A New Shower Curtain May Be Just What You Need!

Take a moment, and think.

How long has my current shower curtain been hanging in my bathroom?

Probably not a question you ask yourself everyday. It might even be hard to recall exactly when you first hung your shower curtain.

I was forced to consider this very thought back in 2010. It all started with a surprising phone call from my sister.

My Sister Called.

The phone rang. I picked it up seeing that it was my sister.

"OK" she began.

"I have something to tell you that I've been wanting to say for a long time. I wasn't sure if I should, but now I decided I am just going to say it."

She had my interest.

"A long time ago you visited my house and you had something you wanted to tell me. You weren't sure if you should, but you did anyway. It was when I lived in Nappanee.

Do you remember what you told me?"

I was wondering where this conversation was going.

"No... I... don't have any idea" I said hesitantly, starting to smile. After all, who starts out a conversation like this anyway?

"Well" she continued. "You didn't want to tell me cause you didn't want to hurt my feelings, but you did anyway and I am so glad you did. So I decided I am just going to tell you what I'm thinking, this even though I'm not sure if I should". 

Through the phone, I heard kids in the background and at this point she said "Oh, hang on, I'm babysitting, gotta go. I'll call you back."

Seriously...

Left Me Hanging.

I was left holding the silent phone in my hand, and my jaw lowered a few inches.

At this point I'm still so surprised but also now extremely curious. What does she want to tell me? And what did I tell her?

How I Learned that I Needed a New Shower Curtain.

After what seemed like an eternity, my phone finally rang again. It was her.

She picked up right where she left off. "So, do you remember what you told me?"

I didn't.

She recalled the story of a time when I was vacuuming at her house. I had given her some much needed education about vacuuming near the baseboards after seeing all the extra fuzz and build-up in the corner and near the wall. I explained to her that she can use the hose to go around the baseboards to suck up all of the pieces that you can't pick up using the power nozzle. 

Evidently, I had modeled how to do it and showed her how much of a difference it makes. This advice had made an impact on her.

The Moment of Truth.

I remember telling her the hard truth about the status of her vacuuming habits. And giving her advice on how to make a change.

Of course, now I was still curious about what it was that she needed to tell me.

She started in, "First of all, let me say that I really like how you have your house decorated. You've done a great job and it always looks so nice."

I'm now bracing myself for whatever was coming next.

"You know your shower curtain in the downstairs bathroom?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, "you mean the one that the water hits or the one that is supposed to look decorative but no longer does?"

She continued, "The no longer decorative one. You've had that for a long time!

Seriously Jacki! I can't believe you haven't replaced it already. I mean, I'm sure it was very nice when you first put it up, but don't you think it's time for a change?" 

Ouch...

She was Absolutely Right!

I could not deny she had a very valid point.

We had considered updating the bathroom before. However, I knew updating to a new shower curtain also meant updating many other parts of our bathroom.

Taking down the wall paper.

New paint colors.

Probably redoing the floor. 

And our bathroom linoleum floor continued right into the kitchen. I had just dismissed all of these thoughts together since redoing the bathroom and kitchen floor would be a huge job.

Still, I started considering my sister's suggestion. Is it time for a new shower curtain? 

I tried to remember when we had first hung that shower curtain.

I counted back.

Way back!!

It had been almost 22 YEARS since we had first hung that shower curtain. 22 years certainly warranted a change. As evidenced by my sister needing to call me.

My husband and I confidently decided that we were ready for a change and a new shower curtain! We took on the task. Once we got to the flooring issue, we also decided it would be fine to only redo the bathroom floor and save the kitchen floor for another time. 

Perfect Timing.

This all happened at the exact same time that I had launched my new online quilt shop.

How convenient!

A perfect place for me to shop for a new shower curtain that fit my home decorating style.

I quickly found the color scheme I wanted to use and we started in.

We instantly loved the Kettle Grove patchwork shower curtain. It is a beautiful mix of black, grey and creme. The fabrics are a combination of plaids and vintage prints. 

I love the primitive decorating style. The patchwork block fabrics in Kettle Grove worked so well for us. 

It Fit Right in With Our Style.

Our home was built in 1890. We love antiques. Over the years we've collected a few antiques to perfectly complement various primitive decor.  

One example is the medicine cabinet in these photos. It was given to us when my grandparents moved out of their older home and into a smaller place. 

I say "given to us" and I should probably explain that a bit more. I had always loved this medicine cabinet that was featured my grandparents main downstairs bathroom. 

Their house had so many fun memories for me. When I realized they were selling the house, I thought it would be very special have a small part of it. So I asked about keeping the medicine cabinet and putting it in our home.

They graciously allowed us to replace it and keep the antique one they had used for decades. Our family has used it for decades as well.

There's even space for the "grandma's house toothbrushes" we keep for our grandkids' sleepovers.

I just love that!

Bathroom remodel

We loved the new look we had created in our bathroom! It was very worth the time and energy it took to make the change!

Garage Sale Treasure.

Inspired by the start of our bathroom makeover, I was on the lookout for other pieces that might add another new personal touch.

In one of my summer garage sale outings I picked up this old wooden box. I had fun giving it a makeover too.

I love old mason jars and wanted to display some. This box worked as a perfect way to keep a few bathroom necessities easy to find. 

  

 

Since that time we found a supplier of black wood boxes and quart mason jars. That means you can enjoy this look even if you don't stumble upon one at a garage sale! 

black wood box with mason jars

Black wood box shown with three quart mason jars. Also in picture is our mason jar soap dispenser.

Do you need a phone call?

Do you remember when you first hung your decorative shower curtain?

Are you wondering if a new shower curtain is just what you need?

Or maybe you are the one who needs to pick up the phone and give YOUR sister a call. Go for it! I'm sure glad mine called me!

We Can Help.

If you (or your sister) are in need of making a change in your bathroom and need to consider a new shower curtain, we would love to be a part of your amazing bathroom update!

Start by taking a stroll through our beautiful primitive shower curtains.

Here are few we have on display in our retail shop. 

shower curtain grouping at the shop

We would love to be a part of your amazing bathroom makeover!

If you need some more inspiration, we've put together 10 videos of primitive shower curtains to use in your home. These 10 options feature bathroom scenes. We suggest a matching rug, wall decor, and bathroom pieces to create a mini makeover.

Maybe you want to completely redo your room and would enjoy this article we published called How to Create a Country Bathroom: A Rustic Design Guide. We discuss flooring, paint, fixtures and more. 

Want to see another bathroom update? I had the opportunity to redo our upstairs bathroom a few years ago as well. We didn't need a complete overhaul, but we did need a new tub/shower.

A beautiful bathroom update doesn't always have to require ripping up the floor in order to really make a difference.

You can see how we choose to tackle our project by reading 4 Ways to Spruce up an Old Bathroom without a Complete Remodel.

No matter what changes you need in your bathroom, whether big or little, the perfect place to start is a new primitive country style shower curtain.