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

Bought a country plot and bathroom installation on the agenda? Or maybe the house has been standing for a long time, but you don't have enough time to solve the comfort issue? In this post, we tell what to plan for and what to remember when setting up a bathroom on a country plot so you can stay in the countryside comfortably and longer than usual.

Choosing a Place 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 is only one bathroom, it's better to place it on the first floor. If you plan a bathroom on each floor, they should be positioned one above the other.

Design: Margarita Rasskazova

Deciding on Sewage and Water Supply

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

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: to comfortably rest 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 live in them.

We told about one such «country plot». Its area is only 22 square meters, but it includes 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 successful 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 plot, you can connect a pump or install a pump station. Water will flow into the bathroom from a well or borehole through pump pipelines.

A cheap alternative to this option is a pump 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 the cold comes, the station needs to 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 plot and installed a shower right outdoors. On a hot summer day, such a solution is relevant for our latitudes as well. The main thing is to provide a high fence and a curtain to shield from nosy neighbors.

In case of year-round country retreat, it's worth investing in the water supply system and spending a lot of time on its maintenance. For example, make sure that during cold weather when the country house is unoccupied, there is no water in the pipes, otherwise there is 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 think about water supply at all. But even in this case, and in other cases, cold water needs to be heated. If installing a boiler and related costs are not in the plans, take care of a reliable water heater.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM: «country» models are available from Ariston — these are electric water heaters ABS ANDRIS LUX.

What are they good for?

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

Second, all water in the tank is heated quickly — less than half an hour. And they also have an external temperature regulator to quickly adjust the comfortable water temperature.

Third, the control panel is simple and intuitive, so you don't need to be a specialist to figure out 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 aquamastic or other waterproofing compounds. Another option is to clad the bathroom with plastic panels.

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

Choosing the Finish

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

Plastic boarding and plywood are budget options, but they can also look aesthetically pleasing: 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 from Designers

Customers didn't build a new house but bought an already built 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 bathrooms of a summer cottage by Lake Garda in Italy, designer Zhenya Zhudanova combined old stone masonry with ceramic granite resembling limestone, added countertops for sinks made of the same material, and completed it with classic mixers and wooden mirrors.

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

Another example of how boarding can look great and original in bathrooms. This solution was created by designer Anna Vasilieva 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 style, reflecting the aesthetic of old Moscow suburbs dachas.

On the cover: Design project by Marina Efstigneeva