wunderbar!

like the way this looks.

so... what's it say?

For a second I thought Maya Lin was designing bathrooms. All the bathroom needs is a wreath and maybe some flowers to complete the war memorial look.

It loks like a poem. At a glance and I'm NOT fluent (no don't pick on my gloss), I can pick out what looks like:

the moment is right_the moment is not good_it is actually important ... I build a dream on the sand_and it is okay_it is okay_along all the ways_and it is sunny_unburdened and free_and the man calls the man...and because he laughs, and because he lives, you fail_it is okay_all the way and it is sunny...

That "he laughs, he lives, you fail" is repeated again as the last line.

A shower enclosure with German writing creeps me out.

by which I meant "It LOOKS like a poem" and "SO don't pick on my gloss."

coffee....

way cool idea

It is sort of inspired, but could it be changed if you tired of it?

I'm with DukeOfEarl... my first thought was 'war memorial'

and after reading Lisa's comment and realizing it was german writing... more creeped out

I love it. But I love all things typographic. And I love type on glass. And I love minimalist modern bathrooms. And I love Maya Lin.

What I *don't* love is how anything German (even thoough a Swiss design) is almost automatically thrown into the realm of the references made here by Lisa, etal. I understand something can promote a reaction, but painting with such a broad brush is dangerous territory, no?

TriciaRose--

If this was etched, not really possible to change unless you change the panel. However, most sign makers have a surface-applied vinyl film that simulates the appearance of etching, and that would be "reversible." It's literally a film, though, and while it would be impervious to water, I'd apply it to the exterior side of the shower panel.

It is actually a song by a very famous German musician (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLuRpXMLHEQ). And when you understand the words it is not so creepy anymore... who doesn't like singing in the shower?

yes, it's a song. you can actually spot the title - 'Mensch' - at the top and 'Grönemeyer' at the bottom.

while it's a brilliant and beautiful idea, the thought of having cheesy Grönemeyer lyrics inscribed in my shower enclosure is anything but appealing (as an Austrian that is...).

I love this idea! And it would be so easy to change it up if you used vinyl decals instead of etching it into the glass. Genius.

That is a very handsome bathroom, I would be happy with that.

I'd use vinyl letter on the inside of the glass so I could read it while showering and in the mirror while brushing my teeth.

All I could pick out was it was in German.. and honestly I'm pretty offended that people are "creeped" out by a *language* of all things. German is a beautiful language (one that I wish I had the patience to learn how to speak more than a dozen words in), as are they ALL, imo. Honestly people.. horrible things are said in every language.. it's not a reflection on the LANGUAGE but only the people who've said them. ffs..

You can still apply the lettering to the outside... just have the text/artwork reversed when it is being created.

@DukeofEarl: my bf wanted to know what I was chuckling at. It was your comment (about the war memorial look).

d4kk1tt3n--thank you.

Love it. I REALLY love the light "line" along the ceiling on the sink wall.

It totally resembles the (sad, breathtaking, incredibly moving) Holocaust memorial in Boston.

And I am sorry, but I would not call a German a "beautiful language." Of course the owners of this bathroom speak German (or is it Swiss German?) so the words and what they say on this enclosure must be beautiful to them.

AT - could you please add a recurring comment #1 after each entry that notes that you instruct your bloggers to use the editorial "we" style of writing? Or in each entry itself possibly. It's really OLD to hear the same old *gasp*gripe*complain* about it, and then have someone else complain, then someone explain. blah.

Or maybe I'm just having a tense day and it's on my nerves.

The German that's spoken on the History Channel WWII documentaries isn't that beautiful a language... but the German spoken by my high school German teacher, who was from a part of Germans with a much softer accent, IS a beautiful language. Sounded totally different - for example the softer "ish" for ich.

Anyway, I like the shower :-)

margie: exactly, most of my German experience is from listening to my grandmother speak it when I was little. I find it ridiculous that people seem to pigeonhole an entire culture by the deeds of some part of the society in a particular time, particularly many people with no ties of their own to that time/place.

