By the time we unpacked our shower curtain last week, it had been 48 hours since either of us had showered. And those two days were filled with lifting heavy objects, if you catch our whiff drift. So hanging the shower curtain was a welcome step in our moving process. What was not so welcome? This result:
You know we love hanging an extra long shower curtain all the way to the ceiling to add height to the room (the 95″ waffle curtain is from amazon.com and the 86″ fabric liner is from Bed Bath & Beyond by the way). But the trick doesn’t work so well when the tension rod you inherit is too stumpy to hang on the higher tile-less portion of your shower wall (it was literally about a half-inch too short to grab the slightly wider wall up top). Then the tricky part becomes being ok with the bottom of the extra-long curtain sitting bunched under the toilet seat.
We were not ok with it.
Which is why our first post-move trip to Home Depot was to get a new longer tension rod. And now we have this going on. Ooooh. Ahhh. Note: You can read more about raising your shower rod and finding extra long liners and curtains here.
It’s a small start in the process of making this bathroom feel a bit more like our own. It’s a great bathroom with lots of good stuff already, but not necessarily an overall style that we’d pick for ourselves. So eventually we’ll do some tweaks / upgrades / remodeling to make it more “us.” And yes, we’re definitely planning to swap out the light fixture for something smaller that doesn’t encroach as much on the newly hung ceiling-height shower curtain. And speaking of light, anyone who is wondering if it’s super dark with the shower curtain that high- amazingly it’s not. It sort of glows and light shines through the light curtain and the liner so the whole shower is lit up through the curtain if that makes sense. In our old house we didn’t even have a ceiling light (just a wall-mounted one above the mirror) and it was still nice and bright.
‘Til then, we at least get to enjoy nice finishes like these sleek stainless shower fixtures.
And these spa-like glass shelves:
We don’t really have a clear vision of what we’d eventually like our master bathroom to be, but there’s a good chance both of those items will be kept long term. The only thing we can say for certain will be going sooner rather than later is the mirrored door. Shocking I know. When have you known us to remove a mirror from our house? We can usually be found hanging them left and right.
But we already have a nice chunky floor length mirror in the bedroom (the one seen in this post, that I got Sherry as a surprise wedding gift) so there’s no need for the slightly less exciting door-mounted one a few steps away. Here’s hoping we don’t break it during removal and suffer a seven-year span of bad luck. And for anyone else out there who’s ready to remove a big mirror on their door or wall, we’ll be sure to post about our hopefully-not-bloody-at-all removal process when we get there…
Shiron says
Nice job – I love the shower curtain hung high like that, its a great improvement and I really like the SS items you already inherited :)
Cait @ Hernando House says
Looks great you two! Love the lux look, looking forward to seeing the light fixture you pick!
Kayla says
Next month my husband and I are moving into a really old, charming brownstone apartment with hardwood floors, high ceilings and crown moldings (YAY!). I can’t wait to apply all the cool DIY and decorating tips I’ve learned from your blog in our new space! The first thing I’m going to do is hang an x-long shower curtain (the one from your Amazon store!) at ceiling height in our tiny bathroom! Thanks so much for all your hard work and great ideas!
Emily says
Love it!
Stephanie says
LOVE!
Maggie says
I LOVE it how Burger shows up randomly in a lot of pics. LOL! Do you encourage him to get in the pictures or is he really that attached to you? I know my cat, Gaby, would be my shadow too. : ) Either way, it cracks me up everytime. Looking good so far, guys. Keep up the great work.
YoungHouseLove says
He just follows us around trying to get in on the fun! We love seeing where he pops up too.
xo,
s
Anuja says
Still a little confused… where did you get the actual longer tension rod from? I want to try the same technique with my bedroom window. I would like to extend the curtains and have the whole wall covered. Would that too be the use of extra long curtain rod?
YoungHouseLove says
Home Depot! But it’s only extendable to a certain length so you’d need to see how wide you need yours to be and hunt one down. JC Penney also sells extra long rods (that aren’t tension rods) which could work too.
xo,
s
Amy says
We took a mirror off a closet door in our bedroom when we moved in. It looked a lot like the setup of yours. It was really easy too. All I did was have the hubby hold the mirror while I unscrewed it and it came off in about 2 minutes. I have to agree that I’m not a fan of mirrors held on by those little clips. I’m always afraid I’m going to close the door too hard and the mirror will break. Good luck with yours!
heather s. says
Looks like the mirror is just held in place with the mirror clips. Easy enough – unscrew the clips, remove mirror. ;) At least that’s the exact setup I had and I removed a rather large mirror solo without any issue.
