I used a film on my bathroom window.

you could use smaller shutters, hinged in the middle on each half of the window (so four smaller panels instead of two large ones) to fold back on itself.

The film is a good idea. You can also get cordless wood slat blinds, which have a very similar look to plantation shutters, but you can manually open and close any section of the flats you want. Easiest way is to have them fully open, so the slats are flat horizontally, then with the back of your fingers, gently push closed, moving upward, the section of blind you want closed.

Rose abbey - I wondered about doing something like that. good to know it was ok

ceezeecz - so pretty! We need a bit more privacy maybe. We are in the country so no neighbors, but the windows are right by my driveway so definitely "exposed"

kswl2 - my decorator doesn't have those but I wondered if they were still making them this way. I'll have to find a place that carries them.

thanks so much for ideas, at the end of this build I'm completely zapped of creativity!

Tibbrix - this is what the sales lady suggested and I wasn't that crazy about it but I have to admit I didn't think about cordless and your photo looks nice so I may reconsider!

farm, I have them in my bedroom and I love them (although mine aren't cordless, which I regret a lot. I'll replace them with cordless at some point). But I live on Cape Cod, and they are very, very common here, as are the plantation shutters, precisely because the two share a look. That is what I do, though with my BR blinds the one in the landscape window. I keep the bottom five or so slats open so that I can see outside the window in the mornings, but the rest are closed.

Window films come in all degrees of privacy from almost clear to completely obscured. Some even look like stained glass. Yet allow the light through.

You can look into bottoms-up shades that will obscure the bottom half and leave the upper half clear. I don't think the moisture in a bathroom will be an issue for things like silhouettes. They are pretty well creased.

You could also do something like a cafe curtain where the lower half is covered by lace or sheer or another solid fabric while the top is left plain or treated with a matching or coordinating valance.

Bathroom Remodels · More Info

You can do the sheer with the rod at both the top and the bottom for a tighter, more tailored fit.

Various · More Info

I've always liked the look of this bishop sleeve.

House 16 · More Info

I had a window in my bathroom in my last house that looked directly into the neighbor's bedroom window. I wanted the light but didn't want the neighbor's to be able to see me in the bathroom. I had a wooden blind made for the bottom half of the window. It was great, we got plenty of light and no one could see us.

The other thing you can do is get the plantation shutters just for the bottom, or get four, so you can open the top pair and keep the bottom pair closed.

Like these:

Here is a bottoms up that isn't made of fabric if you're very concerned about moisture.

bathroom over the sea · More Info

Thanks Annie, I'll check that no fabric one out. The window is low to the ground, so it starts below the tub. Since it will be right on top of it, I wasn't sure the cafe curtains would work due to potential splashing, otherwise I like the look of those better. (This is supposed to be mommys tub but I have a feeling my small kiddos are going to think it is so cool to bathe in the special tub, otherwise I wouldn't worry about water too much) thanks everyone!