Country bathroom design ideas
As with any room, you should always start with what the house can give you. If it's a seventeenth- or eighteenth-century timber-and-brick construction, strip it back to expose some interior detail of its origin – whether that is a cross beam, an A-frame or a high, sloping window. Bathrooms don't have to have plumb walls, clean lines or overly neat junctions, as long as what you do is beautifully done.
'Roll-top baths are a classic component, but I'd advise against positioning one up against a painted or wallpapered wall. If you splish and splash, the water will permeate the wall and cause problems, and you'll end up having to repaint or repaper every 18 months. Instead, if you have the space, place the bath closer to the middle of the room. Underfloor heating and bathmats will protect the floor. If you want modern touches such as speakers, you can get them plastered into the ceiling so that they don't stand out in a bathroom with a classic style,' advises designer Sarah Stewart-Smith.
The most successful bathrooms are so much more than just spaces in which to perform your daily ablutions. Rather, they are lovely and inviting rooms, decorated to delight, but never at the expense of their practical requirements. A perfect recipe for relaxation.
See below to get inspired by our pick of the most beautiful country bathrooms and our edit of what to buy for your own.
Michael Sinclair1/39Though over 300 years old, this Northamptonshire house had lost much of its character until its owners enlisted the help of trusted decorator Robert Young, who restored a sense of its past with a mix of antiques, folk art and rich distemper walls.
In the bathroom pigmented and aged distemper was used to create the look of limewashed walls by DKT Artworks, which blended the colour on the panelling to match a Georgian sample. The chair is Swedish, c1800.
2/39The interior designer Caroline Holdaway had already decorated two houses for Robin Muir and Paul Lyon Maris when they enlisted her help on their new Cotswolds home.
Here, Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Squid Ink’ paint was used on the Aston Matthews roll-top bath, beside panelling in ‘Salvador’ oil eggshell by the same company. A painting by Doris Hatt from Denys Wilcox stands out against Robert Kime’s ‘Sunburst’ wallpaper in green. The curtains are in ‘Sari’ linen by Raoul Textiles and the stool is from Paul Dunn Antiques.
Wallpaper and curtains are not what you expect in a bathroom, but they form a gentlemanly alliance with tongue-and-groove dado-height panelling and a stone windowseat.
Brent Darby3/39Dorian Bowen’s sensitive restoration of a dilapidated 18th-century hand-built rural farmstead acts as a living testimony to age-old Welsh architecture and simpler times.
Dorian gently and lovingly resuscitated the two-up-two-down property; conserving its original features and calling upon memories of the houses of his childhood to reintroduce authentic details. He converted the former cowshed into the current kitchen, adding a Rayburn stove for cooking and warmth, and turned the dilapidated dairy into a rustic bathroom.
The bathroom which was installed within the old dairy on the ground floor features a cast iron bath and – as all plumbing - is fed with a water supply from the cottage’s own borehole.
Simon Brown4/39With a clear colour palette lifted by occasional pattern and an eclectic mix of furniture, interior designer Victoria Gray has created a Cotswold retreat for her family that marries rustic charm with minimalism, and transcends modern trends.
Curtains in ‘Ete Moscovite’ from Décors Barbares draw the eye to the window in the bathroom, with views of the garden, while a CP Hart bath painted in ‘Hague Blue’ from Farrow & Ball nestles under the beams – which look different in this newer part of the house. A rug picked up in Istanbul and a chair from Robert Langford, with a cushion also from Istanbul, complete the scheme.
James McDonald5/39The owners revived 7 Koppies with Arts and Crafts style, some Cape Dutch flair, airy double-height ceilings and a 25-metre lap pool – all to the spectacular backdrop of the Franschhoek Valley and surrounding hills.
Here in the bathroom, green granite from the northern Cape was used for the bath surround.
Simon Brown6/39Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors has taken a less-is-more approach to this 18th-century country house in Dorset, creating sn enchanting retreat, reflecting the owners' desire to live a simpler life.
