Vintage and Rustic Bathroom Design: My Bathroom and a Client Project Inspired By It

When my clients walked into my bathroom, they didn’t hesitate. They looked around and said, “Give us that.” Fifteen years later, my own vintage bathroom is still inspiring new projects — proof that when you design with reclaimed materials, story, and science in mind, the results last.

Today I’m sharing both spaces: my original rustic bathroom (below) and the new client design it inspired (above). You’ll see how reclaimed wood, stone, and vintage brass come together to create bathrooms that feel soulful and lived-in. Plus, I’ll show you how to shop my bathroom and style your own space with vintage decor and modern rustic touches — all designed through my RUTED Method, which blends nervous-system regulation, sensory design, and trauma- and culturally-informed principles. If you’d like to learn more, you can book a virtual design session with me or hire us for full-service design — links are below as well. 

When I designed my bathroom nearly 15 years ago, wet rooms weren’t really a thing. Everyone thought I was crazy for running a full sheet of glass through the middle of the space — dividing it into a “wet side” with a tub and double showerheads, and a “dry side” with the vanity and storage. But let me tell you: cleaning kids and dogs in a jacuzzi tub where water splashes and laughter-filled bubble eruptions of vulcanic proportions drain straight into the shower? Pure genius.

Reclaimed & Reimagined:

• My vintage bathroom vanity started with an old plaster hotel moulding I found at a reuse center. Add a semi-rotted fence post, two chair legs, and $20 later — I had the bones of a one-of-a-kind piece.
• The walls outside the shower are covered in vintage street pavers milled into veneers.
• I brought in a reclaimed beam (sealed with matte sealer) and framed the window in salvaged wood to keep the rustic tones consistent.
• Every surface — from creamy limestone floors to Carrara marble on the tub surround — was chosen for balance. Cool stone needs warmth, so the tan limestone mimics wood tones and keeps the room from feeling too cold.

Design Tip: Repeat materials throughout a space to create balance. My reclaimed wood shows up in the vanity, beam, and window surround. The limestone continues inside and outside the shower. Even the red tones in the rug echo the bricks on the wall. Nothing is random — it’s cohesive.

Styling Note: Make what you use function. See that cigar box on the vanity shelf? That houses my makeup. When I travel, I just throw a rubber band around it and call it a day. Been 20 years with that $1 thing and it's still going strong. I use a vintage pottery cup for toothbrushes. I keep our Savon de Marseille soap blocks on a brass soap stand at the tub, and another on my vanity on a Fern Biscuit Mold. Functional, but they also read like vintage sculptural objects.

For my clients, we shifted the palette into moodier territory. Where mine leans primitive and layered, theirs embraces vintage materials with darker stones and patinaed (yes, it's a new word I made up) fixtures.

Key Details:

• A simple rustic bathroom vanity built entirely from reclaimed wood with vintage shelves and trim.
• Belgian bluestone tile outside the shower and black honed marble inside.
• Fixtures in aged brass and nickel for an authentic patina.
• A vintage rug, baskets, and a hidden closet behind an antique door (just like mine) to keep everyday items tucked away.

Design Tip: I’ll always vote for a closet + unique vanity over a traditional vanity that looks like kitchen cabinetry. Sure, you can make a traditional cabinet style vanity out of reclaimed wood, but cut too much into vintage wood and you lose the character. A closet frees up the vanity to be sculptural, rustic, and full of story. Plus it's a huge cost savings. 

Design isn’t just visual — it affects your nervous system. That’s why I design through my RUTED Method: a framework that combines nervous system regulation with sensory design, and is both trauma-informed and culturally aware. It’s about creating spaces that don’t just look beautiful, but feel safe, grounding, and connected.

• Natural Materials Lower Stress: Studies show that wood and stone surfaces indoors can lower cortisol by up to 15% (Higuera-Trujillo et al., Building and Environment, 2021). It’s why I used reclaimed wood beams and limestone floors. They don’t just look grounding — they feel grounding.
• Balanced Palettes Improve Mood: Neuroaesthetics research finds that warm and cool tones in balance (see how I used creamy limestone against cool Carrara) create harmony in emotional response (Leder et al., 2004). That’s why my rustic modern bathroom feels timeless instead of trendy.

The RUTED approach is always about more than surfaces — it’s about creating rooms where your body can exhale.

The secret to both bathrooms is patina and texture everywhere you look. Don't go with lots of contrast with color, instead, achieve contrast through texture layering. Here’s how to bring this vintage decor look into your own home:

Mirrors...but storied: Skip the builder basics and googling "bathroom mirror". Instead, try something with patina and story such as our Elna Vintage Rolling Pin Mirror, Edna Chapati Mirror, or Brynja Vintage Iron Bowl Mirror. Just make sure to go with a wood vanity mirror or antique wall mirrors so the design feels collected, not catalog.

Vintage Artwork: Hang pieces with distress or patina in the frame, bonus if it's brass to bring that finish around the room. My favorites: Brenn Framed Artwork, Lagertha Framed Artwork, or the Jorunn Framed Artwork. You can even swap the art out with something else if you'd like. The frames are already perfect. Artwork makes a rustic bathroom feel like part of the home, not just a utilitarian space which so often happens with bathrooms because everything is chosen out of a catalog or is a product made for bathrooms.

Unlacquered brass only gets better with age. I'm proud of our amazing unlacquered brass collection, all made by hand and solid brass that will patina over time. Add some of our brass wall hooks, brass knobs, or antique brass cabinet pulls to keep touchpoints warm and tactile. Don’t forget a brass toilet paper holder or brass pendant light to finish the look.

Remember to bring patina around the room. I love using vintage planters and pots everywhere in my home. Whether I'm putting dried flowers in them, keeping them on their own, or stashing my daughter's scrunchies in them to keep the counter clean, they're the perfect vintage decor accessory. Some of my go-tos: Kaija Pot, Chinese Water Pot with Handles, Chinese Water Pot with Lid, or Skadi Vintage Pot. Even a simple terracotta pot layers in rustic authenticity.

The only soap we use in our house is Savon de Marseille. It's great for sensitive skin, scrubbing the floors, dishes AND laundry. You heard that right. On my bathroom counter I use one of our Fern Biscuit Molds with a Savon de Marseille medium soap block. In the shower I use our brass soap stand and a small Savon de Marseille scented soap block. Or sometimes I swap out for one of our French soap on a rope, hung from the shower head. Don't forget a soap saver bag, palm body brush or sisal washcloth for some gentle exfoliation. I use all 3! Remember - when it comes to decor, thing "can this function, too". All of these look amazing left out on the counter, yet they get used daily.

Bathrooms are intimate, personal, and overwhelming to design alone. That’s why I offer Virtual Design Sessions — limited to just 4 per week — where you lead your renovation and I guide you through layout, materials, and styling. Book your session now before the week fills up.

Need more? For full-service design (remote or local), where I create layouts, source materials, and handle the details, reach out through my contact form. Whether you’re after a modern rustic bathroom like these or a soulful vintage interior, we’ll create a space that feels grounding, beautiful, and yours.

A bathroom doesn’t have to be trendy to be beautiful. By layering a custom vintage bathroom vanity, rustic stone, brass hardware, and meaningful materials, you create a space that feels as good as it looks. My bathroom has held strong for 15 years without a single regret — and my client’s darker take proves the ethos works again and again.

When you design with purpose, you don’t just get a bathroom. You get a story. 

If you'd like to see more of my home, I have an entire page dedicated to it, along with links to some of the piece I've used to curate my space. Tap below.