5 Rustic Design Considerations for a Bathroom Remodel

Rustic-What Does It Mean to You?

When you hear the word rustic, what do you envision? For some people it is roughhewn planks, dirt floors, tumbleweeds blowing across the American Western frontier. For others, it’s white washed walls with driftwood and sand instead of yard. When it comes to decorating, the term rustic typically means simple. Clean lines, nothing overly fancy, mismatched, often reclaimed, pieces.

Whether you envision a Tuscan farmhouse, a cowboy cabin, or a coastal cottage, you can make your rustic bathroom remodel a reality. When dreaming up a rustic design for your bathroom remodel consider the following:

Storage:

In a rustic bathroom, storage will typically be mismatched and free standing (not installed cabinetry). Consider visiting your local flea market or consignment shop. Try finding an old piece of furniture that you can repurpose. An old armoire or pie safe can hold towels.
You can up the rustic feel on your flea market find by replacing door or drawer fronts with chicken wire. This serves double duty; it allows you to see your pretty accessories, and it promotes air floor to prevent the damp bathroom air from causing mold or mildew problems. You can also change out drawer pulls. Consider old faucet knobs or mismatched ceramic pieces for an old world feel.

Bathtub:

When people hear rustic bathroom remodel, they almost universally think claw foot, cast iron tub. If this is your heart’s desire, beware of using an original. Cast iron tubs can weigh upwards of a thousand pounds when filled with water. Depending on your home’s construction, this might be a quick way to end up with a tub in your living room and a whole slew of headaches. Consider a reproduction, which will give you the same feel, and a fraction of the weight.

Vanities:

A vanity is another piece you can repurpose from a flea market find. Look for old sewing or end tables, or a small dresser or night stand. These can have the top removed and a sink sunk in, or you can install a vintage shaving bowl or farmhouse sink on top. Just be sure to properly reinforce the top, to support both the weight of the bowl and the water.

Architectural Details:

If you are lucky enough to have exposed beams or brickwork in your bathroom, use them to your advantage. Consider placing your reproduction slipper tub underneath a swath of exposed, white washed brick, or hang a vintage crystal chandelier from oak or pine beams overhead. These choices will call attention to the history and beauty of the space itself.

Accessories:

Small accents such as antique or vintage glass bottles, gilded mirrors, and rough, reclaimed wood can all harmonize in a rustic bathroom remodel. Consider using an old wooden shadow box as a display shelf, or an old milk bottle with flowers on the vanity.

Window treatments are another way to add a rustic touch. Use an old tea towel, bandana or scarf over a simple rod to provide a touch of privacy, and possibly color. This is both inexpensive, and easy to update when your color scheme changes.

Calling for Assistance

A bathroom remodel of any kind can be a lot of hard work; some of which you can easily do yourself, and some of which is best left to the professionals. Depending on the level and extent of your remodel, you may end up using several different professionals, and for that you may want to hire a general contractor to help with the coordination.

Whether you decide to hire all the subcontractors yourself, or put yourself in the hands of one great professional, ServiceWhale is here to help. With years of experience putting homeowners just like you in contact with the professionals they need for the results they want, you are sure to walk away loving your rustic bathroom remodel. ServiceWhale contractors are all licensed, bonded, and insured; sure to give you reasonable, upfront pricing so you know exactly what to expect.