skip to main content
OUTDOOR PREVIEW
0
Your shopping cart is empty.
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
GET IDEAS
PHOTOS
Kitchen & DiningKitchenDining RoomPantryGreat RoomBreakfast Nook
Bed & BathBathroomPowder RoomBedroomStorage & ClosetBaby & Kids
LivingLiving RoomFamily RoomSunroom
OutdoorLandscapePatioDeckPoolBackyardPorchExteriorOutdoor KitchenFront YardDrivewayPoolhouse
WalkwaysStaircaseEntryHall
Bar & WineHome BarWine Cellar
UtilityLaundryGarageMudroom
More RoomsGame RoomHome OfficeBasementCraftLibraryGym
Popular Design IdeasKitchen BacksplashFirepit
FireplaceDeck RailingPergolaPrivacy FenceSmall Closet
MAGAZINE
Stories and GuidesPopular StoriesRenovation Cost Guides
DISCUSSIONS
Get AdviceDesign DilemmasBefore & After
HOUZZ TV
HOUZZ RESEARCH
FIND PROFESSIONALS
PROFESSIONALS
DesignArchitects & Building DesignersKitchen & Bathroom DesignersInterior Designers & DecoratorsDesign-Build FirmsLighting Designers & Suppliers
RemodelingKitchen & Bathroom RemodelersGeneral ContractorsHome BuildersTile & Countertop ContractorsMasonry & Concrete ContractorsExterior & Siding ContractorsStair & Railing ContractorsFireplace Contractors
RenovationCarpentersCabinetry & Cabinet MakersFlooring ContractorsWindow ContractorsDoor ContractorsGlass & Shower Door ContractorsCarpet Contractors
OutdoorLandscape Architects & DesignersLandscape ContractorsDeck & Patio BuildersFence ContractorsDriveway & Paving ContractorsSwimming Pool BuildersHot Tub & Spa Dealers
ServicesPaintersRoofing & Gutter ContractorsOrganizers & Closet DesignersHome StagersGarage Door ServicesWindow Treatment ServicesPaint & Wall Covering Dealers
Appliances & SystemsAppliance Sales & ServicesHVAC ContractorsHome Theater & AutomationOutdoor Lighting & AV SpecialistsSolar Energy Contractors
All ProfessionalsAll ServicesFor Professionals
SHOP BY DEPARTMENT
KITCHEN & DINING
Kitchen & Dining FurnitureSinks & FaucetsKitchen AppliancesTabletopCabinets & StorageKnobs & PullsKitchen LightingTileCookware & BakewareTools & GadgetsView All
FURNITURE
Living RoomKitchen & DiningHome OfficeOutdoorBedroomStorageBathroomView All
BATH
Bathroom VanitiesShowersBathtubsBathroom LightingFaucetsBathroom SinksTileBath AccessoriesBath LinensMedicine CabinetsView All
DECOR
RugsMirrorsWall DecorDecorative AccentsArtworkPillows & ThrowsHoliday DecorView All
BEDROOM
Beds & HeadboardsBeddingDressersNightstandsBenchesBedroom DecorLampsCloset StorageFutonsChaisesView All
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HardwareTileBathroom FixturesKitchen FixturesHeating & CoolingBuilding MaterialsTools & EquipmentView All
LIVING
Coffee & Accent TablesRugsSofas & SectionalsArmchairs & Accent ChairsTV Stand & Media StorageHome DecorLampsArtworkBookcasesFireplaces & AccessoriesView All
OUTDOOR
Patio FurnitureOutdoor DecorOutdoor LightingPool & SpaLawn & GardenOutdoor StructuresOutdoor CookingView All
LIGHTING
ChandeliersPendant LightsFlush-MountsBathroom & VanityWall SconcesCeiling FansTable LampsFloor LampsKitchen & CabinetOutdoor LightingView All
MORE
Storage & OrganizationHome OfficeBaby & KidsHome BarCleaning & LaundryPet SuppliesHoliday DecorView All
Looking for the perfect gift? Send a Houzz Gift Card!
SALE
ON SALE - UP TO 75% OFF
Bathroom VanitiesChandeliersBar StoolsPendant LightsRugsLiving Room ChairsDining Room FurnitureWall LightingCoffee TablesSide & End TablesHome Office FurnitureSofasBedroom FurnitureLampsMirrors
OUTDOOR PREVIEW
Up to 45% Off
Outdoor Lounge Furniture 
Free Shipping
Bestselling Outdoor Furniture 
Up to 55% Off
Outdoor Rugs and Doormats 
Up to 65% Off
Outdoor Dining Furniture 
Decorating Guides
Decorating Guides
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating Styles
Top Ideabooks
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating StylesHow to Decorate a Coffee TableHow to Decorate a Living Room10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just Right
Appears in
Latest From Houzz
See also
LightingColorOrganizingSmall SpacesFurnitureArtHouseplantsHolidaysDIY ProjectsAccessoriesWall TreatmentsDecorating StylesPatternGreen DecoratingEntertainingTastemakersBudget DecoratingRoom of the DayWorking With an Interior DesignerDecorating 101
Bathroom Design
Bathroom Design
Is a Wet Room Right for You?
Top Ideabooks
Is a Wet Room Right for You?New This Week: 8 Bold Powder RoomsHouzz Editor Discusses Trends for Kitchens and BathroomsBathroom of the Week: Spa-Like Makeover in Sausalito
Appears in
Latest From Houzz
See also
Bathroom VanitiesBathroom TileBathroom StorageBathtubsBathroom SinksShowersBathroom WorkbookPowder RoomsBathroom MakeoversBathroom ColorBathroom of the Week

