when it comes time to sell.

danijelaq Hahaha! I'd like the concept if I were a single female, but as luck would have it, I'm married with kids. Where's the fun in that?! LOL!!!

robinbrady10 I have cleaned homes with glass shower surround, they are awful to clean, and I am OCD about perfectly clean glass. I would never want this in my own home, because it would make me crazy. For my own sanity I will leave all this glass to someone else!

Kerry Stimpson I would use architectural glass with printed designs to create privacy yet still allow light to be present. An exciting alternative when combined with LED lighting. Can be a nice alternative to old glazing and decals that would peel and flake when exposed to moisture. But hey, I'm a bit biased, I think everything should be in glass!

mike foti Glass walls like this look really cool and contemporary. The practical matter is another thing. Clear glass walls are a pain to clean (and this is coming from a guy who usually doesn't clean the walls - my wife usually handles this chore for us ..but I get the litter box - ha! ha!). If you're OK with the cleaning then the clear glass is nice - but if you want more privacy and easier cleaning consider either a obscure glass or a glass block wall.

A & D Glass Inc. As long as I had a certain amount of privacy from the outside world, I would love a shower or tub like these - but not a toilet!