The bathroom is papered in Robert Kime's ‘Grille’ in sage. The Hector Finch wall lights are topped with pierced lampshades from Robert Kime.
Davide Lovatti7/39In an ancient Italian town perched on a rocky outcrop and accessible only by foot, Paolo Crepet and Cristiana Melis, the residents of an art-filled former palace, have created a guesthouse that is truly one of a kind.
La Badessa, the principal room, is glorious, with an ornate iron four-poster taking centre stage in the bedroom, and a free-standing bath alongside, a quiet alcove of books and an open fireplace for the winter months.
TARAN WILKHU8/39When plans for a kitchen extension turned into a demolition opportunity, Joanna Bibby saw a chance to create her ideal house in the Wiltshire countryside. The clean-lined yet comfortable newbuild is flooded with natural light and epitomises the Ochre co-founder’s mastery of pared-back style.
Traditional Spanish encaustic tiles are set off by Swedish-inspired panelling in this light-filled country bathroom.
Mark Anthony Fox9/39Drawn to this cottage in the Cotswolds by the charming additions made by its previous interior-designer owner, the current custodian was keen to make her own mark with a sympathetic extension and interiors that reflect elements of her life in Portugal and her Scandinavian roots.
Here walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Parma Gray’ set off a ‘Hanley’ bath from The Water Monopoly.
Christopher Horwood10/39When Lucy Cunningham was called in to make sense of the higgledy-piggledy nature of this centuries-old Sussex farmhouse, she discovered a house full of charm that needed some clever tweaks to create a harmonious whole. There is one thing that is particularly notable about this project: Lucy has not just responded to the brief her clients set by using all the loveliness that was already there as her starting point, but she has never bulldozed over what already existed, and certainly not for the sake of it.
Take the downstairs loo and cloakroom for instance – a space she reconfigured to create a little vanity unit, but that still features the Timorous Beasties ‘Pheasant’ wallpaper that the client had already used for part of it. ‘The client loved it and I thought it was a great choice for that room, so we stuck with it,’ says Lucy. It is the sign of a good designer when they can appreciate what their client is bringing to the table. It is also clearly an approach that works if the fact that Lucy is set to help with a few more rooms is anything to go by. The light above the sink is a Jim Lawrence design.
Christopher Horwood11/39The team at Sims Hilditch have used natural materials and light colours to make a sanctuary of this seaside house.
Having convinced the client to be bold with colour and wallpaper in some spaces, Hannah covered the downstairs loo in ‘Moncorvo Samphire’ from Schumacher. The woodwork is painted in Neptune’s ‘Olive’, and the lampshades are from Matilda Goad.
Paul Massey12/39Some eye-catching interior design alchemy by Nadine Finnegan has transformed a charming old Oxfordshire property into a colourful and characterful family home.
Fee Greening’s ‘Climbing Curios’ wallpaper from CommonRoom and her mural around the ‘Coral’ wall light from Balineum provide a unique backdrop to this bathtub.
Paul Massey13/39Some eye-catching interior design alchemy by Nadine Finnegan has transformed a charming old Oxfordshire property into a colourful and characterful family home.
The blind and basin skirt in Molly Mahon’s ‘Trellis’ in grass/sky complement Kate Hawkins’ ‘Lucky Leaf ’ wallpaper from CommonRoom
Dean Hearne14/39Designer Bodil Bjerkvik Blain brings warmth and richness to a neglected outbuilding, transforming it into a warm cocoon with upholstered walls and worldly antiques. This cosy ship of a house is a neat illustration of the successful integration of styles and themes, where warmth and tactility hold everything together. “It's really miraculous how texture and pattern can elevate even the coldest shell into something so warm and practical,” says Bodil.
In the family bathroom, the mosaic tiles are from Bert and May and the bathroom fixtures are from Lefroy Brooks.