How to Bring the Beauty of Reclaimed Wood to the Bath

Beautiful salvaged wood adds warmth and texture to a bathroom. Here's how to get the look right

Becky Harris
Becky HarrisMarch 29, 2015
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Reclaimed wood has never been more popular, making its way from basement bars all the way up to elegant master bathrooms. Used on flooring, vanities, accent walls, mirror frames and even tub surrounds, this material adds warmth and rich texture. It’s also a wonderful contrast to the usual bathroom materials, such as glass, granite, marble and tile, which can leave a space feeling cold. “Reclaimed wood can be a once-in-a-lifetime gift,” says Nathan Daves, of Restoring Texas. But using it in a room full of potential splashes and steam takes some extra consideration. “At the end of the day, water is the evil kryptonite for wood,” Daves says.

Daves also warns that not all reclaimed wood is created equal. A broken-up pallet will not withstand moisture at all like old-growth pine lumber harvested from a pre-1940s barn, for example. Other good choices for moisture resistance are reclaimed teak and old-growth cypress. Whichever wood you use and wherever you decide to use it, check out this list of ideas and advice to see if reclaimed wood will suit your bathroom.
Frank de Biasi Interiors
1. Talk to your contractor about the realities of protecting the wood. No matter whether you treat the wood or not, protecting it from direct contact with water is a good idea. “If water is allowed to sit on the wood, it will eventually find its way in,” says Daves, who recommends sealing reclaimed wood used in a bathroom with an oil-based polyurethane. “Anything that coats the wood will eventually be infiltrated and begin breaking down, but woods with high rot resistance will last longer,” he says.

Using wood as an accent wall where it won’t be splashed by water is smart. Here, a high backsplash protects it from direct contact with water.
FOUR POINT DESIGN BUILD INC
2. Realize that the material will swell and contract. In this Hollywood actor’s bungalow, salvaged wood mixed with crisp white and vintage accents give the room a modern eclectic look. The designer, Laura Schwartz-Muller, even had a simple matching tub shelf crafted to match.

Schwartz-Muller understood the importance of treating the reclaimed wood as “a living, breathing thing,” as she describes it, one that will grow and contract. Thus, she used flexible silicone caulking and left a ⅛-inch gap between the sides of the tub and the walls, and beneath the tub top. She sealed the wood with three coats of fully cured polyurethane to protect it from moisture.

Learn more about this bathroom

Faucets: Lefroy Brooks; countertop: Pure White, Caesarstone; medicine cabinet: Restoration Hardware
bba ARCHITECTS
3. Use reclaimed wood for contrast. It’s a wonderful way to add warmth to a modern bathroom. The rough-hewn quality of these reclaimed white oak timbers makes them standouts in this otherwise clean-lined space.

