Traditional Bathroom Ideas and How to Achieve Them

Are you considering a traditional bathroom renovation, but unsure where to start? Re-designing your bathroom is a great excuse to experiment with different colours, styles and aesthetics.

We’ve got a few inspirational ideas to help you to create a timeless space that meets the needs of modern-day life.

Whether you're working with a limited budget or have plenty of room to play with, these traditional bathroom design concepts are guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing in no time at all.

 

Great town and country ideas

When we think about what makes up a traditional bathroom design, it becomes clear that actually, there are a few variations around the ideology of what the traditional bathroom looks like.

And, depending on where you live, your personal preferences and the type of homely environment you’re trying to build for you and your family, your version of ‘traditional’ could well look different to someone else's.

So, to explore these different ideologies, we’ll start by distinguishing between two common traditional bathroom style themes; town and country.

 

Traditional town bathrooms

If your mind immediately jumps to an inner city, townhouse or penthouse-style home, then your inner stylist may be leading you towards a traditional town-style bathroom.

This take on traditional bathroom design is all about embracing taller ceilings, larger windows and classic features to create an indulgent space with glamorous, ageless cosmopolitan charm.

Consider incorporating grandiose clean cuts of marble tiles to create a feel of classic, timeless luxury.

Experiment with a bolder colour palette and striking silhouettes when handpicking standout furniture features such as Edwardian toilets, 19th-century style basins, baths, taps and accessories.

A mirror is a must for any bathroom. Make use of vertical surfaces and reflect the beauty of your bathroom design around the room with a showstopping long-length mirror.

And, for the ultimate traditional look, dress the walls up with full-height panelling or wainscoting for marvellous depth and subtle era-led texture.

 

 

Traditional country bathrooms

If your imagination transports you to a secluded and quaint traditional country cottage or farmhouse bathroom with squeaky oak floors and little doors, low ceilings and muddy boots outside, then perhaps you’re looking for something a little more country-traditional.

This theme is less polished yet radiantly rustic offering a personal spa-like feel with outside-in appeal.

The traditional country interior can be created by incorporating natural materials across the bathroom design.

From wooden or polished concrete flooring to furniture with a natural oak finish, it’s all about celebrating what nature has to offer in its purest form.

For the ultimate cosy country feel, opt for a classic roll top bath, from which you can relax and admire your exquisite new bathroom through soapy steam. Then, pair with a high level toilet to complete the look.

 

Pick a colour

When considering traditional bathroom colours, simplicity and subtlety lead the way.

The classic look draws upon colours and tones from the Edwardian and Victorian eras, building upon a palette of bolder, rich blue and green hues, contrasted against clean, buildable base shades such as greys, white and black.

Traditional bathroom shadings

Consider how the shape, design and natural light of the room can be enhanced through underlying subtle, yet prevailing colour.

Be bold with black

Black is certainly a winning statement tone often used to create an intimate and theatrical surround.

Subtly drip feed black into traditional design by incorporating black bathroom furniture including basins, vanity units and shelving.

Or, for a dramatic emphasis, consider a tasteful chic black wall finishing. Extract natural black tones when you handpick from a selection of nature-nurtured stones including authentic slate, marble or granite finishes.

 

At home with monochrome

Monochrome has always had its place on trending bathroom colour schemes, making it a timeless and traditional palette of choice.

Iconic and romantically charming, black and white work together to offer a clean, classic look.

There’s an abundance of freedom to experiment with eye-popping patterns and textures as you build out this edgy colour scheme.

Black and white floor tiles are a great place to start, creating a striking geometric contrast from the floor up.

 

Find your balance with grey

If you’re leaning more towards darker tones but need to maintain a lighter, more open feel, grey is a forgiving, on-trend traditional bathroom colour you may wish to consider.

Create a cosy bathroom space without extracting too much natural light by choosing grey vanity units with white basins paired with grey toilet seats and WC units.

By mixing between light and dark grey tones you can achieve depth, without making a smaller bathroom feel overcrowded.

