If you feel right at home in the countryside and want to transform your bathroom into a beautiful rural retreat, I’ve created this style guide and it’s all about you…
When compared to the hustle and bustle of our towns and cities, there’s something truly magical about country living. Whether it’s the abundance of fresh air, the sense of space or being at one with nature, rural life is just the ticket when you reach those golden years.
Country homes often come with their own unique quirks and charms, and I’m sure yours is no different. From ivy-covered cottages to grand manor houses, rural living means peace and quiet, with interiors that foster a genuine feeling of cosiness.
However, while the countryside may have you harking back to a simpler time, before electronic screens came to dominate peoples’ lives, it doesn’t necessarily mean your home should feel old fashioned. With the right blend of timeless classics and contemporary additions, you can create a space that’s perfectly suited to your lifestyle.
In this guide, I’ll be passing on my best tips and tricks, to help you create the perfect country style bathroom in your rural retreat.
General pointers for a country bathroom
One of the big assumptions many people make about country homes is that the décor will be traditional in style. But this isn’t always the case. While many people like to accentuate the period features of what tend to be older properties, some rural homes are very modern, both inside and out.
When it comes to your bathroom, there are ways of combining both the old and the new, with an eclectic mix of styles being very much the trend these days.
If, like me, you’ve been following TV presenter and property expert Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country, you’ll know that she advocates traditional bathroom suites over contemporary settings, and there’s a good reason for this. Whereas trends are often fleeting, traditional bathrooms are timeless, with tried and tested designs which never go out of fashion. So, vintage-inspired ceramics and heating are a sensible choice.
Next up, it’s worth considering exactly what you want from your bathroom. Many people these days are swapping baths for showers, due to ease of access and personal preference. And, while shower enclosures are a modern invention, they can easily be incorporated into a more traditional setting, blending in seamlessly with the rest of your décor.
To ensure quality and statement style, I would highly recommend any of the luxury suites, showers and enclosures from The Bath Co. (exclusively available at Victoria Plum). Not only do these products undergo rigorous testing, to ensure longevity, they also come with reassuring extended guarantees.
My next recommendation? Start gathering together pictures, materials and colours you like, and create your own mood board on a large piece of cardboard. You can find inspiration in many different places, like home interest magazines and even the bathroom ideas section of this very website. In true Blue Peter style, here’s one I made earlier…
Seek out country bathroom ideas and create your very own mood board
My top 5 tips for your country bathroom
Having worked on several country style bathrooms, there are some basic rules of thumb to stick to. Here are my top 5 tips for your country bathroom:
- Accentuate and incorporate any original features—wooden beams and other natural materials bring out the rustic character of a property
- Opt for high quality, luxury, traditional products—they never go out of fashion and complement the overall look and feel of what is often an older home
- If getting in and out of the bath is a bit of a pain, consider swapping for a shower enclosure—walk in enclosures are particularly easy to access
- Keep the colour palette neutral and warming—panelling can help add to the traditional theme
- Accessorise with plants—bring all the enjoyment of the outdoors indoors
If you’re seeking country bathroom ideas, you’ve arrived in the perfect location
In the next section, we’ll take a look at the types of product you might choose for your perfect country style bathroom.
Your country bathroom products
Shower and enclosure
If you’ve decided to opt for a shower, rather than a bath, you may be wondering how such a modern item could fit with a traditional, rustic theme? Well, our designers have thought about just that conundrum and came up with the Beaumont traditional 8mm hinged shower enclosure. From The Bath Co., an exclusive brand at Victoria Plum, this gorgeous rectangular shower enclosure is frameless with a concealed hinge design for a clean, minimalist look. However, with Victorian style stainless steel handles, it also complements a traditional style bathroom perfectly. What’s more, with 8mm British Standard safety glass, complete with a specialist coating, you can spend less time cleaning your enclosure and more time enjoying it.
