Farmhouse bathrooms are exactly what they sound like - bathrooms inspired by a farmhouse aesthetic. Think rustic and rural references, patterns and designs with modern plumbing and convenience. Lighting is plentiful, but it's soft and warm rather than bright and clinical.
The rooms also have a Spanish ranch vibe to them often, with wrought-iron patterns, warm walls and an abundance of tiles. At the same time, mid-century and older Western (especially Shaker cabinets) add a modern, pared-down element. The rooms are cosy and chic all at the same time, and they're one of the major trends in interiors right now.
Anyone with plans to update or install a bathroom should give the farmhouse look some serious consideration - not only because it's terrifically trendy, but also because it adds value to your property in both the present and the future and is a very sound investment.
Take a look at our selection of ideal examples of well-designed farmhouse-style bathrooms and get inspired to create one in your home!
1. Make a Splash
A key element to the farmhouse bathroom aesthetic is a feeling of space, even if the room is quite small. Open shelves with beautiful towels and accessories, a light neutral colour palette of cream, pale greys and browns and plenty of mirrors make the room seem larger. The continuation of the tiles from the floor halfway up the wall create a feeling of continuity and the well-proportioned long countertop adds a feeling of length too.
A few modern touches, like the angular brushed metal fittings, help to keep the look feeling current, and the rustic barn-inspired candelabra in the middle of the room brings all the elements together. Last but not least, don't forget the farm-style double vanity basins that add a final nod to the decor inspiration.
2. Light 'n Bright
The warm light and careful colour choices make for the ultimate sanctuary and a great place to soak off the stresses of the day. That's another thing you'll notice - there's both a shower for a quick rinse and a bathtub that you'll be tempted to while away a good few hours in.
This classic hardwood floor is timeless and elegant, and it adds warmth too. The wood is as cosy and inviting as the rest of the space, and the darker cabinets add depth and contrast while still maintaining the tranquil feel.
The mirrors that run the entire length of the vanity are another quintessential farmhouse bathroom feature. They draw the eyes along the wall to the window and are framed in more timber to add extra rustic charm. Yellow lights over the mirror as opposed to more clinical white globes enhance the homey feeling even more.
3. Not Just Smoke and Mirrors
As you can see, the farmhouse-inspired look isn't just for master bathrooms; it works well in guest bathrooms that just have a toilet and a basin too.
The shaped mirror mounted above the single basin and cabinet is perfectly in keeping with the old-style-meets-modern-chic look that makes farmhouse interiors work so well.
The rustic metal chandelier adds interest and it perfectly lights up the smaller space, making it look bigger and brighter. Add the hardwood floor and cabinets in a pale smoky grey and you've got just the right amount of light meets dark, meets bright and airy.
4. Fantastic Feature Tiles
Tile patterns in a shower go a long way to creating the farmhouse-chic look without going overboard. The feature tiled wall keeps the shower feeling large, airy and comfortable, while still making a bold style statement.
The motifs are designed so that when the tiles are laid together, they create larger patterns on the wall. This pattern contrasts with the rest of the room's plain white tiles and creates interest and a focal point.
The modern and slightly chunky tap fittings offset the homeliness of the tiles well, as do the large mirrors that stretch along a vanity and up to the ceiling. The pale wood on the doors and floors echoes the bright lighting, and makes the entire space feel warm and welcoming.
5. Everything's Going To Be All White
As much as careful colour additions are part of the effortlessly stylish look of a farmhouse bathroom, the all-white (or almost all-white) palette also packs a punch.
The modern ball-and-claw soaking tub is the ideal blend of old-world charm and clever design twists. By mounting the tap assembly in the middle of the bath rather than at the end the classic feel has also been enhanced. The contrast between the darker gold legs, stone base and white rim of the bath immediately catch the eye and ensure that the tub takes centre stage
The open shelves with fluffy white towels look inviting, and the light wooden floor with shiplap walls adds to the calming sense of order that a well-designed bathroom can create. The accessories are the cherry on top, and the wooden backwasher, wicker basket and gleaming glass jars are just the right touches.
