Rustic and Recycled in the Bathroom

Do you love the idea of an eclectic mix of materials in your home? There’s been a growing trend to mix older pieces of furniture with more modern designs, creating a new style coined as ‘shabby chic’.

 

As we try to get greener and become more aware of our environment, there has been a move towards recycling too. This has taken shape in extreme forms, like the plastic water bottle greenhouses spotted at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show a few year’s ago; to more sophisticated ideas such as eco toilets, basins and showers that reuse water.

 

Recycling

This can be done very successfully in the home – including the bathroom. It’s possible to enhance your bathroom’s style using just recycled elements.

 

Being an island, one of the UK’s favourite recycling tricks is using driftwood and other beach finds. For instance, driftwood has been successfully used as picture/mirror frames for several years. Even just standing a piece of driftwood in the corner can give a room that beach vibe.  Shells, pebbles, and old chains or sailing rope can also add to that coastal feel, if that’s what you’d like to create.

 

If you want the pebble look without actually bringing pebbles into the room, consider pebble tiling. They’re the real thing but cleverly supplied on mesh ‘tiles’ for easy laying. They come in all natural colours.

 

Some people use reclaimed floor planks to build new furniture, more often seen in kitchens but there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider it for bathroom furniture too.

 

 

 

Recycling hardware

Or maybe you have discovered an old Victorian roll top bath and want to reuse it? It’s doubtful that an old cast iron bath will be in perfect condition, so you may need to get the surface redone. If this does prove too costly, there are a number of modern versions based on these iconic baths.

 

Equally try taking a modern, contemporary bath design like the very popular freestanding Luna bath and mix with an eclectic mix of accessories.

 

It has also been very popular to reuse old style radiators. If you can’t find them originals, there are plenty of new ones made in the traditional Victorian style.

 

Keep it stylish

However you use the recycling idea, remember to keep a sense of style so your bathroom retains its dignity. Just because you’ve used reclaimed materials, they don’t have to look shabby and thrown together. Good craftsmanship helps reused objects to fit in perfectly.

 

A refined and professional look is definitely what you need, especially if you plan to mix your recycling with contemporary elements.