Country Bathroom Design Ideas

The rough-hewn wall of this 1825 house was left exposed, to reference the home's history. Placing a vintage footed tub in front of the wall makes it a focal point. Painted floorboards and old-fashioned brass floor-mounted plumbing (try California Faucets) complete the authentic feeling.

Traditional

Blue and white gain new freshness and grandeur in St. Antoine wallpaper in BP948 by Farrow & Ball. The symmetrical arrangement of the sinks and cabinets by A-Ball brings order to a small space. Minwax stain was applied for the bold diamond pattern on the floor.

Rustic

Natural wood, rugged plaster walls, and antique furnishings adapted for the bath conjure the ambiance of a Tuscan farmhouse and also offer a way to minimize the appearance of fixtures. An old dresser is retrofitted as a vanity, and a tall bookcase stows extra items. Wrought-iron light fixtures (try Circa Lighting) contribute to the Old World look.

All-white bath linens, visible in the open storage, brighten the darkness of the wood, and a bentwood chair provides a welcome spot to sit. Achieve a similar effect on walls with textured paints, such as Ralph Lauren's Suede paint, or techniques such as ragging, where layers of translucent glaze are applied with rags to created the mellowed appearance of age.

Colorful

A bright decor can do a lot to start the day right. It also helps warm up a cold space, or lend life to a bland one. Adding color can be as simple and inexpensive as painting the walls—or introducing colorful accents by painting the exterior of a claw-foot tub; do it yourself with a coat of quality latex primer followed by two coats of exterior-grade latex paint in a satin or semigloss finish. Additional options: a colorful tile border, half wall, or shower stall, or easy-to-switch-out towels and accessories.

Furnished

More like a living room than a bath, this spacious master bath is furnished with a graceful bureau-turned-double-vanity, an elegant mirror, and a foyer-worthy chandelier and sconces. Real furniture gives you many more options than a typical vanity.

You may want to add a stone or solid-surface countertop; if you keep the wood, be sure to seal it. Wood floors, high ceilings, and lots of natural light also lend a "real room" feel. Use wood floors with care in a bath; they also require multiple layers of polyurethane to resist moisture.

French Country

Check the piece's height. You'll need a shorter piece for a vessel sink (which sits on the counter like a bowl), a taller one for a drop-in.

Remove the backs of drawers to fit the sink and plumbing, then hinge the drawer fronts for access when needed.

To protect a wood top, apply several layers of gloss polyurethane and then a matte topcoat, so it's not overly shiny.

Eclectic

A highly practical surface of the bath, tile adds color, pattern, and texture in hundreds of beautiful ways. Like a patchwork quilt, remainder, sample, and sale tiles were "patched" together to cover the walls of a shower stall for an affordable route to a knockout custom look.