 

 

A splash of colour

Blue and green are traditional colours to be seen

Both blue and green have been notably established as prevailing traditional bathroom colours.

For decades homeowners and interior designers alike have chosen blue as a poignant bathroom colour of choice.

Deep royal blues and sophisticated satins relinquish a feeling of lavish luxury and serenity, particularly when paired with crispy white, bright tones and natural textures.

 

For bathrooms needing to extract the most luminance from natural light, green is the way to go.

Sage is all the rage at the moment, fusing together traditional bathroom decor with an elegant modern-day tone.

This delicate yet earthy colour pairs beautifully with softer greys to create a traditionally tranquil and natural bathroom ambience.

Use different surfaces, including vanity unit cupboards and WC units to build out beautiful blue and gorgeous green hues throughout your traditional bathroom design.

Build your bathroom around features

Once you’ve picked a traditional bathroom theme and colour scheme, you can start to think about your space and how you can use features such as bathroom furniture and accessories to achieve the look. Here are a few ideas…

Dreamy freestanding baths

If traditional elegance is on your bathroom design bucket list, then there really is one bathroom feature you’re going to want to consider.

First appearing in luxury bathroom design during the 1800s, the freestanding bath is as about as traditional as it gets.

To this day, the standalone design continues to breathe an air of indulgence into classical bathroom composition, often taking to the floor as the ultimate bathroom centrepiece.

 

Whether placed in the middle of the room, or against a feature wall, you can use this impressive bathroom feature to allude to the feel of a more open and airy space.

Be sure to shine the au-natural spotlight onto the tub, showing off the stunning rolling textures and lavish contours of a freestanding or roll-top bath in full glory.

There’s much to be said about its admirableness from the inside out, too.

When taking a dip and soaking up the suds, take the time to appreciate just how the dreamy soft linears and ever-flowing curves marry together to offer both stunning design and deep relaxing comfort.

Double up with a large vanity unit

There really is something truly romantic, yet tremendously practical about double bathroom basins.

Create a classic boutique luxury bathroom with all the added benefits of extra storage space for everyday living when incorporating a double vanity unit into your traditional bathroom.

Whether it’s more personal space for everyday pampering or an extra basin to speed up busy morning routines, there’s much to be said about integrating a double vanity unit within a larger ensuite and family bathroom.

Practicalities aside, this distinguished bathroom feature has a lot to offer on the traditional design front.

Vanity units themselves can feature as ornate mainstage bathroom features, helping to centre-align the room and create a calming and restoring balance.

Available in a wide range of colours and finishes, experience a great degree of flexibility when choosing a statement-making vanity unit.

Light up the room with a boujie and bright marble top decorative unit that reflects a calm and spa-like space. Go for traditional glamour with grey cabinet doors.

Or, for something that flickers a touch of colour on the eye, take a look at a blue or green vanity unit creating a rich contrast.

 

 

Level up with a high level toilet

The traditional bathroom style is by no means limited to larger spaces. If you’re looking for ideas on how to give a smaller bathroom or cloakroom toilet a classic redesign, the high level toilet is an absolute must to consider.

You may not have regarded how the toilet could become your bathroom’s primary focal feature.

But, these mid-century style toilets are the perfect pick if you’re looking to fashion a show-stopping bathroom centrepiece bursting to the brim with character and Victorian charm.

With a high level toilet, the beauty is truly in the detail.

From the industrial-style chain flush and stand-out piping to the ceramic handle and cistern, the high level toilet is a work of art, an accolade to the revolutionary origins of lavatory design, and a fun, yet stylish way to create a bathroom with real wow-factor.

 

 

A round-up

When designing your traditional bathroom, it’s always a good idea to start by picking a theme. Establish exactly what traditional means to you, whether that be country chic or industrial town glamour.

Next, opt for colours that work to reflect your own personality and preferences, whilst enhancing the natural composition of your bathroom space and lighting.

Once you have your theme and colour scheme ready, you can build out the design by choosing stand-out features and centrepiece furniture that compliment the decor whilst providing a timeless, practical space that you’ll love for years to come.