I really like the curved shower rod (not like #2). I stayed at a hotel with one and it looked great.

I initially saw the question mark over the window and was hoping someone might have a solution for curtain rods in these awkward windows in showers! Most tension rods for windows are metal and always rust. Any ideas?

I have a curved rod like HeyNowTex and missmilla describe (not like the one pictured). I love it and would never go back to a straight bar.

i have the curved "hotel" shower rod (I got it from BB&B, it is not the one pictured)
I love it so much.
It has made all the difference in the shower

I personally don't really care much for a curved shower rod - I am skinny and don't spread much in the shower, our showers are very quick. BUT I love that dual one where you can hang something inside the shower curtain. I have a small child and sometimes I wash something small that I would like to dry overnight but not have an eyesore in my bathroom, so this would resolve that problem. Very timely as only this weekend I wish I had a removable line inside the shower/tub area.

The curved shower bar is great. So much more room at shoulder height and much less claustrophobic. We would never use a regular straight bar again.

I love a curved shower curtain, especially in an older house where the bathtub is narrower. It doesn't have to do with skinny or fat -- at 6' tall, my wingspan is simply very long and a curved shower curtain gives me a little more room to reach up and move my arms.

It looks like your bathroom is pretty small, so I would only get the curved shower rod if you feel like you need more room in the shower, since that would mean less room outside of the shower.

As for the style, I really like the simple one from Restoration Hardware, although you can probably find something of similar quality for less. If you didn't like your $10 tension rod, you probably won't like the cheap metal fixed rods from walmart, bed bath n beyond, etc..

..and that double rod is pretty genius, not sure why those aren't more common.

The problem we have, is no matter what finish (in metal rods anyway) none of them last more than a year or so without developing terrible rust. I'll have to look into the bamboo one.

i have an even smaller tub and the curved is the way to go. you get so much extra room when showering but it doesn't take up extra room in my tiny bathroom.

I also love the one with the incorporated towel bar, but I guess it depends on if you like what you do with your towels now. I'm also not so impressed by the curved rods and think they look silly, but the practical effect is case-by-case, so....

Curved is the way to go. And all the way to the top, with an extra long shower curtain. Feels great, looks great.

@mfarling - try HD or Lowes for window film. Super easy to put in, just follow directions. Works like a charm.

I love the second to last rod, but $150????

I agree with flavorsplash. Get a curved rod and attach it up as high as possible (we measured ours by seeing how high I could reach to hang a clothes hanger on it for air drying clothes). We used a standard shower curtain hung with lengths of ball chain to give us the extra length needed for curtain to reach tub.

And I don't think the curved bar means less space in the rest of the room since the ends curve back to the normal set-back distance (our bathroom is about 6 1/2 x 9 and I don't notice a problem in that regard).

We have the curved one. Love it. Got it at Home Depot. Though it's rusting already after a mere 6 months. So perhaps get a curved one from someplace else...

I've never used a curved rod, but I always mount my curtain rod as high as possible. I use an extra-long liner and have a curtain custom made. it makes the bathroom feel extra tall and luxe and showers are even that more private and steamy...

http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com/

Or, set the tension rod above the tile against the wall. The edge of the tile will support the tension rod, and make it less likely to fall.

I like the idea of the curved rod, but can't bear that "powdered white" look the one featured has. Also, surely the water condenses/sprays/splashes onto the curtain, and drips onto the floor, especially if tub is narrow?

Another vote for a high-mounted curved bar. We love ours!

I use a track on the ceiling for a floor-to-ceiling shower curtain. You can use track from Ikea (if convenient) or you can order inexpensive bendable track from here:

http://konnectinternational.com/app/

I then made my own custom shower curtain using iron on fabric bonding and inexpensive sheer fabric.

I don't have a picture of the shower curtain, but here is a picture of a similar curtain project I did in my bedroom to create additional storage:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28955208@N05/3454478927/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28955208@N05/3455293186/

HKBM: regardless if the rod is straight or curved, the shower curtain is supposed to go inside the tub, not outside it. I use just a vinyl shower curtain. But if you're using a more decorative fabric curtain, those are supposed to be used with vinyl liners as well.

What's really a drag is when your $10 shower rod cracks your tile and requires an installer to come and replace it for more than $100! No savings there, I'm afraid.

It's not a hot rod, but this incredibly cool new shower drain from California Faucets is definitely worth checking out:

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2010/05/molten-gold-drainiacs-ii.html

So is this one:

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2010/04/molten-gold-drainiacs.html.

I promise after looking at these beauties, you'll never look at your standard drain the same way again!