There is extra maintenance involved, so you have to decide if the look is worth it to you. When these owners opted not to add a glass top to the counter, they were aware that they would need to do a little light sanding and add a new satin-finish polyurethane coat on their countertop every few years.

Tip: The designers at Burns and Beyerl Architects recommend using reclaimed wood as a countertop in adult bathrooms as opposed to those for kids, as kids are less likely to mop up any splashes and little puddles they might make when using the sink.

Sinks: LaCava Plumbing
Beinfield Architecture PC
4. Add a different countertop atop a reclaimed wood base. If you’re turned off by the extra maintenance required by a wood counter, this is a good alternative. In this elegant bath, an open vanity base constructed from old barn wood adds a striking material to the textural palette. The designers at Beinfield Architecture treated it with a clear wood sealer.

Using a fan when you’re steaming up the bathroom is another way to help keep moisture away from your reclaimed wood.

Upgrade your bathroom with a one-of-a-kind vanity
McIntosh Poris Associates
5. Add more than one reclaimed wood accent. Here the vanity counter and mirror create three long horizontal lines of dark rustic reclaimed wood.

In fact, reclaimed wood is an element these homeowners used throughout their farmhouse, and it ties the rooms to one another.

See the rest of this house

Sinks, toilet: Toto; faucets: Metris 31060, Hansgrohe; tile: Cane Iridescent #006, Oceanside Glasstile
La Costa Builders Inc
6. Consider teak. Teak is one of the most rot-resistant wood species out there, which is why these teak boards surrounding the tub originally were used on the deck of the USS North Carolina battleship. The coloring and knots make the bathtub a focal point in the room.

Team up with a carpenter to complete your custom woodwork projects
Spruce, LLC
7. Highlight your home’s history by harvesting wood during the demolition phase and upcycling it in the renovations. In this New Orleans bathroom, interior designer Nomita Joshi-Gupta of Spruce used bargeboards that were original to the house. These bargeboards are at home with water; they are lumber recycled from cargo barges that floated goods down the Mississippi River and were then broken up upon arrival. It was a common construction material in Creole architecture historically. “When we gutted the house, we found bargeboard, and we decided to reuse it in many portions of the house,” she says.

The design team took the best pieces and installed them like paneling, then sealed it with polyurethane. “It is a beautiful texture, and it was nice to reuse and reclaim the home’s own history,” Joshi-Gupta says.
Dyna Contracting
It’s only fitting that this piece of cedar in this floating house in Seattle serves as a unique shower bench, because it was part of an old log float. As it had floated on the water for many years before, the client decided sealing it wasn’t necessary.

See the rest of this floating house

Tiles: BSP, Pental; Raindance 240 Air Showerhead: Hansgrohe
Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects
When remodeling his 1902 foursquare home, architect Geoff Prentiss ripped out plaster and preserved the 113-year-old fir lath beneath it. “The lath, usually between 24 and 48 inches in length, was stained in part, which I liked, but also had lots of tiny nails and bunches of sand in it, which was not so good,” Prentiss says. He pulled out the nails, shook the pieces and then very lightly sanded the rough-sawn surface. After installing it on the walls, he used a clear sealer. “There has been no issue in the wood absorbing water, even as the backsplash of the sink,” he says.
Selle Valley Construction, Inc.
8. Create something artful. This beautiful wall is a patchwork of reclaimed wood pieces made by local Sandpoint, Idaho, artist Rob Payne.

Sink: custom, Idaho Granite Works
Andrew Mikhael Architect
9. Combine reclaimed wood with soapstone countertops. The combination of the sanded-down white paint on the reclaimed-wood base and the veins in the countertop tie the two pieces of this vanity together in a unique way. A long trough sink and a frameless mirror create a clean look.

Learn more about this bathroom
Studio Marler
10. Pair reclaimed wood with unlacquered brass fixtures and hardware. The way the material patinates works well with the rustic look of reclaimed wood.