And, when it comes to enjoyment, there’s nothing better than a quality shower which fits neatly with your overall look. The Camberley traditional sliding shower rail kit from The Bath Co. is simple yet traditional in style. The shower head can be detached for more focused cleansing, while the adjustable bracket is ideal if your partner is a little taller or shorter.
For precise control over water temperature and flow, complete your installation with the Camberley twin thermostatic shower valve, also from The Bath Co. Featuring an Art Deco-inspired design, this valve is easy to operate, with a simple on/lever and cross head handle temperature dial. With an anti-scald safety device and solid brass construction, peace of mind is assured. A concealed valve, like this one, allows for a sleeker, minimalist design.
With The Bath Co., your shower and enclosure fit seamlessly with a traditional theme
Ceramics
With the toilet and basin suite, I’ve gone strictly down the traditional route, with an elegant pairing from The Bath Co. Camberley collection.
The Camberley close coupled toilet is a true design classic, complete with traditional 6 litre handle flush and white wooden soft close seat—to add accent to your décor, you could always opt for a different colour.
To complement, the Camberley full pedestal basin comes with 2 tap holes—a traditional set-up, allowing you to accessorise with gorgeous pillar taps plus a robust chainstay plug. Complete with a pedestal which conceals unsightly plumbing, the design is unmistakeably vintage.
Both items are made from hardwearing, glazed ceramic for easy cleaning.
Want to go even more traditional, why not consider a beautiful high level cistern toilet?
Create the perfect country style bathroom with elegant ceramics from The Bath Co.
Furniture
To keep with the traditional yet minimalist theme, you needn’t go overboard with your bathroom furniture. In this country bathroom design, I’ve kept things simple with a mirror cabinet, also from the Camberley collection.
This elegant furniture item performs 2 functions: The most obvious being storage space for all your essentials…toothbrushes, medication, toiletries, etc. The second function isn’t quite so obvious—helping to bounce natural light around your room, creating the illusion of space.
If you feel the need for further storage, why not consider a bamboo stool? This will add a real organic touch to your décor, providing a handy space to keep towels and bathrobes.
Lighting
With a rural property, you may be blessed with an unhindered view across rolling fields. In which case, you really have no excuse not to make the most of this stunning aspect, with large, unfiltered windows.
However, for those darker winter evenings, the right lighting will help create the perfect ambience.
I’ve opted to supplement the main lighting with 2 wall lights, either side of the mirror cabinet. Providing a diffused glow, they can be used for additional task lighting, or simply to provide a more relaxed setting.
The Camberley white mirror cabinet offers a classic storage solution for country style bathrooms
Walls and floors
To keep the bathroom feeling light, airy and spacious, it’s certainly worth keeping your colour palette both earthy and neutral. Organic materials (at least in appearance) have a real sense of place in a country style bathroom, which is why luxury stone effect shower wall panels are a great choice for your shower enclosure—in this instance, I’ve selected the Multipanel Classic Cappuccino Stone Hydrolock shower wall panel.
On the floor, keep things simple with something like our Girona plain white matt tiles.
Half height wall panelling is a great way to enhance the traditional theme, and it’s something I’m seeing more and more, especially in our customers’ bathrooms. It really adds warmth to the overall feel of the bathroom and can be painted in a suitably complementary colour.
Heating
An elegant rural retreat demands an equally elegant radiator or heated towel rail. In the Santa Fe traditional radiator from The Heating Co., I’ve found the perfect hybrid design. Complete with the appearance of a classic column radiator, this model also features a handy chrome rail for warming your towels.
In conclusion
If country living is right up your street (or should that be lane?), you can easily create a bathroom that fits seamlessly with your lifestyle. Follow my advice above and adapt to your own personal tastes and preferences—you certainly won’t go far wrong.
Shop The Bath Co.
I’ve primarily used products from The Bath Co. to create this luxurious country bathroom. This brand is available at Victoria Plum, with timeless, traditional products to adorn your vintage-style bathroom.
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