How to Equip a Bathroom on a Country Plot: Tips from Professionals + Examples

Just bought a country plot, and bathroom setup is on the agenda? Or perhaps the house has been standing for a long time but you lack the time to solve the comfort issue? In this post, we tell what to take into account and what to remember when setting up a bathroom on a country plot, so that you can enjoy comfort and stay longer than usual.

Choosing a Location for the Bathroom

It should be located away from the kitchen. It's good if at least one wall of the future bathroom is external — this ensures natural ventilation.

If the country house is two-story and there will be only one bathroom, it's better to place it on the first floor. If you plan to have a bathroom on each floor, they should be positioned one above the other.

Design: Margarita Rasskazova

Determining the Sewage and Water Supply System

Think about how much time you spend or plan to spend on the country plot. If the house is small and you're lazy, visiting the countryside only a few times during summer, an acceptable option is biotoilet and water from a well.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: to comfortably enjoy nature, just a few meters are enough. For example, in the US, there are popular homes on wheels: they go to the sea or mountains and live in them.

We told about one such “country house.” Its area is only 22 square meters, but it fits a sink, shelves, a washing machine, and even a full bathtub. The biotoilet in such a bathroom looks organic: combined with wooden floors, shelves, a curtain, and light wall cladding. This is a good option.

If you can't imagine summer without garden beds and garden work, and generally plan to spend a lot of time on the country plot, you can connect a pump or install a pumping station. Water will flow into the bathroom from a well or borehole through pumping mains.

A cheap alternative to this option is a pumping station with a surface pump, where garden hoses are used. They are pulled across the entire plot to the house and watering containers. The downside of such a system is that when cold weather arrives, the station must be disassembled and stored until the next summer season.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: it's worth noting the experience of European country dwellers. For example, a couple from Sweden bought a country house and installed a shower right outdoors. On a hot summer day, such a solution is relevant for our latitudes too. The main thing is to provide a high fence and a curtain to keep nosy neighbors from peering.

In case of year-round use of the country plot, it's worth investing in a water supply system and spending a lot of time on its maintenance. For example, monitor that during cold weather when the house is empty, no water remains in the pipes, otherwise there's a risk of pipe bursts and cracks in the toilet.

It's good if the country plot has central water supply — then you don't need to worry about water delivery at all. But in this case and in others, cold water needs to be heated. If installing a boiler and related costs aren't part of your plan, take care of a reliable water heater.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: Ariston has “country” models — these are electric water heaters ABS ANDRIS LUX.

What are they good for?

First, these water heaters are compact: the smallest model is just over 30 centimeters in height and width, with a volume of six liters. Such a small unit will occupy very little space in the bathroom.

Second, these devices heat all the water in the tank quickly — less than half an hour. They also have an external temperature regulator to quickly set a comfortable water temperature.

Third, the control panel is simple and intuitive, and you don't need to be a specialist to understand how to use it.

Dealing with Waterproofing

Before laying tiles, natural or artificial stone, boarding, or other finishing materials in the bathroom, it's important to go over the walls and floor with aqua-mastic or other waterproofing compositions. Another option is to clad the bathroom with plastic panels.

It's better to lower the floor level of the bathroom room by several centimeters before installing waterproofing. This will contain water in case of a leak.

Choosing Finishing

Tiles, natural or artificial stone, plastering — any of the “urban” options can be used for a country bathroom. In case of summer-only country houses, it's better to avoid tiles with minimal joints: due to large temperature fluctuations, tiles may crack.

Plastic boarding and plywood — budget options, but they can also look elegant: take a look at this bathroom in a country house in Yekaterinburg.

Marina Efstigneeva decorated it in the best traditions of Scandinavian style. The walls were finished with painted boarding, and the floor — with ceramic tiles. This helped save money and make the bathroom stylish and interesting.

Design of a Country Bathroom: 3 Successful Solutions from Designers

Customers didn't build a new house but bought an already built one made of logs. Designers helped with the renovation and increased the number of bathrooms. For finishing, they chose black-and-white tiles and combined them with paint and boarding.

In the bathrooms of a summer house by Lake Garda in Italy, designer Zhenya Zhudanova combined old stone masonry with ceramic granite resembling limestone, added a countertop for sinks made of the same material, and completed it with classic mixers and wooden mirrors.

A solution for those who prefer natural and artificial stone finishing.

Another example of how boarding can look great and original in bathrooms. This solution was designed by designer Anna Vasileva for herself and her family. The house is built on the territory of an old dacha settlement, so the interiors are a bit nostalgic, in the style of old Moscow suburbs dachas.

On the cover: Design project by Marina Efstigneeva