Vintage Bathrooms: 5 Features That Suit a Cosy British Cottage

Vintage Bathrooms: 5 Features That Suit a Cosy British Cottage

Bathrooms can easily be forgotten in the interior design conversation. Whether it’s because they’re a stricter, singular space, or because they simply fall off our radar, bathrooms often become an afterthought, with design features slapped together at the end of a project rather than carefully crafted. Admittedly, this is slightly less of an issue in modern houses. With simple, uncluttered minimalism being a key, modernist trait, it’s easy to get away with the bathroom doing the bare minimum. After all, with the right lighting and a sleek bathtub, the ‘minimalism’ sticker can simply be stamped over it!

But this is not the case if you’re the owner of a rustic, cosy British cottage. We’re not sure why, but getting a cottage bathroom right can be as difficult as any kitchen or living area. Perhaps that’s because it’s such a lean, strict, and ultimately constricting space. There’s not a lot of room for subtlety, or even design layering. For this reason, you have to be tactful in how you approach your British cottage bathroom. In short, you have to go vintage or go home. Vintage bathrooms can work in any cottage, whether you’re going for a cosy theme or something a little more chic, and just a few features can accomplish it. So let's take a look at a few of them.

Keeping Things Decorative

The first thing to think about is decorative lighting. While we don’t think integrating lamps in your bathroom is a good idea, you've likely got a few decorative lamps around your home, and the same thought process behind integrating them should be applied -- after all, decorative lamps work to create a unique ambience, matching the atmosphere of the room with lighting, so why should it be different for the bathroom? With this in mind, we’d suggest having a single, statement lighting feature, such as a metal chandelier or a floral hanging bulb, matching the impact of your decorative lamps with something old-world and elegantly traditional.

Reflecting Warm Hues

This light can then be reflected to elevate their impact. When we think about inciting a relaxing, calm atmosphere in the bathroom, we often think about candles, and this effect is exactly what you can achieve with your statement light. All you need is a gorgeous, antique mirror and – if you don’t mind a small overhaul – glossy bathroom tiles that can work to reflect the light. If you want something really vintage, homeowners of earlier lavatories would often incorporate green penny tiles in the borders of the shower and the bathroom floor. These retro motifs can work to add even more authenticity, while the material itself will soak in the light, create that candlelit effect, and add depth to the bathroom in the process. That’s a win-win-win!

Magda Yellow Wide-Width Wallpaper

Mixing Your Textures

Because of the stark white bathtubs, sinks, and toilets, even cosy, British cottage bathrooms can end up feeling a little cold. To combat this, you're going to need textures. For a vintage bathroom, features like fuzzy rugs, fluffy towels, and decorative silk curtains can work to mix textures and provide a softer feeling to the space as a whole

Similarly, ruffled shower curtains can work to enclose the bathtub and replace it with a pattern that is easier on the eye – even if that pattern is achieved with vintage white and black stripes, the textures alone will help to soothe the room.

An Old Accent

In an earlier blog about bathroom design, we wrote about maximising your space to show off your aesthetic. With this in mind, if you have space to spare, a strong feature that can complete a vintage-style bathroom is an antique cupboard. This is a good option from both a practical and aesthetic point of view. For one, everybody needs more storage in their bathrooms, and this cupboard can house everything from toiletries, toilet paper, and towels. Secondly, it’s different. People don’t expect to find antique wardrobes in a bathroom, and if you choose well, it can become both a centrepiece and a perfect addition that blends neatly into the overall theme.

Vintage Colours

We spoke earlier about bathrooms feeling a little clinical. While textures can be successful in combating this, so too can colours. Ordinarily, vintage colour palettes include shades of grey, black, and warm white, but this doesn't have to be the case. In some of the best vintage bathroom designs we’ve seen, a vintage, creamy blue colour seems to be a popular choice. This not only helps to instil a sense of calm and restoration into the bathroom space, but it’s an easy, light colour that is both neutral and lively enough to give the space personality. Of course, this will all depend on the kind of personality you want your bathroom to have, but matched with decorative lights, gorgeous tiles, and antique storage solutions, a blue gloss can easily be the perfect finishing touch to a cottage bathroom with a considered vintage flair.