Lori, I just came to the same conclusion: too big for the narrow strip of wall. Rats. But thank you!

Miacomet, I adore Anthropologie things. But I think they might be too whimsical/boho for this bath. However, I'll take a look anyway.

Lori, that's interesting. I hadn't considered that style. How long is it?

That could work!

why do you NEED a hold back? Looks unnecessary..I would ask why no glass for that shower?

Jan, it wasn't clear from the first photos I posted that this is a tub/shower combo. I'm not crazy about having that glassed-in feeling when bathing, so decided on a ceiling-mounted shower rail instead, which looks great. Ironically, the search for a decent-looking holdback has taken far more time than I anticipated!

Htc2015, some of the items Miacometlady found at Anthropologie really are lovely...suggest you take a look.

Tai, it's gorgeous! The ceiling mounted track for the curtain is v nice. Are those hand or towel rails under what I think is a window? I am looking at Runtal towel warmer/heater, why I ask.

For our alcove tub/shower combo on which I didn't want glass for the same reason as you. Instead of a curtain, mounted a partial piece of glass which pivots fully flat to the wall in either direction. It is a splash guard really. That has worked out OK. Enjoy that beautiful bathroom!

Thank you! Yes, it's a window and an Amba swivel towel warmer. I think Runtal is an excellent brand, probably a cut above the Amba. Good luck!

Carol, it's not crazy at all—I've been looking at toilet paper holders too. In my case, I'd need to find one that is shorter than 6 inches—which seems to be a tall order.

Thank you for sharing these ideas, it helps! One idea which may not be what you want for a look. There are hand grabs you could look at. Simple ones, put the curtain thru it. It isn't the best option, only in a pinch.

Tai, first of all, your tub/shower enclosure looks beautiful; love the tile (similar to what I used a few years back on our master bath remodel). Like you I opted for a shower curtain rather than glass enclosure to avoid the room feeling too closed in.

As for the curtain holdback, I think you could make some that are wider than 6 inches work, such as the Crate and Barrel one Lori identified in her first comment. What you could do is get some stainless or aluminum spacers, sort of like very tall washers, so that the holdback would project out from the wall just enough clear the tile. I'm guessing the tile projects out from the wall by about 3/4", so you'd need at least a 3/4", or more likely a 1", spacer. The spacers are easy to find on the web; here's just one example:

Aluminum spacer

Of course you'd also need longer screws than would be supplied with the holdback itself. I think the result would look OK, though maybe you'd find it too "kludgey". But it could solve your problem.

Another idea would be to take one of these wider holdbacks and simply install it at an angle, instead of parallel to the floor. E.g., you could take that same C&B one and angle it either up or down enough, so that it would fit in the 6 inches of wall space you have between the door trim and the shower tile. In this case (using the 7.75-inch-wide C&B holdback as an example), you'd have to install it at an angle of about 40 degrees (I just did the trig function for you ;-). I think the holdback would work OK at such an angle, though you'd have to decide if you like the look.

Anyway, a couple of options you might want to consider...good luck.

Why not a glass door instead of a curtain you will be swearing at it when it sticks to you and lets the water on the floor.

(copied from above)

Jan, it wasn't clear from the first photos I posted that this is a tub/shower combo. I'm not crazy about having that glassed-in feeling when bathing, so decided on a ceiling-mounted shower rail instead, which looks great. Ironically, the search for a decent-looking holdback has taken far more time than I anticipated!

Htc2015, some of the items Miacometlady found at Anthropologie really are lovely...suggest you take a look.

@Patricia, already answered.

I think if you get a larger one (love the one just posted by rlwilhelm!), you could always mount it diagonally. That's sort of how you'd insert the curtain anyway, so it would look perfectly normal. (This might help the toilet paperholder solution work, although I think Ikea's Grundhal is under 6"!)

Here's what I ended up buying (though it hasn't arrived yet so haven't seen the little bugger in person). It's 5 inches long and seems quite unobtrusive:

Comes in different finishes, on Amazon, if anyone else needs one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8GYHV6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00

Yes! Wayfair!