Jackie says
I liked the extra long shower curtain in your old home, but I don’t like it in this new bathroom. It looks odd that it is all the way to the ceiling in my opinion.
Seems like you guys are getting quite a few things done quickly in the new house!
Katrina says
I love the height of the shower curtain! We did the same in our master bathroom, but not yet in our lower bath.
As for the mirror, my only advice is don’t lean it up against an open window, or you’ll end up with pieces everywhere when the wind gusts in! We had a similar mirror on one of our master bedroom walls which we removed when painting, intending to rehang it at least temporarily until we found a more interesting mirror. I found one on clearance the next week though, so we avioded the 7 years of bad luck I guess!
Sanja says
Do you ever get overwhelmed by the number of projects you consider necessary? Or are you just looking forward to the clean slate that the new house offers? I admire you for being so hands-on and expeditious :)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re loving all the new projects swirling around in our heads! The only slightly overwhelming part is people asking for photos of every single thing we plan to do all at once. We’ll definitely be making over our house in real time as we go- so nothing is going to be an instant after! Hopefully people are in it for the journey and not just the destination. We always prefer the journey more anyway because when we’re “done” we get antsy and bored. Haha.
xo,
s
Mommy G @ 40 weeks and then some says
I love the long shower curtains! I would think the next to-do in this bathroom is the light fixture? Are you guys moving it so it won’t look toocramped near the curtain rod?
YoungHouseLove says
Moving it is a bit of an undertaking so we’re planning to replace it with something a lot less wide so it’s not as close to the rod as it is now.
xo,
s
Holiday says
2 things: doesn’t the higher curtain impede on the steam’s ability to escape? Or do you vent like crazy when you get out (and leave the curtain open for a while)? You may have just been lucky to not have mold issues in your last house, I’d watch carefully to see how the area clears moisture.
And, the long tension rod… I had a heckuva time finding one long enough for my last house. Finally found one that was advertised as a “closet rod” at Ace hardware. Very long, very, very sturdy. I sprayed it with rustoleum to make it more suitable for wet conditions.
Love the blog, perhaps you’ll visit mine sometime – I’m getting ready to do a bathroom, too!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holiday,
Great tip about the “closet rod” at Ace! Thanks for sharing. As for the steam issue you bring up, we’ve been showering for a good week now and there’s no issue with steam which escapes out the sides and the top (it’s not sealed like tupperware, so there are one or two inch gaps all around it).
xo,
s
Molly P-H says
Look at the b-man getting double the exposure by posing in front of the mirror. That savvy little devil. I’m telling you, mom and dad, I think he’s wistful about his blog. ;). So happy that y’all keep posting even in a holiday week — you’re champs!! Love experiencing the house with you!!
r8chel says
Do you find that you still get enough light in the shower area? It seems that having a shower curtain all the way up to the ceiling would block light and make the shower area rather dim. Or maybe you have a light directly over the tub. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey R8chel, Abby, Kristen, and Emily,
Amazingly it’s not super dark in there with such a high curtain. It sort of glows and light shines through the light curtain and the liner so the whole shower is lit up through the curtain if that makes sense. In our old house we didn’t even have a ceiling light (just a wall-mounted one above the mirror) and it was still nice and bright.
xo,
s
Abby says
Any trouble with it being too dark in the shower because your curtian is so high?
Emily says
Love the look of the long shower curtain! Glad you’re planning on changing the light fixture, but that got me wondering if it’s a tad dark inside the shower with the curtain closed (since it’s sorta blocking the light) or is it not a problem because the curtain is white?
Just curious.
Blog is the New Black says
Already loving it!
Kristen says
I love the look of your shower curtain! But I have one question. Do you have a light in your shower? With the curtain all the way up to the ceiling does it get a little dark in there?
