Have you ever considered modern rustic bathroom ideas?
We put so much effort into the way our home looks, from the intricate organization of the kitchen to the homey feel of our bedroom.
But, as one of the most-used rooms in the house, the bathroom deserves a little spruce and decoration, too. We have tons of ideas for a modern rustic bathroom.
15 Modern Rustic Bathroom Ideas
Styling an entire room—even a room as small as the bathroom—can feel like an overwhelming task.
We’re giving you 15 modern rustic bathroom ideas to get you started and trigger some much-needed inspiration.
Wooden Accent Wall
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When it comes to any kind of rustic style, you can’t go wrong with natural wood. Not only is it stunning in its own right, but it can instantly add some cool visual interest to your space.
In a bathroom, a natural wood accent wall brings the modern world and the rustic world together. Accent walls draw the attention of the eye and can even make a room appear longer in some instances.
You can go for a real wooden accent wall by adding wooden panels in layers, or you can make things easier by finding realistic faux-wood wallpaper.
Copper Hardware
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For the most part, traditional hardware is silver. But if you’re looking for a modern rustic style in your bathroom, you should think about replacing all of the existing hardware with copper pieces instead. Copper is inherently rustic.
It’s reminiscent of older times when copper-plated piping was used and copper cups were popular.
Plus, it adds a unique twist and an eye-catching color to your bathroom that’s fun to play with. Copper hardware can turn your bathroom from modern to modern rustic in an instant.
Rustic Iron Towel Rack
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Every bathroom has a towel rack of some sort, making it the perfect opportunity to add a splash of rustic to the room.
Rustic iron towel racks can quickly transform your space. Many of them use black iron piping, and a lot of them are coupled with wooden boards or shelves.
You can find rustic iron towel racks in many stores today, or you can opt to make one yourself. It’s a fun and easy project that will update your bathroom’s style without a lot of money or effort.
Hardwood Floors
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Most traditional bathrooms settle for standard tile for their floors. And this choice makes sense. After all, your bathroom floors come into contact with a lot of moisture, and tile stands up well to water.
But with today’s innovations, it’s easy to find a water-resistant wood material for your floors, too.
Using hardwood in your bathroom can instantly give it a more rustic feel. You can opt for multi-colored wood if you want to make it the focal point of the room.
Stone Accent Wall
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Like natural wood, stone is another element that you can bring into your home for a unique accent piece to capture attention and complete a bathroom.
A stone accent wall can be natural yet gorgeous and simple yet intricate. When it comes to stone, there are tons of options to choose from.
You can go with stone tile in uniform shapes or opt for a more random, outdoorsy look.
And like wooden accent walls, stone accent walls can be done with real stone or with nifty stick-on products to achieve your dream modern rustic bathroom look.
Black Hardware
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Black, as a color, is sleek, clean, and minimal – all things that you want in a modern, rustic vibe.
But too much black can be overwhelming and will consume a space, so it’s important to add black sparingly. A great way to a modern, rustic theme is to add black hardware.
This can include your faucet, cabinet handle, drawer handles, and showerheads. You can also include small black pieces like soap dishes and toothbrush holders.
If you can, try to add small amounts of black to other areas, such as a thin, black border around the mirror or black edges to a wooden vanity.
Floating Wooden Shelves
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If you need a quick fix to make your bathroom more modern rustic in appearance, go with floating wooden shelves instead of hanging cabinets or floor shelves.
Floating shelves are extremely minimal in design, which is key to the modern appeal. And, as we mentioned earlier, natural wood is essential for a rustic dynamic.
When you combine these two things, you get a modern rustic look that you’re bound to fall in love with.
Floating wooden shelves are also a great solution for small bathrooms that may not have the space for larger storage. You can also stain them to match any existing wood in the room.
Vintage Hanging Lights
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Vintage hanging lights have skyrocketed in popularity as the love of industrial décor has risen.
But the great thing about the industrial vibe is that a lot of it also works in creating a modern, rustic style. Vintage hanging lights are ceiling lights that hang from a cord and boast a single vintage bulb.
Instead of having some sort of light cover on it, the bulb hangs free, which is what makes it look industrial. This look is raw and cool, and you can find several different industrial bulbs in stores these days.
Hanging Barn Door
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Hanging barn doors have become so popular in recent years to have inside your home. They work in a variety of spaces, too, whether it’s the bathroom or your living room.
In many cases, these doors don’t even have to be functional; they’re simply there for the look. But you can easily replace your bathroom door with a barn door to achieve a modern rustic appearance.
