Jessica, cool mat. Sorry I missed that info. I think that another representational piece on fabric,in your small spaces, may be too much. Too much because it dilutes the impact of each. But you are in there and we don't have pics. Do you have a blind under the curtain? Wondering if an inexpensive Arlo natural bamboo blind would add some of the vibe you want?

Molly: The rug I suppose since I already have it.

hollybar: The window curtains are in my bedroom, in case that affects what you're saying. There are cheap white blinds under them that came with the apartment, and I don't think I could change them even if I wanted to. (I think they're screwed in place, and I never open my curtains.)

Any interest in these? Maybe they could function as an accent/colour bridge,IF there is tile in the bathroom. https://www.etsy.com/listing/545178242/tropical-jungle-stick-on-vinyl-tile?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=stick+on+tile&ref=sr_gallery-1-29&organic_search_click=1

I think you need to either let go of the rug or get a plain shower curtain.

hollybar: No tile, and I'm not big on the tropical aesthetic.

Molly: Some more great options. Thank you!

Here's my bathroom. Maybe this will help.

Well, I would just do green in there...I mean, it's a small bathroom...so get yourself a plain green shower curtain to go with the rug. Bamboo accessories. A couple of prints...

Bathrooms, by their very nature, are rather cluttered and busy spaces. It's beneficial to not busy them up further, especially if they're small.

Keep it simple, streamlined, and calm.

Print:

Though I am ignorant, that sounds like good advice to me. Thank you! I'm not sure how I feel about bamboo. I'll mull it over, see how it settles.

loobab?????????? umm, I think you've confused my posts with others? No biggie.

Jessica, Hope you choose to keep us posted on your choices. I love a happy outcome.

I was the one who raised the concern. It isn't a matter of "dirty" so much as soap residue buildup. A dish of shells or beads or the like create a lot of surface area for soap residue to collect on. But now that I think about it, a soak and a bit of a scrub should take care of that no different than any buildup on the soap dish I was looking at. Thanks for the perspective, loobab.

Ignoring the mat I have (I'm still in the window for returning it, I think), would it still be best to go with a simple shower curtain like pennydesign suggested? Maybe it's just ignorance with design, but I feel like I'm straying from the nature-y, forest-y theme I had in mind by not going with something more graphic...

Yes, they are connected. I'll consider that option. While I do like the rug, it's a less important element than the curtain.

I did a couple of mock ups to see how a couple of shower curtains would look in your bathroom. They’re not the best renditions as I’m using iPad, but hopefully can giv3 you a sense how they would look together with rug. i used the blue Etsy one you liked and the first one molly picked.

Nothing will remind you of home more than a few cedar accents

. https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/573050274/cedar-soap-dish?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=cedar+accessories&ref=sr_gallery-2-11&organic_search_click=1

I think MarleneM hit it perfectly with her second picture.

I like MarleneM's second picture as well. The rug you have is a bit abstract while the shower curtain is more graphic. I think they're a good match. The cedar soap dish that MarleneM posted is a great option as well.

Instead of a plastic liner, consider a fabric hotel liner. They're much easier to throw in the wash and clean. I much prefer the fabric over the plastic. I bought mine quite inexpensively at Home Goods.

For a small bathroom--to make it look larger--use a clear shower curtain. Being able to see all the way to the far wall makes a huge difference in the apparent size. A solid shower curtain might as well be a wall, as it shrinks the visible area.

The curtain doesn't have to be all clear, but you should be able to see through a good portion of it. And it doesn't have to be plastic; there are sheer fabric ones (although in that case you'd want a clear inner liner.

No clear shower curtain. They look okay the first day they're up, but that's it.

Marlene: Thank you so much for going to the effort of making those mock-ups! I really appreciate it, and I agree the second one looks sharp. It does seem to go rather well with my rug, too, and I am a little grateful there's hope I don't have to return it. (The process would just be annoying.) I had seen that curtain before, but admittedly I'd passed it over because it looks a little CG due to the sharp, defined edges of all the shapes, but the more I look at it the more I'm warming up to it. There are many lovely shades of greens and blues, and it finally gives me the chance to incorporate a bit of blue into my decor.

