The “Vintage-Inspired” $45 West Elm Gem That Makes My Dreary Bathroom So Much Brighter

Written by

Morgan PryorCommerce Assistant Editor at AT Media
Morgan PryorCommerce Assistant Editor at AT Media
I cover must-have home products, sales, and brand launches. Prior to working at ATM, I earned my degree in Culture Writing and Criticism from NYU, and I interned at publications like CNN Underscored, TV Insider, Texas Monthly (I'm a Dallas native), and more. When I'm not writing, I'm usually at the movies or browsing in a thrift store.
published Dec 5, 2024
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My bathroom is like a decent portion of New York City bathrooms: on the smaller side. I’ve put a lot of time into making it functional: I added a narrow rolling cart that can hold all of my toiletries. Above the toilet, I installed a medicine cabinet for more storage. Towels had pretty much nowhere to go, so I found a towel rack that mounts onto the wall. 

As satisfying as it has been figuring out ways to make my bathroom more efficient, making it look pretty was actually my first order of business. Believe me, it was more difficult than it sounds: The fluorescent lighting and lack of a window made sure of that. The first item I shopped for was my shower curtain — my old apartment’s shower had glass walls, which didn’t allow for showcasing any personality, so I was excited to pick one out this time around. I wanted to extend my living space’s vintage aesthetic into the bathroom, which led me to West Elm’s RHODE Begonia Shower Curtain.

What Is the RHODE Begonia Shower Curtain?

West Elm first launched its collaboration with women-owned fashion brand RHODE, which is known for its vintage-inspired prints, back in 2023. Items were quick to sell out, so West Elm brought the collection back with new additions this past summer, including bedding, tableware, and more. The Begonia Shower Curtain was part of the original collection, and it’s become a bestseller once again this time around. 

Available in Freshwater Blue or Dijon, the 100% cotton curtain is printed all over with tiny flowers, giving it a cottagecore vibe. The former has a scalloped edge lined with a sage green border, while the latter is mustard yellow. Along the top, 12 buttonholes are built in to hang it from curtain rings. It’s also designed to coordinate with West Elm’s Shower Curtain liner, which you can grab for an extra $19.

Credit: Morgan Pryor

Why I Love the RHODE Begonia Shower Curtain

I was wandering around one of West Elm’s outlets when I spotted the Begonia Shower Curtain from a few feet away, and I immediately made a beeline for it. It’d been on my wish list for months, and now that I was moving into a new apartment, I finally convinced myself to splurge. I don’t think I’d ever spent more than $30 on a shower curtain before then, but now that I’ve seen the difference that a high-quality curtain can make, I won’t hesitate to invest ever again. (That is, if I ever need to buy another one — I don’t see RHODE’s curtain showing any signs of wear anytime soon.)

I’m a sucker for floral prints and scalloped edges — it’s one of my favorite trends of the past year — so this shower curtain checked all of the boxes. The lack of natural lighting makes my bathroom feel cave-like, and the space is tiny as I mentioned before, so I knew I had to be strategic when selecting the shower curtain. As the most prominent feature of the whole room, the cream, sage green, and light blue details are soft enough that they aren’t overwhelming, but still brighten the space significantly. It drapes nicely, and in the months since I’ve owned it, I haven’t noticed any prominent wrinkles.

I never thought I’d be able to make my bathroom feel cohesive with the vintage aesthetic going on in the rest of my studio apartment, so I’m extremely happy that I was mistaken. Every time a guest has come over, they’ve complimented my curtain. At this rate, I’ve fallen in love with the look so much that I’m tempted to get the Begonia sheet set. At the very least, RHODE’s squiggle bath mat is going straight onto my Christmas list.

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