On this vanity, Studio Marler used recycled wood for the doors and drawer fronts. Surprisingly modern storage solutions hide behind the vintage-looking facade.
Moger Mehrhof Architects
11. Use reclaimed wood in a powder room. If the thought of steam from the shower, splashes from daily face washing and toothbrushing, or keeping up a wood countertop has put you off, consider using it in the powder room.

In this contemporary barn-like home, the main floor’s powder room has a unique reclaimed-wood and Plexiglas surround that glows like a lantern. The architects specified that the Plexiglas be sanded to give it a frosted look.

See the rest of this home

More: What to Know About Adding a Reclaimed-Wood Wall
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
See 87 comments
Explore Related Topics
Decorating GuidesBathroom Design
Read Related Stories
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating StylesYour Guide to 12 Popular Decorating Styles
By Laura Gaskill·71
Decorating Styles
How to Decorate a Coffee TableHow to Decorate a Coffee Table
By Yanic Simard·76
Living Rooms
How to Decorate a Living RoomHow to Decorate a Living Room
By Yanic Simard·212
Most Popular
10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just Right10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just Right
By Laura Gaskill·164
Most Popular
How Much Space You Need (and What to Do if You Don’t Have It)How Much Space You Need (and What to Do if You Don’t Have It)
By Yanic Simard·64
Standard Measurements
How to Create a De-Stress Zone at HomeHow to Create a De-Stress Zone at Home
By Gwendolyn Purdom·13
Feel-Good Home
High-Impact Houseplants for First-TimersHigh-Impact Houseplants for First-Timers
By Lauren Dunec Hoang·60
Houseplants
How to Buy a Quality Sofa That Will LastHow to Buy a Quality Sofa That Will Last
By Fred Albert·332
Furniture
How to Decorate a Small Living RoomHow to Decorate a Small Living Room
By Laura Gaskill·213
Living Rooms
10 Top Plants to Grow Indoors10 Top Plants to Grow Indoors
By Maya Anderson·120
Houseplants
36 Home Design Trends Ready for Takeoff in 202136 Home Design Trends Ready for Takeoff in 2021
By Mitchell Parker·65
Trending Now
10 Ways to Add Warmth and Personality to Your Bathroom10 Ways to Add Warmth and Personality to Your Bathroom
By Yanic Simard·45
Bathroom Design
8 Things Interior Designers Want You to Know8 Things Interior Designers Want You to Know
By Laura Gaskill·168
Working With Pros
How to Mix Patterns Like a ProHow to Mix Patterns Like a Pro
By Yanic Simard·46
Pattern
10 Easy Ways to Give Your Entryway and Front Yard a Holiday Boost10 Easy Ways to Give Your Entryway and Front Yard a Holiday Boost
By Lauren Dunec Hoang·30
Fall and Thanksgiving
Shop Related Categories
Bathroom Accessories
Bathroom Accessories
Bathroom Vanities
Bathroom Vanities
Bathroom Cabinets
Bathroom Cabinets
Wall & Floor Tile
Wall & Floor Tile
Bathroom Vanity Lighting
Bathroom Vanity Lighting
Bathroom Fixtures
Bathroom Fixtures
Sponsored
Learn More
People who liked this story also liked
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating Styles
Your Guide to 12 Popular Decorating StylesFull Story
How to Decorate a Coffee Table
How to Decorate a Coffee TableFull Story
How to Decorate a Living Room
How to Decorate a Living RoomFull Story
10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just Right
10 Tips for Getting a Dining Room Rug Just RightFull Story
How Much Space You Need (and What to Do if You Don’t Have It)
How Much Space You Need (and What to Do if You Don’t Have It)Full Story
How to Create a De-Stress Zone at Home
How to Create a De-Stress Zone at HomeFull Story
High-Impact Houseplants for First-Timers
High-Impact Houseplants for First-TimersFull Story
How to Buy a Quality Sofa That Will Last
How to Buy a Quality Sofa That Will LastFull Story
How to Decorate a Small Living Room
How to Decorate a Small Living RoomFull Story
10 Top Plants to Grow Indoors
10 Top Plants to Grow IndoorsFull Story
Sponsored
Learn More
  • United States
  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FOR BRANDS
  • SELL
  • Privacy & Notice
  • Terms
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.