Hilary Farr's Chic Design For Bathroom Privacy, And How You Can DIY It For Less

The common bathroom style nowadays that features clear, glass surfaces is trendy because it communicates cleanliness and modernity, but not everyone likes that level of openness. On an episode of "Love It or List It", the client didn't like her bathroom because it had a completely open design with clear shower glass doors and clear walls that left a full view of the outdoors. Hilary Farr's idea was to use frosted glass for the outside-facing portion of the shower to make it more discreet (via YouTube). Frosted shower doors are a great way to have privacy without losing out on the look of glass, but they can be expensive, costing up to $2,000. Thankfully, they are easy to recreate with privacy film.

Traditional shower coverings like doors and curtains give you all the privacy you might need, but they can often make the space feel less airy. That's where glass doors come in. Glass doors, especially frameless shower doors, can make a small bathroom look and feel bigger because they open up the space by letting light in and are easier to maintain. They also just make the place feel clean and fresh which adds a touch of simple elegance to the bathroom. 

If privacy is crucial for you, don't automatically forego glass for solid materials. Frosted glass gives you the best of both worlds because it maintains the light feeling of glass without the see-through factor. Now, you might be wondering – aren't frosted-glass showers outdated? It's true that they have been around for a long time and aren't really present in modern designs anymore, but they only look dated if the overall bathroom design isn't done properly. 

To avoid them looking dated and out of place, use the right type of frosted glass. You may want to steer clear of patterned glass and go for a simple, light frosting so its presence isn't too strong. They also have the tendency to make a space smaller visually, so avoid that also by making the rest of the bathroom look as airy and open as possible. Hilary Farr does this in the episode by making the bathroom all white with hints of gray.

If you want to copy Hilary Farr's chic design and frost your windows for maximum privacy, you can get shower doors that are already frosted, call a professional to frost your existing doors by sandblasting, or handle the frosting yourself. To save costs, DIY with the doors you already have. You can use frosted glass spray, film (with or without adhesive), or etching cream.

A product to consider is this frosted glass privacy film on Amazon. All you need to do is to stick the film on with soapy water — no glue necessary — smooth it out, and pat dry with a rag. It comes in different sizes so you can choose one that fits your shower doors, but you can also cut it down for an exact fit. Another perk of this product is that you can remove and reuse it just as easily. At $10 for the 17.5 x 78.7-inch roll (around $1 per square foot), the savings are incomparable to what you could spend on an already-frosted door.