Simon Upton15/39The main bathroom in this Wiltshire farmhouse, on the top floor under the slope of the roof, has a stripy flatweave rug brightening up the white walls and floors; the view from the window above the sink is across fields and copses.
Ngoc Minh Mgo16/39'It's mostly junk,' says designer Harriet Anstruther of the bits and bobs in her Sussex farmhouse. But her objets and framed pictures imbue otherwise all-white spaces with a sense of comfort. Signs of wear give this bathroom a lived-in feel, while a jar of flowers freshens the room.
Simon Upton17/39A neat window seat with a mix of cushions provides a concession to comfort in this minimalist West Country bathroom.
To get the look of Gill and Glenn Vaughan's bathroom, try flooring from Lapicida, and the 'Usk' bateau bath from Drummonds, from £2,975, which is a close match to the free-standing tub and available in the same black painted finish.
Michael Sinclair18/39The main bathroom in Joanna Vestey's farmhouse has a bath with floor-standing taps, which was found in France. C P Hart sells similar floor-mounted taps from £1,200. A black counter top offers a bold touch to the mostly pale room.
Mel Yates19/39Add drama to a room with inky blue colours. Background scenery from a Victorian photography studio hangs in this Hampshire bathroom by designer Max Rollitthttp://www.maxrollitt.com/. Like this backdrop? Surface View custom makes canvases printed with myriad images.
The blue Senneh rug came from Edward Marnier, a Dorset-based dealer, who sells beautiful yet affordable old and antique rugs (from around £375 for similar).
Simon Brown20/39Decorator Caroline Holdaway has used tongue and groove panelling reclaimed from a demolished village hall and washbasins from Aston Matthews in the country home of Paul Lyon Maris and Robin Muir.
Paul Massey21/39This ultra pretty bathroom in the guest cottage of designer Emma Burns of Sybil Colefax & John Fowler features a rug and a grey free standing bath. The room is filled with a diffuse light from a blind in 'Wheat Ears and Scrolls Border', £580 a metre, an embroidered cotton panel from Chelsea Textiles. 'It is particularly pretty with the light coming through, which is good for a bathroom,' says Emma.
Simon Upton22/39The main bathroom of Bowood House features a chintz-covered free-standing bathtub and several pieces of antique furniture, including a Georgian writing table and a chair featuring the Prince of Wales' feathers, which belonged to owner Fiona's mother. Fiona chose a large-scale lilac chintz from Colefax & Fowler, which has since been discontinued.
Simon Upton23/39At Gateley Hall in Norfolk, owner Vivien Greenock has used her expertise as an interior designer to restore the once neglected eighteenth-century house to its former glory. Large red flowers scale the walls in the bathroom. This is Mauny's classic design 'Primevères' and is available from Zuber, where it costs £490 for a 10-meter roll.
Ngoc Minh Mgo24/39The story of Harriet Anstruther's farmhouse is simply one of exposing - and revelling in - the house's past. This new bathroom maintains the stripped back, unstudied rustic style that runs throughout her home with exposed flooring and a vintage map next to the rust-coloured bath.
Jake Curtis25/39In the tiny bathroom of designer Ben Pentreath's flat, a collection of monochrome prints chime with the overscaled grisaille foliage wallpaper, 'Richmond Park' from Zoffany.
Simon Brown26/39Max Rollitt has used his antiques expertise and taken inspiration from the flat's former appearance to create interiors with a feeling of permanence in a Victorian hospital building. No tour of the flat would be complete without a visit to the cloakroom opposite the kitchen.
Here is a show-stopping example of architectural salvage to complement the encaustic floor tiles - a late-nineteenth-century pair of stained-glass windows that Max found in France. The colours are gorgeous: amber, scarlet, turquoise and pink. But what makes these panels so fascinating is that they have been designed to hold a series of photographic slides. Some of these have decayed into abstract clouds, but in others people and buildings can still be deciphered. Character and charm triumphantly re-established.
