Bathroom Design
Decorating Guides
The Elegant Look of Draperies in the Bathroom
Drapes add privacy and soften a room full of hard surfaces. See how they can be styled for baths
Draperies in the bathroom once meant ornate fabric, heavy swags, elaborate trim and tiebacks. Drapes hung in the bathroom today have panels tending toward lighter fabrics and streamlined sophistication. They provide privacy when needed while allowing natural light to stream into the room.
Bathrooms tend to be rooms filled with hard surfaces, typically free of upholstered pieces, pillows or other items that can soften a room. Drapes are a soft element that can create a welcoming effect.
Browse curtains and drapes in the Houzz Shop
Browse curtains and drapes in the Houzz Shop
As in other rooms of the house, drapes can be an opportunity to include pattern and color. In this bathroom, the panels add to the happy and cheerful design, accentuating the colorful claw-foot tub.
Drapery panels falling from the top of a high ceiling in a subdued tone add to the elegance of this bathroom design.
The layering of window treatments seen in other rooms is appropriate in a bathroom as well. Here, soft yellow panels blend into the walls, while a patterned Roman shade plays off the floor tiles. Puddled drapes can work in a bathroom if the window is not near a tub or shower; otherwise it’s best if the panels just skim the floor to avoid their getting damp. And while most fabrics can be used, moisture-resistant options may be a good choice for bathrooms used a lot.
A tailored valance in the same fabric as the drapery panels nicely fills the width of this room and is effective without being busy.
In an all-white design, drapery panels provide the chance for a touch of soft color. In this instance, pale blush panels reflect the sweet colors of the carpet.
Long panels also can be brought in to reinforce design goals. Both the drapes and the vertical beadboard here accentuate the soaring height of the tub alcove.
The rich tones of these panels play off other finishes in the design: the metallic finish of the tub and the Venetian plaster on the walls.
This sweet bathroom just wouldn’t be the same without the yellow floral panels hung behind the claw-foot tub in a similar hue.
The hardware used to hang the panels should flow with the overall design. Here a wrought iron rod is appropriately paired with a window featuring dark mullions and a light fixture made of glass and wrought iron.
Modern homes often feature envy-producing expanses of glass, which is wonderful unless privacy is a concern. Simple wall-to-wall white drapes falling from ceiling to floor provide a functional solution while not detracting from the clean design aesthetic.
In another modern home, no hardware shows. Instead, the panels extend up into a recess running the length of the bank of windows.
Natural light is always an asset in a bathroom, but most of us would find it hard to relax in this tub without panels in place!
The first time I spotted tailored drapes in a bathroom, used just as in other rooms, was during a tour of this Street of Dreams home in Portland, Oregon. The drapery panels add significant beauty and warmth to the bathroom and, based on the other examples seen here, it appears we’ll be seeing more and more of these sophisticated window treatments in the future.
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More on Houzz
Read more about window treatments
Find a local interior designer
Shop for window treatments
Find a local bathroom designer