Young House Love

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An Epic Shower Curtain Fail

Well, it’s not really epic. More like Not So Bad Fail. Or No Biggie Fail. But we like to share our trials along with our triumphs, so here ya go.

We were in HomeGoods scouting night tables, rugs, pillows and whatever else wanted to come home with us when we spotted this baby for a mere 12 beans.

Shower Curtain Close Up

It’s a shower curtain.

Fun modern pattern? Check. In line with the gray & yellow color scheme for our guest bathroom? Check. On sale? Checkity-check-check. So we brought it home (our only purchase of the day, actually, but that’s another story) and threw it right into place.

Shower Curtain In Place

At first it felt like the perfect step it waking up the vintage yellow tile of yesteryear and making it feel more current. But then we looked down…

Shower Curtain Too Pattern

Something about the busy Scrabble-esque pattern on the floor combined with the gridded wall, combined with the semi-small-scale busy modern floral pattern just felt like too much going on. Oh well. At least we gave it the ol’ college try.

So we took it down, packed it back up, relieved our bathroom of its pattern-y overload, and returned it to HomeGoods (on the bright side, we grabbed some pillows for the bedroom while we were there – more on those later). We’re thinking we need to find something plain (like a white or soft gray waffle knit curtain) or something with a very simple or subtle large-scale pattern (tone on tone wide gray stripes maybe?) so it doesn’t compete with all that tile. But since we don’t have any overnight guests in our near future (knock on wood) we’re in no rush to hunt anything down tomorrow. Maybe we’ll even take our time and DIY something with a stencil or some fabric dye. We promise to share every detail when and if we do…

Psst- Wanna see something we don’t regret buying? Check out our BabyCenter post this week (with another Clara video, because we’re those people).

Comments

  1. Chris says

    LOVE the shower curtain. Should have kept the shower curtain and ditched the floor. I think all those squares need some curvy pattern mixed in.

    Reply

  2. brianne says

    A Dip Dye ombre effect from white to medium gray would be pretty and modern. I’ve had the DIY dip-dye urge lately (say that 5 times fast) and would love to see a shower curtain this way!

    Reply

  3. Sarah K says

    Good try! I think I would go for white or white with a grey patter on in there.

    Our (rental) bathroom has a some pure white and some off-white fixtures. Can you say ‘ug-lee.’ I really wanted a grey and yellow bathroom when we moved in, but after the 5th different shade of yellow rug still made the bathroom look WAY too yellow, I switched my palette to white and grey with touches of Aqua, and now it’s MUCH better.

    Good luck finding your perfect shower curtain. I know it will end up looking great!

    Reply

  4. Kirsten says

    I just saw a gray waffle knit shower curtain at Target today…the color is called manatee, which is fun :D It’s a Target Restyle brand, so it’s fairly cheap at regular price.

    Reply

  5. Shannon says

    Yeah…I don’t like it all. The shower curtain itself is pretty but I didn’t like it with the tile or the floor. My vote is for the white or soft-gray waffle knit which is funny bc I pictured that before I read what you wrote! I think it’s great you’re keeping that tile for now, because it’s kinda cute considering it’s the guest bathroom. I can’t wait to see it grow up with the gray paint though!

    Reply

  7. Anna says

    Hi,

    This is a unrelated post question but tax season is coming up and I was just curious to see what you both can write off as a business expense for YHL? Since this blog is your business, and a lot of the stuff (furniture, tools, materials, etc) are technicality used toward building up and furthering the business, do you write a lot of it off? If not, what qualifies and what doesn’t? Just a random question but I’ve always wondered that every time you mention finances or taxes and thought I’d ask since tax season is upon us!

    Thanks in advance for your answer!

    Anna

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Anna,

      Our (awesome) accountant explained that we can write off a number of blog related expenses (like the hosting fees that we pay to keep this site running or the envelopes that we purchased to ship our old shop prints) we can’t write off DIY project expenses since we’re using them to add value to our house (which isn’t our office, it’s our primary residence). Some people who work at home chose to write off utilities for the one room that they designate as a “home office” but our accountant actually very strongly advised against that for us (since it would be such a small part of our house to write off – just the home office – and then we wouldn’t get to call the entire house “ours” since it would also be partially devoted to business). See, in writing off a portion of our house as a home office we would have to pay capital gains taxes on that office area when and if we sell the house (which would diminish our whole-house profit substantially). We can’t imagine having to pay taxes when we sold our house back in December. So lucky to have our accountant to set things straight. We actually don’t mind saving our pennies and paying for our projects just like everyone else does. We’re still just happy to be putting money into a hobby/pastime/lifestyle that gains value and could give us a return sometime (as opposed to spending it on food or something else that never “pays you back”). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  11. Erin says

    I love the print… you should have kept it for a few extra days to use as a background fabric for one of Clara’s weekly photos before you packaged it up and took it back!!! :)

    Reply

  13. Liz says

    Is it weird that I LOVE your little yellow bathroom? It looks so cute and charming! I wouldn’t change the tiles at all!

