Cottage styles add charming warmth and beauty to any room they’re incorporated into. A cottage decorating style and theme can be characterized by flea market finds, sweet and chic, or eclectically vintage.
Whether you’re looking for a modern cottage feel, or you prefer more rustic bathrooms, designing and creating a cottage bathroom is a great way to break up the look of a boring old bathroom. Here are a few must-haves for your cottage bathroom:
1. Bring out the beadboard
Grooved wood panels are a popular and perhaps iconic element of cottage bathrooms and cottage-style decorating in general, BHG says. Beadboard is a versatile material that can be used from ceilings to furniture. For example, cover your bathrooms ceilings and walls in beaded board or wainscoting (covering the lower portion of the wall), or wrap furniture in the material.
For a traditional cottage look, you’ll want to place the beadboard vertically. On the other hand, for a newer cottage vibe, hang the material horizontally. When it comes to covering the panelling, you can either paint it solid for a clean look, or antique a painted surface, adding even more character to the panelling.
2. Incorporate nautical influences
Adding hints of nautical influences to a cottage bathroom gives it a seagoing spirit while also maintaining a rustic look. For instance, porthole-shaped mirrors above your bathroom vanity or sink will enhance the maritime vibe.
Or, for the best bathroom lighting using cottage light fixtures with a nautical feel, hang caged ship lights. Then, use wooden accents or wood walls and include a farmhouse-style trough sink, BHG recommends. Complete the look with a tiled floor in a classic pattern for a modern cottage manner.
3. Slide in a new door
Rustic bathrooms or cottage bathrooms are best completed with a sliding barn door on a wall-mounted track. Consider picking a door with panelled details and a white finish. This will add character and match the rest of your cottage bathroom’s rustic features and furnishings.
4. Add custom features
To complete a cottage-style bathroom, add your own custom touches and unique rustic features to make your bathroom stand apart from other rustic bathrooms. For example, use a vanity as a standout piece that also offers plenty of storage. If you have a tiny cottage bathroom and can’t fit a full vanity, consider a custom-made medicine cabinet or double medicine cabinet to reflect the earlier centuries' style.
Other custom features to incorporate could be a trough-style sink, two wall-mounted faucets, or pretty glassware.
4. Crank up the cottage vibe with tile
Either inside the shower or out, you can use tile to turn up the cottage feel in your home’s bathroom. This is a tip you can incorporate in any size bathroom, even a tiny cottage bathroom. When tiling, use smaller mosaic tile on one wall of your tiled shower stall to break up the large solid tile you may have elsewhere.
Outside the shower, consider having small glass tiles inlaid into the floor in a carpet style. You can also install the same small glass tiles in the backsplash and on the shower walls. These tiles will also add a seaside style to the cottage feel.
5. Blend materials
Blending materials in your cottage bathroom, such as glass, porcelain, painted wood, and marble, will give your bathroom an extra touch of casual elegance. Stick to a colour palette when choosing different materials, as to now overwhelming the bathroom. For instance, blue and white tiling with pale blue walls and a white toilet and white sink will create an airy beach vibe.
6. Decorate with found objects
You don’t need to splurge on decorations for your cottage bathroom. Instead, use objects as art for decoration. For instance, pieces of barbed wire from an old fence can be hung on a wall horizontally creating bathroom art. The weathered and worn pieces of barbed wire will do well in the bathroom atmosphere and contrast more smooth surfaces like polished marble countertop, Houzz says.
Also, you can add old paintings to your bathroom walls. As long as your works of art aren’t valuable heirlooms, paintings can add character a cottage bathroom of any size. Since there are often light surfaces in bathrooms in general, a painting is a great way to add some deeper tones of colour to the room. Look for paintings you have that aren’t in use in your home, or check out a nearby thrift store for some unique artwork.
7. Create custom cabinets
Custom plank doors paired with cast hardware can be used for bathroom closets and bathroom cabinets alike. As long as you have the right materials and are handy, making planked doors can even become a do-it-yourself project that will add unique value to some of the main components (doors and cabinets) of your bathroom.
If you’re ready to turn a boring bathroom into a cute cottage bathroom, start the project by stopping by a Kitchen & Bath Classics showroom. We have everything you need, including faucets, toilets, and showerheads to begin your bathroom renovation.
