Designing a Rustic Bathroom

When you want to bring some of the great outdoors into your house, designing a rustic bathroom may be one of your best options. A bathroom is a small space that can pack a huge punch of drama to a home. Since many design options won't affect the functionality of your bathroom, you are not terribly limited in what you can do. Follow these tips to achieve a bathroom that belongs in a log cabin.

Walls

If you have the means to do so, consider paneling your bathroom's walls. Nothing ads a cabin-like feel to a bathroom like log cabin walls. Paneling doesn't have to be authentic or expensive look for less expensive laminate or plastic options. If you like the look of paneling, but can't quite afford it, consider running it around the bottom half of the wall, and supplementing the top half with paint or wallpaper. 

If you skip the paneling all together, paint and wallpaper can be excellent options. Since bathrooms are usually small spaces, try to keep the colors fairly light. You can choose a solid paint color for the walls and add rustic touches with accessories, or bring patterns into the room with wallpaper and keep your accessories more simple. Some wallpapers to consider? Imitation burlap, cowhide, gingham, deer and elk, or even a wallpaper that imitates the look of paneling or logs. 

Lighting

Light fixtures are one of the only ways of adding personal touches to a bathroom. You'll find that you have many options when you are shopping for light fixtures. Not only should you be looking for overhead lighting, but wall sconces are popular in bathrooms as well. For a very rustic, but sophisticated, lighting option, consider a fancy chandelier with antlers or a wagon wheel. Any large chandelier will become the focal point of your bathroom, but these 2 styles especially will give your bathroom the cabin-like feel that you are looking for. 

To add unity to the room, match your sconces to your chandelier. Place one on each side of the mirror above your sink. If possible, put your lighting fixtures on dimmers to give your bathroom the option of becoming more relaxing. 

Finishing Touches

When it comes to accessories in a bathroom, you'll have to count on things that can be both decorative and functional. Focus on your rustic theme when choosing things like soap dishes, toothbrush holders, wastebaskets and even towels and wash cloths. Try to unify all of these accessories by choosing 1 or 2 colors. You may even be able to find toiletries with a pattern on them, adding to an "outdoorsy" theme. 

You can also add decorative touches with your towel racks and toilet paper holders. Consider replacing the standard metal rods with rougher, wooden sticks. Just make sure that the wood is polished, so that you don't end up with splinters in your towels!

With warm wood tones, touches from the outdoors and warm, rustic light fixtures, you can turn your bathroom from standard to cabin-like with minimal effort.