6. Black Out!
Adding black to a farmhouse bathroom dresses it up, bringing the elements together in a way that's more edgy and modern. While black cabinets can be overpowering, in this case they are perfectly complemented by gold handles, adding an extra lustre to the look.
To carry the black theme throughout, the large double mirrors each have a black trim, but the white statement floor tiles and basins create a great contrast. Black taps and light fittings tie it all together, putting a more modern twist on the farmhouse bathroom aesthetic.
7. Go Graphic
A bold floor tile pattern adds an art deco element to any farm-style bathroom. Being brave pays off as the all-white bath, shower curtain, toilet and cabinets make the tile patterns pop.
The light cabinets with the contrasting dark surface add to the mid-century vibe and the black taps, handles and mirror trim are the perfect touch. These Shaker-style cabinets are the storage units that you'll see most frequently in this kind of decor and they finish off the room perfectly.
8. A Touch of Class
If there's one thing that can be said about a well-designed farmhouse bathroom, it's this: it's undeniably classy.
The finishes and features go a long way towards that; how could a large, luxury circular mirror with the signature light fitting mounted above it look anything except elegant?
Adding in the traditional subway tiles, a bold floor pattern, warm wood to bring the light in and wicker baskets for the rustic factor all ensure that even a small bathroom can make a big impression. Who says small has to be boring?
9. Glorious Glass
Glorious and totally gorgeous, the glass-walled showers make an already well-proportioned bathroom seem bigger and filled with plenty of light.
The glass reflects any natural or artificial light, and the clear walls provide the perfect opportunity to show off the traditional-inspired fixtures in the shower. The light tiles add to the feeling of space. Plus, the positioning of the bath below the window reflected by the shower glass opposite and the dark-framed mirror above a dark cabinet all add to that feeling of space.
10. Farmhouse Feel With a Modern Twist
Farmhouse doesn't have to mean old fashioned! Traditional style textures and surfaces combined with the latest shapes and designs create a modern look with a farmhouse feel.
The warm wooden drawers and cabinets with angular handles, dark-stained hardwood floors and minimal fixtures blend the old and the new in just the right measure. The angular design is repeated in the tub and the shower, and the 3 tones of natural coloured wall tiles create depth and interest. There's a lot of clever mixing of tones and textures, but the neutral colour palette ensures that it doesn't look busy or cluttered.
11. Tubs and Trims
The decorative moulding along the front of a bathtub adds character and is a way of bringing the tub back into the realm of the farmhouse and not let it go too far into the ultra-modern era. Two-tone trims add a feeling of rustic style and the contrast between the tub trim and the cabinets adds to the effect.
There's not much that beats looking out over a gorgeous garden while soaking in the tub and by placing it between the windows, a real country outlook is achieved. The generous amount of natural light the windows allow in opens up space, while the electric lights above the mirror add a warm overall glow. The pale tiles and blonde wood are perfectly in keeping with the style too.
12. Add A Sweet Touch With Honey
Honey-toned cabinets and wooden finishes add a sweet touch and make this bathroom feel warm and inviting. The delicious golden glow is so warm that it works well with the bright pictures on the wall to balance out the colour palette, and it keeps the other lighter shades from looking too cold.
By echoing the honey wood with the towel rails, picture frames, wooden blinds and wicker baskets to hold toiletries and other bathroom necessities space looks as polished and pulled-together as it does cosy.
The bright white towels and porcelain, along with bold floor tiles, also complement the treacle tones well and the large multi-tiered light fittings above the mirror are all in keeping with the style.
13. Moody Hues
Adding grey tones to a decor palette is a sure-fire way of giving any classic style a touch of the modern treatment. The classic cabinet designs and tiles have been given a modern update with this trendy colour and the matching splash back tiles continue the aesthetic.
The slightly washed effect of the cabinets inspires the farmhouse feel but the modern black taps and cabinet handles to keep things fresh. The light fittings subtly hint at old farmhouses, but they still have a somewhat modern ambience that makes them the perfect match for the grey wash colour scheme.
