How to Create a French Country Bathroom

I love French country style!  I’ve written about great French country gardens, beautiful French paint colors, & how to create a French country home.  Here, we’ll extend our interest to one of the easiest rooms for a make-over: the bathroom.  While a whole-house renovation can be costly, tackling a bathroom change-up might take a weekend…or two.  In this article, I’ll provide a wide range of French-inspired baths: from more rustic to uber-elegant.  Let’s learn how to create a French country bathroom!

French Country bathroom perfection. Photo: House Beautiful.

**Author’s Note: I’ve been asked to curate my own Wayfair Storefront ~ which includes my personalized French Country Bath Collection! 

 

Click on the photo above to shop my favorite French finds….

French Country Style…in the Toilette

• When designing your French country bath, you might want to incorporate one or all key French country design signatures: 1) The use of wood & other natural materials, 2) Softly-patterned fabrics in muted colors, & 3) Some element of distressed, vintage, or antique furnishings & accessories. 
• The French Country Color Palette = muted tones, all manner of blues, soft greens, light pinks, lavender, light yellow, all pastels, & creams & whites.  In a bathroom, you can also choose to go more dramatic: opting for a dark grey or even black, which can still have a French feel when combined with elegant light fixtures.  For specific recommendations on French country paint colors, read this article.
• If you choose to wallpaper the bath area: toile is a French country favorite (where pastoral scenes are used repeatedly).  Floral prints are also popular ~ which opens up a huge world of wallpapers.  To “masculinize” the French style, look for a floral pattern with a darker background ~ such as dark grey or black. 
• If you need extra storage in the bath area: Wayfair has AMAZING French-styled storage cabinets ~ that are both beautiful & practical.  I love this arched vintage one!
• For any windows in the bath area: soft drapes & curtains are the best choice for window coverings.  If you don’t need privacy: you can also opt for no window treatments. Or shutters, as shown in the photo below.
• Soft pink, white, or blue hydrangeas are some of the most quintessential French flowers ~ along with roses & lavender. Consider displaying faux flowers on the sink, or by the bath. 
• Speaking of baths, one of the most iconic items in a true French country bath is a clawfoot tub!  Also called freestanding tubs, a nicely-curved one adds to the French feel. 

And if you can have a beautiful chandelier over it?  Even better…

A clawfoot tub is often the focal point of a French Country bathroom. Photo: HomesandGardens.

French Chandelier

Photos of French Country Bathrooms

A French Country bath can be very simple. Photo: Better Homes & Gardens.

A chandelier wall sconce, pink flowers, & natural wood make this bath simply lovely. Photo: French Country Cottage.

Pale blue is one of the most popular French Country colors. Photo: Giving Tree Home.

Using a distressed armoire is a great, out-of-the-box idea for a sink stand! Photo: Hello Hayley.

Simply grouping elegant photos together is a budget-friendly way to elevate the bath. Photo: HomesandGardens.

The chandelier over the bath is a great touch. Photo: Houzz.

Shop for French-styled chandeliers & wall sconces in my Wayfair Bath Collection.

This gorgeous vintage French bath is a more masculine take on French style. Photo: Wayfair.

How to Create a French Country Bathroom

If you’re interested in creating your own French country home….simply search my site for “French country” & you’ll find plenty more inspo!  Lots of articles will pull up….

xoxo Noelia

Read Next:  How to Create a French Country Dining Room

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