    Reply

  14. pam kueber says

    I think your yellow wall tile and the mosaic tile floor are just fabulous. They look to be very high quality “mud set” — you can’t even get that kind of craftsmanship any more. I know lots of folks in mid century modest homes who’d LOVE to have that bathroom.

    Also, I’d hardly call your shower curtain an “epic” fail. Add rugs, towels and some artwork that brings in that blue, and I’d think you’d be in business. Alternatively, ditch the blue altogether — stick with tones that already exist in the floor tile and wall….

    Reply

  15. Lyndsey says

    Sometimes you never know until you try! Thanks for sharing that you don’t always hit it outa the park on the first try either.

    Have you seen the new modern home dec fabrics from Dwell Studio? There’s a few options that might work for you. If you decide to go custom, I would be happy to stitch it up for you just ’cause I get such a kick outa following your story.I made one for a bath in our 50s ranch with similar vibe. It has big grommets. Whatever you choose, it’ll be great I’m sure. So many fun decisions ahead for you!

    Reply

  16. Andrea says

    considered painting the tiles in the guest bathroom? If prepaired correctly and used the right undercoat and paint/varnish for tiles it can look great and last for years.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Andrea,

      We actually did consider that but there’s something charming and sunny about the vintage tile as it is. We’re excited to find the right accessories and wall color to crisp it up!

      xo,
      s

  17. Mindy says

    Clara’s bath video is adorable! We have a little whale tub that we just keep in the hallway bathroom… “guest” bathroom i.e. Liv’s bathroom right now. She’s 10.5 months and wiggly as ever–I may check this out to use for bambino #2 down the line! {Note: Liv watched Clara’s video and smiled the whole time :)

    Reply

  19. Stephanie Anderson says

    Hey Sherry and John…I just bought 2 faux leather green chairs (Arlington) at Target, on sale, that would be great with the new colors in your house. They arrived yesterday and are just as nice in person!

    Reply

  21. Jessica says

    Funny, this summer I decided to go the EXACT colors of the shower curtain in my bedroom, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I even searched fabric shops in Philly, and they had nothing for me.

    Now that the bedroom is finished, that color combo is everywhere. Go figure!

    Reply

  25. Christina W says

    How do you feel about your mosaic floor tile? We have the same tile style as yours but is peach. The flooring is a mix of peach, brown and this weird in between. I think the same person designed out guest/hall baths!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Christina,

      We actually find the tile charming! With the right wall color and accessories we think it’ll be a nice mix of vintage and crisp newness. Here’s hoping we get there someday!

      xo,
      s

  26. Kristie says

    Can’t win ’em all, Team P! I’m sure you’ll come up with something absolutely fabulous in due time. And my, oh my, that floor is quite Scrabble-y! xoxo

    Reply

  27. Kerry says

    Looking at the colors of the tile on the floor, I am going to make a RADICAL suggestion: instead of the yellow-and-cool-gray palette you were aiming for, why not do one of the following…

    1) WARM gray and yellow (this will tie it in with the floor a bit better I think)
    2) OATMEAL and yellow
    3) earth tones and gray.

    I think the real issue is not the pattern but that the colors of the curtain are really yellow-BLUE GRAY-neutral gray whereas the floor is yellow-WARM GRAY (or oatmeal, can’t tell 100%).

    Another interesting thought is to color the grout throughout to create some sort of consistency of color. I’ve seen a couple projects where people have done this and it doesn’t always look really good, but it might possibly take away some of your gridlike patterny awful. Just some thoughts.

    But unless you find up with something really special, I think you should definitely look at a warmer palette. I imagine that same shower curtain where the blue was replaced with tan would look great in that bathroom (if not a bit monotone).

    Also – what color are you planning on doing the walls?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Kerry,

      The walls are going a soft warm-ish gray. That’s why we love the idea of a white or soft gray curtain (since white ties in with the sink/toilet and gray will tie in with the walls for a more monochromatic/expansive look). Can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

      xo,
      s

  28. Krystal says

    Never heard of failblog.org ?!?! And here I thought you two were the perfect example of all that was cool and hip…haha. Just kidding, I still think you guys are awesome :) May I also suggest taking a gander at awkwardfamilyphotos.com or myparentsjoinedfacebook.com ?