14. Window Dressing
What's better than lying in a bathtub and letting all your worries wash away? Very little but soaking in the tub while also soaking up a great view does come to mind! Placing the bath in a corner with a window on either side has worked wonders, and the addition of the drop-down curtains means that nothing gets in the way of the view.
The dark wood panels, glass door and pale tiles keep the mood light but add a dash of sophistication. Beyond that, the slightly ornate above-mirror lighting, and curtain rails give just the right amount of drama.
The final touch is the two separate vanities with their marble countertops that complement the rest of the room's natural hues.
15. Go Big on Texture
There's nothing quite as gorgeous as walls clad in stone, and they look great in this bathroom. The overall look is one of sophistication rather than a welcoming, homely vibe but it's not cold and clinical either. The turned wood bowl basin is still rustic and farmhouse, but in a less warm-and-cosy kind of way.
The stone-clad walls level the edgy-but-elegant factor way up, and the rough, single-stone surfaces tie it all together. The open shelves are another hallmark of the farmhouse look and they work much better than cabinets would beneath a stone slab. Towels, toiletries and other accessories are kept to a minimum to let the natural beauty of the stone shine through.
16. Say Ole To Spanish Style Touches
Perfectly showcasing how when limestone plaster dries it acquires an earthy, soft look, this bathroom keeps the farmhouse aesthetic but adds a healthy dose of Spanish style too. The natural light plays on the surface, which is also known as Venetian Plaster, and it's perfectly balanced out with a few dark finishes that have hints of a Texan or Mexican Ranch.
The towel rails and large wrought-iron candlesticks work exceptionally well with this Spanish look, especially alongside mirrors and windows that have been framed in light wood. With the addition of a quintessential Shaker-style cabinet, the decorator's work in this room is done.
17. Let the Light In
One of the biggest trends in farmhouse decor in general is blending with the outdoors and making the space feel airy. What better way to do that, than to let in as much natural light as possible?
The windows, skylights, large mirrors and pale walls all help to achieve this open feeling, and with a mounted mirror that exposes more wall space, the room feels even bigger. Light stone tiles on the walls and floor, pebble texture in the shower and old-school taps and cabinet handles also evoke the rustic atmosphere that every aspirational farmhouse bathroom owner aspires to.
18. Feeling Blue
Subway tiles, blue walls and white trim all work together to create a bathroom that's inviting and interesting. While it's a more old-school take on the farmhouse style, there's nothing fuddy duddy about this room.
The basin in an old-school serviceable shape looks gorgeous when paired with light blue walls, traditional tiles, and white wooden fittings. When bringing old and new styles together like this, it's a good idea to keep small objects in the room to a minimum. The carefully chose towels, light fittings and long floral sprigs get the job done very well here.
19. Square It Off
Linear designs don't need to be boring. The contrasting white lines in the darker stone floor tiles are perfectly offset by the horizontal stripes on the shower, and the white blinds tie it all together.
The farmhouse feel is enhanced by the rich mocha walls and pale tiles and the dark wood makes the ideal backdrop for the plants, dried grasses and other natural elements.
Along with a collection of different-sized glass bottles, a rustic wicker basket and a few pops of dark blue, the warm lights above the mirror are all this bathroom needs to be bang on trend.
20. Work That Angle
High ceilings, plentiful lights, large mirrors and well-spaced windows all work together to make a beautifully proportioned room that feels like a sanctuary whenever you step inside it. A great example of working with angles, this bathroom makes the most of its sharp corners and bay style window.
The extra surface space on either side of a built-in bathtub elegantly elongates the area, and the recessed shower adds even more space to the equation. Wide granite countertops, beading on the cabinet, and beautiful window shutters all create additional soothing lines that ultimately draw the eye to the bath.
Balance Your Design For The Best Results
When it comes to creating your farmhouse-inspired bathroom you can draw inspiration from all of these images and then make it your own.
For example, you might decide that you want a chandelier to be your centrepiece but the size you choose will depend on the volume of the room and the dimensions of the rest of your decor. After all, the laid-back sophistication of a farmhouse-inspired bathroom is all about chic individualism.