Jennifer says
I agree that raising the curtain is awesome, but I’m a little confused. Why couldn’t you use the current curtain rod and just move it up towards the ceiling? Was it a tension rod, too?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer,
It was a tension rod but it was slightly short since the untiled part of the walls was a bit wider (and it wouldn’t grip). So we needed something a half-inch longer.
xo,
s
4 critters says
You know…you could do a DIY of your floor mirror just for fun by using that door mirror. Just build a frame(4 pieces of wood) for the mirror-you could stain/paint the frame and place that mirror inside. My husbands a carpenter BUT he said doing this would be a piece of cake ( we have a door mirror waiting for this treatment). Nice to see your tweaks for settling in-happy settling!
Amy says
I have the opposite problem. My shower curtain rod won’t stay put on the tile because I guess it’s too slippery. Usually it’s not a problem but I bought a cute curtain on sale not paying attention to the length so it’s a little short but I’m living with it. :)
Sherry says
Oooh the Kohler Purist series! Those are some nice fixtures. Did you guys put those in or inherit them from the move? I just put the Purist series in a client’s bathroom and now want those in our house! Have you ever seen the Kohler yin yang sink? Another one of my loves!
Anyway, enough drooling over your shower fixtures! Your new bathroom has some good bones. Love the natural light from the window! Can’t wait to see what you guys do with it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sherry,
We inherited those with the move. Haven’t seen the Kohler yin yang sink yet but we’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Liz says
How do you feel about the tiles in your bathroom?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
We’re big fans of white tile (subway tile, basketweave, etc) so the neutral thing isn’t something we would have chosen ourselves but it’s in great condition and is definitely liveable for a while- of course you know we love a project so down the line we might retile if we find something for a great deal and feel like getting our hard hats on…
xo,
s
lauren says
we completely renovated our bathroom this summer and those are the fixtures we bought! they’re pretty pricey kohler fixtures (and there are other matching pieces), so you should try to keep them if they’re in good shape.
Bonnie says
Great look with the shower curtain. I’ll have to add shower curtain to the list of things that go in the “First to unpack” tote along with TP and cleaning products. :)
julie says
You should totally DIY the mirror. Put it on a larger piece of plywood and add moldings around the mirror. I’m sure you can always use one more mirror. Maybe in clara’s room. I love your blog.
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
I’ve never thought of hanging the curtain up so high… it looks so much nicer! Note taken ;)
Cate says
Having a mirror on that bathroom door is really good feng shui. It helps deflect the draining energy of a bathroom, and keeps it out of your peaceful bedroom. Just something to consider!
Beth@Just{Heart}It says
Have you ever thought about using one of those curved rods to give you more space? I’ve always wondered if those really give you the “extra 8 inches” they boast about, or if they really just serve to make a small bathroom seem smaller since they jut out into the room.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, we wondered if the jutting-out-into-the-room aspect of a curved rod would crowd the space, so we’re happy with a straight rod since the shower doesn’t feel tight or anything as it is.
xo,
s
Carol says
I’m curious to hear about the mirror removal. We have a similar one mounted to our bathroom door. We thought it would be an easy removal, but after unscrewing and removing the clips, we found that it was also mounted with double-sided foam tape. Thus, it is still attached to the door for fear that it will break when we apply any pressure in our attempt to remove it.
Regina says
I removed a large mirror that used to span an entire two sink bathroom vanity. It was super easy to remove and we cut it down and framed three smaller mirrors from it which looked much nicer hung over the new countertops. The mirror was heavy though, so I recommend more than one set of hands and a few towels to lean it on.
Amy says
Just be glad that mirror on your door was on the outside, not inside! In one of the houses we rented there were mirrors on the counter/toilet side and the opposite wall. It’s kind of awkward to use the toilet while looking into a huge mirror!
Regina says
Carol, you can try steaming off the double-sided tape. Also, I once had success using fabric softener diluted with water (which also works as wallpaper remover).
Zerique says
that high shower curtain gives such a nice effect. love it!
Carolyn says
love what it does to the room when you hang the shower curtain so high and would love to try it myself, but am nervous it would block a lot of light in the shower. Have you had any problems with that? Or perhaps choosing a white curtain allows enough light to come through… would you ever try it with a darker or print curtain?
Carolyn says
Oops, just saw you already answered that question.
