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

Have you bought a country plot and are considering bathroom installation? 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 equipping 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 ideal if at least one wall of the future bathroom is external — this will provide natural ventilation.

If your 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 located 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 at the country house. If your country house is small and you're lazy, visiting the countryside only a few times during summer, then an acceptable option is biotoilet and water from a well.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: to enjoy a comfortable stay in nature, just a few meters are enough. In the USA, for example, there are popular houses on wheels: they go to the sea or mountains, and also live in them.

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

If you can’t imagine summer without garden beds and garden work, and in general plan to spend a lot of time at the country house, you can connect a pump or install a pumping station. Water will flow into the bathroom from a well or borehole through pumping pipelines.

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 dismantled and stored until the next country season.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: it's worth noting the country experience of Europeans. For example, a couple from Sweden bought a country house and installed a shower right outdoors. In hot summer days, this solution is relevant for our latitudes as well. The key point is to provide a high fence and a curtain to shield from nosy neighbors.

In case of year-round stay at the country house, it’s worth investing in a water supply system and dedicating much time to its maintenance. For example, ensure that no water remains in the pipes during winter months when the house is unoccupied, otherwise there's a risk of pipe bursts and cracks in the toilet.

It’s great if your country plot has central water supply — in that case, you don’t need to think about water connection at all. However, even in this case and in other scenarios, cold water must be heated. If installing a boiler and related costs are not part of your plans, take care of a reliable water heater.

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

What makes them good?

First, these water heaters are compact: the smallest one is slightly over thirty centimeters in height and width and has a volume of six liters. Such a small unit will take up very little space in the bathroom.

Second, these appliances heat all the water in the reservoir quickly — less than half an hour. They also have an external heating regulator to quickly adjust the desired water temperature.

Third, the control panel is simple and intuitive to use — no need to be a specialist to figure out how to operate it.

Ensuring Waterproofing

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

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

Choosing Finishing Materials

Tiles, natural or artificial stone, plaster — any of the “urban” options can be used for a country bathroom. For summer country huts, it’s better to avoid tiles with minimal joints: due to large temperature fluctuations, the tiles may crack.

PVC boarding and plywood — budget-friendly options, but they can look aesthetically pleasing too: take a look at this bathroom in a country house in Ekaterinburg.

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 by Designers

Customers didn’t build a new house but bought an existing one made of logs. The 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 cottage by Lake Garda in Italy, designer Zhenya Zhdanova combined ancient stone masonry with ceramic granite resembling limestone, added countertops for sinks made of the same material, and complemented the look with classic mixers and a wooden mirror.

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

Another example of how beautifully and uniquely boarding can look in bathrooms. This solution was created by designer Anna Vasileva for 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