An antique porcelain bathtub.
Country style decorating is all about creating a home that is warm and welcoming, with cozy corners, antique or reproduction furniture, folk art and primitive accessories. The country home imparts a feeling of age but with all the modern conveniences. The country bathroom is no exception. In one you will not find sleek granite vanities,marble floors and whirlpool tubs. A country bathroom invites you to grab your towel from an antique cupboard, draw a hot bath, sink into a claw-foot tub with your favorite body wash and soak away the stress of the day. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Consider wide plank wood floors or black and white octagonal tile. Check out laminates and vinyl with an old look. Dot the floor with braided or rag rugs equipped with antislip backing.
2. Install bead board-narrow pine planks-halfway up the wall. Paint it white. Paint the rest of the wall. Choose a relaxing color like soft green, pink or blue. Stencil or paper a border at the wall’s top.
Hang Peg-Board to double as towel racks and a handy place to hang robes and bed clothes.
3. Dress the windows with crisp, white tieback curtains, or repurpose an old linen or lace tablecloth. Hang simple bamboo blinds for privacy.
4. Search antique stores, flea markets and demolition and salvage stores for authentic vintage fixtures like claw-foot tubs and pedestal sinks. Keep your eyes open for old faucets and showerheads, or buy reproduction fixtures at most home improvement stores.
Mount a round shower curtain rod above the tub for a Victorian feel and to protect the wall and floor when the shower is in use.
5. Put in a pedestal sink. Add a skirt to create storage underneath and hide the plumbing. Use a vintage dresser to craft a vanity. Buy a country-style vanity that is built to look like an antique chest, complete with legs. These can be painted in colors associated with country decorating, like colonial blue and red or finished with a light stain. These often come with an attached mirror, generally oval, to complete the vintage look.
6. Substitute an antique mirror with a gilt frame for a traditional bathroom mirror, or hang an antique medicine cabinet above the sink.
7. Bring in furniture. Place a wicker chair in a corner. Put a primitive straight chair near the tub to hold your towel, soap and a candle. Repurpose a pie safe or jelly cupboard as a free-standing linen closet. Flank the sink with old cabinets for storage and use their surfaces to display candles, plants, flowers and vintage toiletries.
8. Light the space with vintage fixtures or reproductions. Create a nightlight using a small Tiffany-style lamp placed on a weathered night table. Add a romantic touch with a shabby chic chandelier.
Tags: country bathroom, vintage fixtures, your towel
