It was in the silence of the night, as she was trying to get her young son to sleep, that Lisa Fine hatched the idea for Quiet Town. A fashion stylist married to a fashion photographer, she started mentally upgrading the elements in their Brooklyn brownstone apartment when she fixated on the bathroom: “I realized that if someone like me, who loves color and texture, was buying hotel-white shower curtains and rugs then there was a huge opportunity in this category,” she told us.
While also juggling their day jobs and child care, Lisa and her husband, Michael Fine, got to work, making sketches, sourcing materials, and finding small-batch manufacturers.”We thought about those trips to the giant home store, shopping cart filled with a vinyl shower curtain liner and plastic trashcan and toothbrush holder, a compliant shrug accompanying each generic purchase,” says Lisa. “Using our ambivalence as inspiration, we decided to go down that shopping list crossing things off as we redesigned them.” A year later, Quiet Town stands ready with a full line of graphically patterned stitched canvas shower curtains and woven cotton mats. We’ll be watching to see what they tackle next.
Photography by Michael Fine for Quiet Town.
![inspired by \2\20;a simple horizon line\2\2\1; (and with a 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-11.jpg)
![the orient curtain in night ride; \$\148. \2\20;the curtain corners,& 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-2.jpg)
![quiet town\2\17;s cotton mats are handwoven by a gots certifie 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-bathroom-rugs-Remodelista.jpg)
![the orient curtain in hike; \$\148. \2\20;we name our curtains for the q 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-1A.jpg)
![made of \10 ounce indian organic cotton canvas that\2\17;s dyed in small 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-A.jpg)
![lisa and michael fine at home in cobble hill amid their creations. 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Lisa-and-Michael-Fine-of-Quiet-Town-Remodelista.jpg)
![lisa worked with seattle jewelry designer cat mccadden to come up with quiet to 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-9.jpg)
The open shape, which reminds Lisa of 1970s hoop earrings, was designed to make the curtains a cinch to hang and to remove, so that, if not paired with a liner, the canvas can be easily laundered. (Canvas is naturally waterproof, but to keep mold at bay, a regular wash is recommended.)
![the american quilt inspired narlai—named for the town in rajasthan, indi 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-13.jpg)
![the narlai comes in five color combinations, including mint. 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-12.jpg)
![the couple say they hope their designs capture “that buzzy, freeing feel 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Quiet-Town-shower-curtain-Remodelista-10.jpg)
For more easy bathroom upgrades, take a look at:
- Expert Advice: 10 Tips for Transforming a Rental Bath
- DIY: Leather Shower Curtain Rings
- A Toilet Brush that’s a Pinterest Sensation (Plus 5 to Buy)
Finally, get more ideas on how to evaluate and choose the various accessories for your bathroom in our Remodeling 101 Guide: Bath Accessories.
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