One of the greatest things about barn doors is that they work in almost any color. You can choose more common colors like white, brown, or black, or you can go with an accent color such as red, blue, or yellow.
Of course, for a more modern vibe, we would stick to white, black, or a shade of natural wood. Keep the hardware black to match the black accents we mentioned earlier.
Brick Accent Wall
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Clearly, we’re big fans of accent walls around here! Brick walls, in particular, really work to warm a space up a bit. Their natural rusty red hue adds some color to your bathroom without it being too blatant or bright.
Like any other kind of accent wall, brick walls draw the eye and create some intrigue in your design. These walls are fairly easy to add, though you’ll probably need a contractor to do so (unless you’re handy!).
But you can also fake a brick wall using peel and stick wallpaper. Many of the more high-quality wallpapers are thick and even have real texture to them.
Natural Wooden Vanity
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Many of today’s vanities are made with cost-effective woods like particleboard, fiberboard, or plywood. They’re often finished with some kind of paint or stain that gives them a polished look.
But if you’re looking to give your bathroom more of a rustic tone, we suggest going with natural wood vanity.
Accomplishing this may be easier than you think! You can absolutely replace your current vanity with one made of natural wood.
In fact, there are many modern rustic styles available that can include black iron frames and black hardware. Or you can get into DIY mode and strip your current vanity of its paint to reveal its natural color underneath.
In doing so, you might discover a gorgeous wooden base. You may also find that you don’t like how the natural wood looks, in which case you can always repaint or stain.
A nice alternative to a natural wood vanity is a white vanity with black hardware for a modern farmhouse appearance.
Accent With Faux Eucalyptus
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There’s something about the eucalyptus plant that is so captivating and pretty, and for some reason, it tends to look really nice in bathrooms.
The soft, green color goes with almost any décor, and it makes the perfect touch for a rustic yet modern vibe.
You can use eucalyptus in a variety of ways. It looks great standing up in a tall vase. You can also drape it lazily over the top of your bathroom mirror or lay a sprig or two in your soap dish.
Many people like to use real eucalyptus in their showers, as it releases a soothing scent when it comes into contact with hot steam.
It just so happens that it looks good tied up there as well – it just needs to be replaced more frequently than faux eucalyptus!
Rustic Signs
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If there’s one sure-fire way to make any space look more rustic, it’s by simply adding some rustic-style signs to your walls. There are so many options available today for this bathroom idea.
All across the web and in stores, you can find new wooden signs with beautiful scripts and unique sayings.
A rustic sign for your bathroom can include a fun picture or a cute phrase. It can hang on the wall, or you can prop it up on a shelf or counter.
Do some good searching online and in-home décor stores to find some ideas and pick out a couple for your bathroom. Since bathrooms are small, you can usually go with one large sign or one or two small signs.
Decorate with Flowers in Vases
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You can never go wrong with adding faux flowers to any space to spruce it up and give it a little life.
And certain flowers, along with the vase you choose, have that rustic look that you’re going for. One excellent combination to try is a large, white vase full of faux baby’s breath.
The all-white appearance with a touch of green will go with any décor, and it has a clean look that’s perfect for a modern rustic vibe. Hydrangeas are also a great choice.
With their full blooms, you only need a few of them to fill a vase. You can go with a white vase again, or you can try a rustic tin bucket. Other flowers like white roses, daisies, and lilies work well in this setting, too.
Pillar Candles
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Candles are loved and welcomed in any room of the house, aside from maybe a toddler’s room.
While any candle can add warmth and fragrance to your bathroom, pillar candles have a style that speaks to both a clean, modern look and a homey, rustic feel.
Try creating a layered look with pillar candles of different heights. Set a group of three on your bathroom counter or layer a four or five on a long shelf above the toilet. The great thing about pillar candles is that they’re affordable.
And you can easily move them around and play with the setup until you find something you love. They also pair well with other decorations like signs and nick-nacks.
Things to Consider
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Designing a bathroom to take on a modern rustic feel can seem daunting, but there’s more to consider here than just the ideas above:
- Set a budget and stick to it
- Decide if you want a full bathroom remodel or a more simple project
- Consider items you already have and how you can make them work with the theme
- Stay away from silver, unless it’s a weathered silver tin.
- Not everything rustic has to look “shabby”
Keep these things in mind when you dive into your new bathroom redesign project.
What’s Your Favorite Modern Rustic Bathroom Idea?
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What’s your take on the modern rustic style for bathrooms?
Pull some inspiration from our list of ideas and give some of them a try to spice up your bathroom with shabby-chic yet modern décor.