How Quiet Town’s Founders Turned Their Shower Curtain Into An Internet Icon

Under The Radar is our monthly column where we highlight some of the coolest, most inspiring founders of brands in the home and kitchen space.

When it came time to photograph their first product, a shower curtain, Quiet Town founders Lisa and Michael Fine chose an unexpected location. Instead of the typical bathroom setting, they opted for the beach—a place more commonly associated with bath towels than shower curtains.

Lisa’s curtain was about to get some press, so they needed a website. “Michael took the shower curtains and his assistant to the beach,” she says. “They created this beautiful outdoor shower curtain scene that became the blueprint for many of our future shoots.”

While this choice might have seemed unusual to most, transforming a simple product photo shoot into a creative endeavor was second nature to the couple. Lisa, a longtime stylist with experience at J.Crew and Madewell, and Michael, a fashion photographer, frequently collaborated on projects. Having worked together on set before, planning and styling a shoot for a product designed by Lisa was both exhilarating and surprisingly routine.

On Designing A Statement Shower Curtain

It’s fitting that one of Quiet Town’s curtains is called Sun Shower, especially given the vibrant inaugural photoshoot. However, the design process actually took place during late-night hours. “We had a child who didn’t sleep for the first three years of his life. I would sit in his room every night, just daydreaming, and for some reason, my mind always returned to designing shower curtains,” Lisa recalls. “Michael and I had been in fashion for so long that we felt there were no cool shower curtains available. It lingered in my mind for six years.”

Quiet Town’s curtains are undeniably modern, featuring a playful aesthetic that stood out in the bath decor aisle at its launch in 2016. Made from sustainably sourced cotton canvas, these fabric curtains come in a variety of bold colors and designs. Some, like the vertically striped Catalina, lean toward a classic look, while others, such as the orbed Ashbury, make bold statements.

The one that have made the rounds through social media is the Sun Shower curtain. Since it’s from heavy-duty EVA vinyl plastic, the curtain allows light to shine through, a feature that’s become especially popular with those who live in tight quarters. “It’s great for small spaces and you actually don’t need to be flooded with light in order to feel open and airy,” says Lisa.

On Creating A Unique Brand Aesthetic

Quiet Town’s products—they’ve expanded to bath rugs and towels—do show up in bathrooms in the brand’s imagery, but you’re just as likely to spot its colorful shower curtains strung up across a pool or a bath towel lying across a diving board. This unconventional styling is why it’s become such a recognizable brand, especially on social media.

The beach—and nature at large—has always served as inspiration for the Fines. Before moving to the Bay Area, they renovated a house in North Fork, Long Island to resemble a beach bungalow. “Our friend came in and it first time he’d seen our house. He was like, ‘I think I just walked into your Instagram account,’” says Michael.

“We’ve always designed and created our branding imagery based on a sunny California day,” adds Lisa. “We like to shoot outdoors as much as possible.” Adds Michael, “We go in and we do what feels good to us. I think that there’s an authenticity there, so we want to give that to people.”

Shooting outdoors also has other perks. “The bathroom is the most difficult place in the house to shoot,” says Michael. “Most of them are so small. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve joked that my head’s been next to somebody’s dirty toilet just to get the angle.”

Of course, it’s not just about pretty pictures. Design and sustainability are also core to Quiet Town. “As a small company, we touch everything, all the details. We use domestic-grown, milled and woven-dyed cotton canvas. We always used a 100% Turkish brass,” says Lisa.

On Making Thoughtfully-Designed Home Products

The Fines never expected Quiet Town to become a full-time project. They were still working their day jobs and shipping out curtains on nights and weekends when Quiet Town first launched. That changed in 2020, when the pandemic and worldwide shutdown meant far fewer in-person fashion shoots. But with more people staying in, interest in home and decor items like shower curtains skyrocketed. Quiet Town went from selling 50 Sun Shower curtains a week in March 2020 to more than 600 in 2022.

“The whole reason we started the brand was because we felt like all that was out there was a hotel white sort of space. A honeycomb shower curtain was the most aspirational shower curtain you could find,” says Lisa. “I think we always knew that there must be more people out there that yearned for the same thoughtful design treatment that they would give to any other part of their home in their bathroom.”

While they could have used the opportunity to roll out more items, Lisa and Michael believe in products with a purpose. Their latest launch is are laundry backpacks made from canvas production remnants and recycled plastic buckles and trim. “We could be making a lot of different things, but we want it to be something that someone uses every day,” says Lisa. “If it’s functional, it changes their life, it makes them happy, and it’s not ephemeral, then we’re in.”