Window coverings are all-important for controlling your bathroom lighting and privacy – but there’s a fine line between letting in the light and keeping your bathroom private. We explore bathroom blinds and other options.

While once upon a time a frosted glass bathroom window was considered sufficient for privacy, today’s home owners are opting for more versatility and style with their window coverings, allowing them to enjoy the light and the view and still keep themselves nice.

“Houses are usually built so that living areas have a nice northerly or westerly aspect and the bathroom is generally tucked away somewhere with less light,” says blind retailer Kai Hennig. For this reason, it’s important that your bathroom window coverings take advantage of the natural light.

But bathrooms can pose a tricky problem for window coverings, with wet conditions playing havoc with traditional fabrics and materials. For practical reasons, most people avoid bathroom curtains and opt instead for bathroom blinds, but even the materials these are made from need to be considered.

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“Timber products are actually a no-no,” says Kai. “They might look nice in the beginning, but moisture can get into the timber and cause it to warp and bend.”

Kai advises that it’s important to choose a window covering that can stand up to excessive exposure to water. But if you thought white venetian blinds in the bathroom were your only option, think again. “In the last 10 to 15 years so many new products have come on the market and there are so many different options and styles to choose from now,” he says.

“Luxaflex have bathroom blinds called ‘Beyond Woods’, which is an extruded polymer blind, like an advanced plastic, which looks exactly like timber,” says Kai. “It’s very durable and it doesn’t soak up the humidity, so it’s really perfect for bathrooms.”

You can also use an aluminium venetian blind in the bathroom, as they are good for moisture,” he says. However, if opting for aluminium, it’s important to choose a good-quality blind, as cheaper varieties can be vulnerable to corrosion, particularly in salt-laden environments such as along the coast.

Kai reveals that some types of fabric bathroom blinds, such as roller blinds and roman blinds, can also be suitable, but it really depends on the fabric. “Some fabrics are fine with moisture and others are more delicate, so you have to be careful what kind of fabric you use,” he says.

With so many bathroom window blinds available, it’s important to get good advice and speak to a specialist who can determine what your needs are and recommend a product to suit.