Are Frosted-Glass Showers Outdated? Tips To Make The Most Of Your Bathroom Space

While outdated trends are really just a matter of opinion, they're often helpful indicators of which feature might be dragging your space down. One room commonly afflicted by trends that have come and gone too quickly is the bathroom. And the trend that's done a lot of the offending? Frosted-glass showers. Among all the things in your bathroom that are making it feel outdated, this is one of the more obvious answers.

These panels feature acid-etched glass, which gives them the appearance of being "frosted" over with fog or ice. It's a popular choice in bathrooms because it offers an additional layer of privacy that crystal-clear glass shower doors don't. This style erupted in popularity in the '90s, and many bathrooms today still feature these hazy-looking, textured doors. However, when these doors are mixed with the wrong details, it's easy to have a bathroom that feels like it's stuck in the past. While frosted glass isn't inherently outdated, it's normally placed in situations where it feels that way. Here is why frosted glass makes a bathroom look outdated, how to update this look for modern bathrooms, and what alternatives are available.

Frosted glass originally earned its popularity because it was one of the ways to make your glass shower doors less revealing. But there are a few reasons why it contributes to an outdated feel in a bathroom. For starters, frosted glass typically makes a bathroom feel smaller, and a cramped space tends to feel stuffier and draw attention to all the details you don't love. This style of glass is usually found in a standard '90s or '00s bathroom, so if your shower space was built during this time, you'll probably find your shower is surrounded by other outdated features, too.

On its own, frosted glass can feel contemporary and modern, but if it's being supported by other stale trends, you'll notice it. For example, beige and yellow walls and tiles, old-fashioned wallpaper, carpeting, and fluorescent lights can all contribute to a bath that looks like it time traveled from another era. While it's easy to blame the shower, it might be other components at fault, too. If you freshen up the paint, flooring, lighting, and faucets, a frosted-glass shower can much more easily blend into its new modern surroundings.

If you're looking to replace your frosted-glass shower, you're probably approaching the shopping experience with caution — and rightly so. Longevity is key with fixtures and appliances, and not just functionally but stylistically too. One of the things you should know before buying a new shower for your bathroom is the types of showers available and what effect each has on your space. A popular choice nowadays that has remained classic is crystal-clear shower doors. While fully transparent showers don't offer the same privacy, they do make a bathroom feel elevated and more spacious, whether it's an open or closed shower.

If you like the extra privacy a frosted finish provides, there are other styles of obscure glass that look slightly more modern. Textured glass with waves and distortion can be a statement piece in a bathroom and feel fresher than a plain frosted door. The framing of a shower door can also contribute to it feeling stale and outdated. A frameless shower door is a very modern take on the standard silver-lined panes. A matte black perimeter or frame with square panes outlined can also modernize your shower doors and even update an old frosted-glass shower.