Kelly says
Any plans to re-purpose the mirror? I think it would be cool to use it somewhere else. :)
georgia. says
Sorry if someones already asked this, im at work and beinG sneaky! hehe
Are you planning on putting the mirror by to use it at a later date somewhere else, obviously if it doesnt break on removal from the door?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Georgia & Kelly,
It’s definitely a possibility! We’re just taking things one day at a time and seeing where we end up. Trial and error and taking on new projects as we go has always been our chosen method to try to keep from going crazy with such a long to-do list. But we promise we’ll share every detail of repurposing that mirror if we tackle that someday!
xo,
s
Steph says
If you want to be extra careful about the mirror make a star pattern with masking tape on it before taking it down. If it does break that should help keep some pieces together. When we moved in there were no less than 5 of those mirrors around and yet there’s only 1 full bath and 2 bedrooms; why so many mirrors? We masked the first one, then just went with it.
Our tried and true method was I hold the mirror from tipping forward while DH unscrewed the top clips. Then I would lean it far enough away from the wall/door to get a grip on it and DH would unscrew the bottom clips. Oh, and this may be obvious to you, but close the door before you start trying to unscrew things!
Michelle @ Ten June says
Looks great guys! I love how one small touch make such a difference. Where do you think you’re going as far as a lighting type in the bathroom?
We’re renovating our master bathroom right now and took down two huge mirrors that ran along two whole walls of our bathroom. In addition to be ridiculously heavy, I was SO scared we would drop it and shatter it! Slow and steady wins the race.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michelle,
Wehn it comes to what type of light fixture we’ll go for, we have no idea! We’re just taking each project one day at a time so we don’t go crazy! We promise to share the new light fixture in there when we find it (eventually). There’s lots on our to-do list so we’ll get there someday…
xo,
s
Molly P-H says
Another option with tall shower curtain and small bath is to hang the shower curtain high but the liner a little lower (on a 2nd tension rod) and then have a “hidden” place to hang the damp towels. That’s what I do and love it! The shower curtain doesn’t seem to get wet/damp for the 4-6″ that aren’t covered by a liner. Molly in Fla.
ShannonF says
It’s already looking great.. you guys rock!
While on the subject of bathrooms I have a question for you 2 experts… is a good idea to use wallpaper in the bathroom (upper part of the wall, above the tile) and if so do you need a special kind? I really feel a good design would give ours what it’s missing.
Thanks & congrats on the new place!
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely only use bathroom-approved paper since the steam will most definitely cause the regular stuff to crack and peel! Good luck!
xo,
s
Irina@CanDoGal says
Don’t these little upgrades make you feel like progress is being made? That small change makes a big difference. I never even knew there were tension-style shower curtain rods until we showed up at our house and found no rod at all. I was surprised to find that they look and work just like the installed version.
Pam says
We just took down an enormous mirror that was above the sink in our bathroom – it was easy enough to take down, though super awkward to hold – but we did not like what was behind it. Because we want a smaller mirror, we will probably first need to re-sheetrock.
Any ideas on projects for re-working an old mirror like that? My plan now – yet to be executed – is to get glass cutters and cut it into pieces that will fit in inexpensive picture frames that I plan to spray paint and make a mirror collage with. However, my mirror is big enough for several projects, and I’d love any ideas from anyone on here.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s a great idea Pam! You can also make a nice framed out floor mirror as a bunch of commenters have already recommended. You can even create a mirrored backsplash in your kitchen or mirror the back of a bookcase for tons of reflective and chic style. Good luck!
xo,
s
Annie says
LOVE the long shower curtain!! And I’m wondering if another Youngster Approved pocket door might not make sense in that door as it looks like it opens right on to the toilet?? ;0) Just a thought!
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, a pocket door would have nowhere to “pocket” into – there’s not enough wall to accommodate one. Oh well! It’s not that bad. But we do LOVE a pocket door!
xo,
s
carolinaheartstrings says
What a difference it does make to raise the shower curtain that much. Much better that way.
Molly P-H says
Hello again! I just read your other post about raising the curtain and am so glad to know about the benis of a fabric liner! I never would have considered it! Lo-oove the enviro-friendly and sustainable choices. Can you tell I’m eager to bring my bathroom into the new century?! And I can really appreciate the tall curtain in the other bathroom — I’m sold!! (Mine doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling but you’ve got me convinced now!! Molly in Fla.
katie n says
yeah, i was wondering if you were going to repurpose the mirror too…perhaps you could use it in your guest bedroom/bath…? guests would love that I’m sure!