    Reply

  30. Melissa says

    This must be a “gotta be there” moment. I didn’t see it as a bad combination. In fact, I really liked it. Do you think with a solid color rug you could defuse the so- believed craziness of the patterns? Is it too late to give it another try? What ever you choose, I’m sure it will be amazing – can’t wait to see what’s in store!

    Reply

  31. Jackie says

    I think this was a great match actually…Or at least, through the photos it doesn’t translate as “failed”. I thought it was a good combination, then again unlike you guys, I’m no pro :)

    Reply

  32. Caroline says

    Seeing as your page made me go and look at that gorgeous ThomasPaul octopus cushion – what about the shower curtain in that? I think it comes in navy and grey. I’d do navy myself – to make those wall tiles seem less beigey-yellow.

    I would also be thinking about what kind of shower mat to put on the floor.

    I think the floor tiles are kind of cute – its the wall ones which are a bit dingy but which will work with the right amount of tweaking.

    Of course a crisp white would also work.

    Reply

  36. M says

    All of the tile looks like it belongs in a middle school gym locker room. Hopefully you guys can make it look more “retro” in a “trendy” way!

    Reply

  37. SchoolhouseKat says

    I love that you returned it. This week I returned knobs for a built-in that turned out to be more maroon than the vintage lavender I was imagining – and I found the lavender! Sometimes you have to hold out for the perfect thing even if you’re not sure it exists.

    Reply

  38. diana says

    Hi!
    I know you don’t need and didn’t ask for opinions. But. I like to play imagining things in your house, waiting for the money to do it in MY house.
    Seeing how tiny-dolls’ house that bathroom is, wouldn’t bright plain white be a solution to consider for the shower curtain? or maybe silver? And to have the towels in the same tone/colour?

    I’m sorry I’m intruding somewhere where it’s not my business, and where you are waaaaaaay better than me!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Diana,

      For sure! We mentioned that we’re considering a white waffle weave curtain right here in this post. It’s definitely a contender! And the towels will most definitely relate to the shower curtain in some way! Can’t wait to see where we end up…

      xo,
      s

  39. fdr says

    thanks for sharing this :-) I totally loved the curtain and would be bummed if I was you. But I really appreciate that you tell us about your mistakes too! It makes me feel less like a disaster in my baby home diy/decoration steps and more like its just part of the process.

    Reply

  40. Sammy says

    I don’t think it’s an epic fail, but I can see what you mean. You could still try another patterned curtain – there surely is The One Great Pattern for this bathroom.
    I imagine this one could look great with a grey wall without being too boring or too crazy:
    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70190596

    If you want to go a wee bit crazy, you could actually add some subtle light grey scrabble letters to the floor :)

    Reply

  41. Heather says

    At first, I didn’t like the yellow tile. The more I think about it, I actually think it can be a fun background to work with. I like your idea of a grey striped shower curtain. You can also add accents like charcoal colored towels and a comfy/fuzzy white throw rug to play down the floor a bit. I think that the room would also be fun with chrome fixtures that are retro looking. Definitely has a lot of potential!

    Reply

  42. Laura says

    I can see where that would get pattern crazy, neither one is really the dominant pattern. It’s cheaper to replace the shower curtain than the floor. West Elm has a great yellow and white stripe shower curtain, it’s a little simpler, yet would definitely be the dominant pattern. You could probably throw the photo into photoshop and play around with it to see if the pattern would work before ordering. Best of luck!

    Reply

  43. Caroline says

    When you’re done with this room, we’re all going to wish we had yellow tile in our bathrooms! =) It’s going to be so cute!

    Reply

  46. foo says

    I thought it looked great. The little flecks of bright yellow in the floor went great with the little flecks of yellow in the curtain. It’s like putting a striped or checkered patterned pillow on a flower patterned couch. In this case it is the colors that bring it together so the patterns don’t have to.

    Reply

  47. RebeccaNYC says

    I would like to see a really crisp white curtain to accent the white elsewhere. The yellow is just not a nice yellow to accent.

    Reply

  49. mypatsyann says

    Lol…maybe not epic, but it feels epic b/c there’s an epic amount of time/energy involved! You have to venture out in the cold, dig through messy shelves of clearance stuff, then the euphoria of the “Aha! Found just the thing and it’s cheap!” moment, then driving home, then installing, then telling yourself you might get used to it, then getting honest with yourself that it looks bad, then trying to cram the darn thing into the itty-bitty original packaging, then driving back to the store (in heavy rain/snow/sleet) and coming home again with nothing to show for it.
    I have repeated this process three times already this week: drapes, slipcover, more drapes. I think the “epic” part is epic expenditure of energy….

    Reply

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