Rustic Bathroom Decor - Setting the Scene

There is no reason why you cannot combine rustic architectural elements with sleek contemporary fixtures and fittings - or vice versa. Rather than seeming out of place, they can accentuate and compliment one another.

On this page we'll take a look at using elements in your bathroom to set the mood for your rustic bathroom decor. Please visit our Rustic Bathrooms and Rustic Bathroom Vanities pages for more ideas.

Rustic Bathroom Decor for Walls

Adding texture to walls can be done with rough plaster or paint techniques or by cladding it with stone. Beautiful unpolished Travertine with handcrafted accent strips are used in this small bathroom up to door height.

Left unfinished, the natural imperfections in the stone add subtle texture and visual interest and the cost is not exorbitant. The advantage with this natural stone is that, unlike glazed tiles, small damages to the tiles will not be obvious and therefore they will not need replacing if damaged. The tiles can also be laid flush against each other without the need for grout which may become tacky over time.

Do talk with the suppliers though about the need for sealing - especially when used in a shower or backsplash area.

A stone vessel sink supported on wrought iron brackets, a beautiful faucet and a bamboo framed mirror is perfect set against a stone clad wall.

A partitioning wall is created with bundled reeds, tied to a supporting frame. Whilst perhaps not that suitable in suburban rustic bathroom decor, it may fit perfectly in a holiday cabin. Note the Quaker-style pegs for towels or robes.

Rustic Bathroom Doors

The use of wood is most often a large component of rustic bathroom design: often pitted and unfinished, showing knots and imperfections. Because of the high moisture content in bathrooms though, all wooden surfaces should be properly sealed to avoid damage.

The barn-style door is a relatively easy DIY project using any type of available timber.

Steel strap hinges add stability and become a decorative element. A simple wrought iron latch and door handle completes the look.

A more rugged looking door is made from split bamboo attached to a bracing frame. Because of the gaps between the bamboo, it may be more suitable as an inner door in the bathroom - to screen the toilet for example. Alternatively you can add reed matting or sisal cloth at the back for total privacy.

Rustic Bathroom Ceilings

This ceiling is constructed of rough-hewn beams and tongue-an-groove planks, forming the floor for the upstairs part of the house.

The planks were lime washed underneath to match the sandstone clad wall and to add a sense of height to the room, whilst still allowing the wood grain to shine through.

Even if your bathroom has a normal ceiling, you can give it the rustic treatment with sealed cane or reeds. Being such a light weight material, it should not be difficult to attach it to the underside of your existing ceiling.

Proper ventilation through an opening window or a ventilation fan is very important to keep moisture levels down.

Rustic Bathroom Floors

Almost any natural material is great for the floor: wooden planks, stone or slate with scattered mats woven from natural fibers. A stone or copper bath can be the ultimate focal point. However, a wooden apron around a standard acrylic bath can dress it up beautifully and add to your rustic bathroom decor without breaking the budget.

A cost-effective alternative to natural stone for a floor are these "stone tiles". Available commercially as a screed in your choice of color and texture, the "tiles" were demarcated with masking tape. Thereafter a shallow cut was made with an angle grinder on either side of the tape, creating the "grout" lines between the blocks. A sealer was then applied.

Note: you can get really creative with this kind of flooring in the patterns that you create. Also, by making deeper cuts into the screed and removing the fill, you can insert strips of another material such as wood, stainless steel etc.

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