Simon Bevan27/39The bathoom of this Great Ormond Street flat decorated by Ben Pentreath has a Victorian elegance. The traditional fittings are paired with a pale carrara marble bath surround. The shower curtain is made from a crisp white waffle fabric.
Paul Massey28/39Textiles dealer Susan Deliss lives in a beautiful eighteenth-century country house deep in the heart of Burgundy. Her bathroom is painted a pretty pale blue. This soothing colour works well in a bathroom - the antique tiles and oriental rug add warmth.
Antique pieces and a flourish of the oriental are recognisable hallmarks of English country house style (read this essay on the enduring look to find out more).
Simon Brown29/39At Holker Hall in Cumbria, a single-ended roll-top bath is placed against the wall, allowing the bather to lie back and enjoy a wall hung with pretty botanical pictures (see how to hang pictures). Tiles behind the bath are aesthetically pleasing and go some way to protect the wall from water damage.
30/39This country style bathroom is big enough to take a large-scale floral wallpaper: 'Madras Violet', a nineteenth-century design by Cole & Son.
Laura Ashley's 'Gosford Meadow' wallpaper in plum, £40 a 10-metre roll, has a similar colour palette but a smaller pattern - ideal for smaller bathrooms and small spaces generally.
Simon Upton31/39The vertical lines of the panelling in this Welsh farmhouse by Hackett Holland add height to the awkwardly shaped room, while the window gives bathers a view of the sky. A sink curtain emphasises the country feel of the scheme and hides any unsightly pipes.
Simon Upton32/39This owners of this eighteenth-century country house in Dorset enjoy the luxury of their own bathtubs, vanities and mirrors. The vanities are in fact Regency chests of drawers that have been updated with basins and marble tops - ask a local carpenter if you are keen to recreate the look.
The claw-foot tub, comfortable seating and floral blind complete the English country house-style scheme. Like the chair? Try George Smith's 'Buttoned Bedroom Chair', from £2,501.
Simon Upton33/39Combining classical proportions and traditional furnishings with the informal elements of family life, this house in Cornwall has proved to be the perfect acquisition for its owners. The main bathroom has curtains in 'Manon' by Jean Monro and a large mirror brought here from the owners' previous house, which adds to the feeling of light and space.
Paul Massey34/39Flowers on the bathroom sink bring the local bounty of the surrounding meadow indoors, while also freshening up the space, in a tiny barn decorated by antiques dealer Christopher Howe.
Paul Massey35/39Alastair Hendy was initially reluctant to view the Grade II listed 16th century property. From the beginning, however, the house took a grip on Alastair. He bought the house, not realising that it would be a five-year restoration project. After taking a crash course in 16th century building practices, he returned the house to the glory of a simpler time. The bathroom has a rustic wooden tub with a handy shelf that fits across.
Michael Sinclair36/39The stunning shower mosaic in this bathroom was created by Ann Hughes at Pierre Mesguich Mosaik to the owners' specification. The mother-of-pearl-inlaid mirror is from Iznik Classics.
This restored Georgian house in Somerset was an irresistible challenge for its owners, who put together a team including architect Ptolemy Dean for the painstaking restoration.
37/39Colefax designer Emma Burns added to the owner's collection of sailors' valentines that hang in the bathroom; all of them were found a The Lacquer Chest in Kensington. 'It's about finding those bits and pieces that make things charming,' she says.
Elsa Young38/39Jeanetta Rowan-Hamilton of Nettles Cashmere restored her tin-roofed fishing lodge after inheriting it from her parents. She abhors waste and loves change of usage. In the bathroom she has used old Lincolnshire cotton reels to create useful shelving.
Greg Funnell39/39The bathroom of Mimi Thorisson's home in the Médoc has the original nineteenth-century checkerboard floor tiles. The walls are tiled with square white tiles, edged in a black trim and the traditional sink has exposed copper pipes.
