“Window of Opportunity” – A Custom Shower Story in Madison, South Dakota
At Custom Bath & Shower, we pride ourselves on designing spaces that aren’t just functional, but truly fit the character and quirks of our customers—and sometimes, the quirks of the homes themselves. That was definitely the case with Linda, a lifelong resident of Madison, South Dakota, who called us with a request that had us both scratching our heads and laughing over coffee at the office for a few days.
“I love my shower. I hate my shower. Mostly, I hate the window,” she said during our first meeting. “I feel like I’m giving the whole town of Madison a show every time I shampoo.”
We quickly realized this was no exaggeration. Linda’s existing shower had a full-sized window inside it—right in the middle of the back wall. A big, beautiful wood-framed window with a clear view of the neighbor’s barn and, unfortunately, a reciprocal view back. Classic small-town South Dakota: where everyone waves from the street… and might accidentally catch a glimpse of you mid-conditioner if your window’s not properly frosted.
“I’ve lived here all my life,” Linda told us. “But the idea of bumping into Dave from church at Dairy Queen after he’s seen my loofah in action? Nope.”
Challenge accepted.
We wanted to preserve the character of the home—older craftsman style with real woodwork and original framing—while still providing Linda the privacy (and peace of mind) she was looking for. So, our design team decided not to remove the window, but to embrace it. We framed it into a brand-new custom acrylic shower insert, complete with a waterproof casing and tempered privacy glass that still allowed natural light, but no visibility either way.
The final install was a beautiful walk-in shower with built-in corner shelving, grab bars for safety (Linda said, “My knees ain’t what they used to be after 30 years of South Dakota winters”), and a corner bench that made shaving legs far less treacherous. The window? A feature now, not a flaw.
We even added a rainfall-style showerhead angled just enough so the morning sun would come through the frosted glass and hit the water spray in a kind of spa-like glow. “Now I get sun and steam,” Linda joked, “without having to go to Sioux Falls.”
Throughout the process, Linda kept us entertained with small-town stories—like the time her neighbor used binoculars not for birdwatching, but to “check storm damage.” Let’s just say, it added urgency to the frosted-glass decision.
Projects like these remind us how important it is to listen. What works in Miami or Phoenix doesn’t always fly in Madison, South Dakota, where winters are long, privacy is sacred, and you might know the name of the person walking past your bathroom window.
In the end, Linda said it best: “This might be the only shower in Lake County with a scenic view and complete discretion. Y’all nailed it.”
We’re just glad Dave at Dairy Queen won’t be seeing any more accidental matinees.
