We are embarking on a major renovation. In the process, when it may or may not stay in the same place, but the window does not lead anywhere. We love the idea of a large walk-in shower, with natural light pouring in through the huge window. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Record the screech as reality walks across the room.
I recently stayed in a hotel in New York with a window in the shower and no curtain or glass for privacy. It was invigorating to look at the city from so many floors up, knowing that no one could see inside. Too bad this upcoming bathroom project isn’t on the 14th floor 🙂 The big window is beautiful, of course, and the light lets it in no i want to lose But the eyes. Oh, those peeping eyes. Our property has a sidewalk along the back edge. And although we have some young trellises that we planted during our backyard project, they won’t provide much protection for at least a few more years. The sidewalk is up a small hill and every passerby will have a wonderful view directly into our primary bathroom.
This is not the first time we have gone through this. Our first home in Idaho, we added a large window to our primary bathroom. We did the same at our other house in Idaho. For both, the windows were raised higher and the line of sight more difficult. We went with clear privacy glass, and it was just right for those. But Chris wasn’t sold on such a large window in this case, so we’ve rounded up a few of the best options we could find, along with their pros and cons.
Gold Knobs | Flower Wallpapers | Marble Title | Showerhead | Rain Showerhead
Eyelids
Currently, the window is covered with shutters that are closed 95% of the time. They would be an option if the window wasn’t there inside new shower.
Pros: No one is looking in the windows. Privacy is absolute. Oh, and they’re charming.
Against: It’s hard to open them because you have to reach all the way across the tub (Okay, you really have to step into bathtub!), and the bathroom is always very dark because we don’t want to take the time to open them.
DIY window film – Peel & Stick/Spray
Peel & Stick window film or spray-on window film are great options on a budget or if you want to add transparency to an already installed window. The disadvantage is that they are a bit more transparent than ideal for showering. But we used foil in our first house in Utah, and spray on our pantry window in our first home in Idaho.
Pro: Very cheap, easy to use and provides privacy.
Con: We won’t be able to see outside, ever. The window will only turn into a source of soft light during the day. The transparency is also not very strong, so you will definitely be able to see the silhouette of toned skin in the shower.
Curtains/Cafe Curtains
Cafe Curtains | Cafe Cartain Rod | Cabinet Hardware | Faucet | Sconce | Wooden Mirrors | Carpet | Stepped (similar)
Obviously you can block the window with curtains. But in a shower, especially a North Carolina shower, the moisture will affect the rod and rings, and you’ll have mold on the curtains within days of hanging them. You can choose plastic rods and rings, but it’s not cute. Still, mold. Gross.
Pro: They’re really cute, and you can open them up and look at them whenever you want.
Cons: Won’t work for high humidity applications like the shower.
Privacy Glass
Towel hook | Artwork | Shower Doorknob
This is a permanent option that we have used in the past, but again, the line of sight was less direct in these showers and the windows were smaller. But if you want something like this, the window has to be made of special privacy glass, and it’s permanent from the factory. But with this option, you can decide how much transparency you want, and it will cover much more than film or spray.
Pro: This solution will hold up to everyday humidity (peel-and-stick might not), so it’s great for use in the shower.
Cons: You lose the big, beautiful view of all the green trees inside. And since this is special glass, it is more expensive.
One-way glass
Also called “mirror glass”, you can see clearly from it, but looking inside – it is a mirror. One side is transparent and the other reflective. But that’s only if there’s more light outside than inside. When night comes and the lights come on inside, zero privacy.
Pro: We can see clearly outside, but no one can see inside. We’ll be able to use all that beautiful light and view.
Cons: It’s not a great option for the bathroom because when night comes, everything inside will be in plain sight.
Electronic Glass
This is one of the newcomers on the scene. Not really – it’s been around for a few years. But it’s young enough to be corrupt. The window is essentially connected to a switch that, when flipped, toggles between clear and transparent.
There are two types, one that uses LED technology and another that uses liquid crystals that move and equalize when current is passed through them. The LED version can be finicky, and if you try to record a video in an area when there is a window clear, the camera will pick up the strobing in the window – the window flashes in the video, although it doesn’t do it in person. The liquid crystal version (the company I know of that does it is CliC Glass) doesn’t have the same strobing effect, but it also doesn’t allow any kind of grid on the window, like we currently have. So, depending on the style of your home, this one may or may not work.
Pro: It’s clear and looks like a regular window, but the technology lets you push a button and it becomes privacy glass. And if the power goes out, it defaults to privacy mode.
Cons: It’s the most expensive option. Far away. And if it breaks, it’s expensive to replace. Additionally, in the video, some versions have a strobe effect, and versions that do not allow window mesh/light separation (which all our windows have).
So which version will we go for? Drum rolls please….we’re not sure. :/
We still have some things we want to figure out with the bathroom layout could finally move the location of the shower. If there is no shower, easy – a simple window, curtains, bang, done. But if the shower does end up there, we have a lot to do and make some compromises.