Thank you also for the bedroom photo. That looks cozy and relaxing, and the little touches of color here and there are striking. Texture wasn't something I'd considered before, but it will be from now on.

The cedar looks fantastic. I'll definitely consider those.

katinparadise: A fabric liner sounds amazing. Launderable, breathable... It had been recommended I get a double rod if I went with a fabric liner. What are your thoughts on that?

Sounds like I got lucky catching your eye then!

I'm taking some time to decide on that curtain just to make sure I'm not being impulsive and won't regret it later.

I'm checking them out now. Thanks for the lead!

Jessica, I don't think a double rod is necessary. I believe you said you have clips that accommodate a double curtain now so I think you could stick with those. If not, these are super easy to move along the rod and work well.

I'll keep those in mind in case I have any issues. Thank you!

Update: I have the new curtain and liner, but I'm waiting for some maintenance on my tub to be completed before I put it up. I'll get some photos once I do. I also just ordered cedar soap dishes.

I hope you took back the rug?

I didn't. I got the curtain that was in the second mock-up Marlene made, and it seemed to me the rug went with it. Did I misjudge?

Jessica, I think it will look lovely! Don’t second guess yourself because of a negative comment. Looking forward to seeing photos when it’s up.

Great, can’t wait to see the end result either.

I think it's a great choice. Like they were meant to go together!

Just seeing this thread from the updates and I think the shower curtain will look great with the rug! Marlene's mockup was spot on.

I always used a fabric liner and it was so much nicer if I rubbed against it than a plastic one. And once I got that style rings with two sides it so easy to throw in the wash with towels.

I see you already ordered a soap dish, but I remember in my old guest bath I had a giant river rock I used to put bar soap on top of. Occasionally I'd wash the rock but it was a cool look.

Look forward to seeing the curtain up. :)

Maintenance is still pending, but I got impatient and put everything up. I even got some double-sided curtain hooks because of justwantapool's comment on ease of washing the liner.

Sadly, the curtain looks awful. The image was clearly not designed to be scaled to this size, resulting in a patchy and pixelated mess. I plan on processing a return or exchange. This is not something worth $60. So... I'm back to square one on the curtain hunt.

I also vote no to the plastic liner. hard to clean and wasteful to just replace them all the time. Nylon curtains can be thrown in the wash and bleached (it's easier to wash them routinely though, before the bottom hem gets moldy). I use this kind of hook which makes that chore super easy.

I used to have two curtains doubled up on regular hooks and that worked just fine, btw. double sided hooks or double rods are not really necessary unless you just like the way it looks.

Oh that’s a bummer about the curtain! Sorry to hear it.

I used a single hook with both curtain & liner in them forever. It worked fine. But it was nice having the double hook. I ended up washing the liner more often. Certainly not required though!

This is like I’m talking about. You could probably find some nicer ones if you want.

These are the hooks I got. I'm not wild about the roller beads making as much noise as they do, but they do certainly slide better than my previous hooks.

Bummer! How did the color feel, too dark or just right?

It seems pretty good. The dark side of the curtain is in the darkest part of my bathroom thanks to a cabinet. I don't know why I didn't take a photo of the whole thing initially, but here you go!

Are you looking for a something similar or completely different?

Similar would be great. Green and blue, watercolor-like, pines and mountains maybe. If something else can be found on Society6, I think I can do an exchange. Otherwise I'll just put in for a refund.

Would you be open to something like this? It would look great with your rug and add some color. Most of the pine/mountain curtains are by the same artist as the one you don’t like.

I'm not big on pink or flowers (unless, apparently, it's wisteria or lavender... maybe I'm just a sucker for purple). I did notice that most of the pine/mountain curtains on Society6 were from the same artist, and it made me a little sad. Maybe I should just return what I have so there aren't restrictions on the search for a replacement.