If your own family was affected by what happened then, that's different and I can understand that you'd likely have biases about it for good reason.

However.. this is an idea presented here.. if you don't like the language, pick one that means something to you maybe instead? But don't diss someone else's language jsut because you don't like it. That's just rude.

Uh, it's not a "song" as some have suggested. Maybe lyrics?
In its state, it's closer to a poem than it is a song.

If it's etched, wouldn't this be tough to clean?

Didn't mean to diss the Deutsche. I am sure it sounds adorable coming out of a cute grandmother's mouth. I have a very close friend who is German and it sounds OK when she speaks it. I just don't think the guttural sounds and hard consonants can compete with the musical quality of Italian or some of the other Romance languages. For the record, I think English is an ugly-sounding language too.

The gut reaction to the German language will fade. WWII is still pretty darned recent, historical-time-wise, and many of us have living grandparents who were part of the war. It's unfortunate to have such negativity directed at your beloved country and language, but such is the peril of having insane racist crazypants leaders in recent memory. It won't last forever...and I wonder if a softer-edged font would have elicited the same reactions?

Wow...the comments here are amusing!

I think the shower is beautiful and a great way to tastefully nod to whatever inspires you and makes you happy.

If you hate German, how do you feel about Japanese?

The Germans paid reparations, have laws against Nazi propaganda and teach their history honestly.

The Japanese have never apologized to the Chinese and Koreans they brutalized, paid a nickle or teach anything about the era. Their leaders routinely visit a shrine in Tokyo with very bad associations.

So... we hate anything German because they killed us but it is OK to like things that are Japanese?

I don't get it. I never have. And I don't believe in blood guilt.

Beside all the bullshit about the german language:

The text are the lyrics from the song "Mensch" of german singer "Herbert Grönemeyer":
http://bit.ly/bfb4AS

Taureg, I don't think everyone hates "anything German." I love German composers and engineering and my friends who are German or of German descent. As an aside, my father grew up in London during the war next to a munitions factory that was always being bombed. It was terrifying, and I have heard his stories my whole life. I also have friends whose parents were Holocaust survivors.

I think shanalulu is right. A lot of American kids hear their first German words while watching footage of Adolph Hitler in history class. And then their parents or grandparents tell them their own stories of living through the war. Most of us don't have as much close familiarity with atrocities committed in Japan or anywhere else in the world. It doesn't mean we excuse them more than we do those of the Nazis. The only similar discussion I can remember coming up on AT was when someone had a large portrait of Chairman Mao in his loft. People were more outraged over that, if it makes you feel any better. (And also, I get that putting innocent song lyrics on a shower in their original language is not the same as putting up a picture of a dictator over the mantel.)

It's, uh, nice we can all work through our collective feelings about World War II through this shower door post. I look forward to the kitchen cabinet article in which we get into a heated debate about the War of 1812.

I like the door. The words give great texture to an otherwise flat room.

so many folks have such delicate sensibilities.....this creeps you out, and that creeps you out. grow up and grow a set. it's not that serious.

It's ugly and German showers have no place in my home and I don't give a damn who's offended.

Gee, @JosieDaisy, you sound happy and well-adjusted.

this is really nice. german is a great language too. the only caveat i would add is that i wouldn't personally have something in my home if i didn't understand the language/ what it said.
tolerance, anyone?
it's hardly like someone went through Mein Kampf for quotes.

Gee @rosenatti, you sound sorta smug.

I am not saying no one should have it. But it does not appeal to me aesthetically and I would never have it in my home. I find the cries for tolerance pretty silly. No one's hurting anyone by saying its creepy and unnattractive.

JosieDaisy--

If you see this example and think/say "I wouldn't want a 'German shower' in my home," I'd say this round goes to Rosenati, smug or not.

kellylc- your comment is HILARIOUS!

Love em or hate em if it's German it is probably top quality so I believe it has to be etched, maybe laser etching.