4 Ways To Use Wood In Your New Bathroom

Redecorating, or perhaps decorating a space for the first time is great fun! No matter what, you’re dealing with your own blank canvas that you can do whatever you want with! As such, bathroom renovations go from being daunting tasks to something you relish doing! Most people don’t use wood when they’re doing bathroom renovations, because it typically is not waterproof and as such, tile or linoleum is preferred when renovating a bathroom. 

However, wood is becoming more popular around the house – coffee tables, live-edge countertops in the kitchen and so on – so, why not expand your use of wood to the bathroom and cover it in a waterproof finish? 

Here are four different ways to use wood in your next bathroom renovation.

1.   Wooden Beams in the Ceilings

If you’re going for an old cottage-type look, then the addition of wooden beams on the ceiling is a fantastic way to reuse wooden beams that would otherwise have become sawdust. Make sure that they’re heartily screwed or nailed into place on load-bearing beams and finished with the colouring of your choice before you put them into place. 

The addition of wooden provides an old-style look, no matter the finish and can really add character to a modernised bathroom.

2.   Pallet Wood for Shower Walls 

Perhaps looking to brighten up a space or add a ‘feature’ wall to the shower? Then you can use reclaimed pallet wood and brighten it up with some waterproof varnish! Make sure you sand it first before installing it – it screws and/or nails right over your drywall. Even if you only use this on a single wall in your shower, it adds character to what would otherwise be (likely) white tile.

3.   Use Wood for Countertops or Vanities 

One of the most common uses for wood in a bathroom is as a countertop or vanity. If you’re using wood as a vanity around your bathroom sink, then make sure you keep it clean and treat it for waterproofing as well. You can use many different types of wood for this application, with red oak and mahogany being among the most popular. The goal is to make your countertops stand out. We would not recommend using live-edge finishing, however, as bathroom floors can become slippery, making the live-edge finish a safety hazard.

4.   Wooden Accessories 

Sometimes, in a bright white space like a bathroom, you don’t have to use wood in a major way. Wood accessories can really add a lot to a space. For example, you can use wooden toothbrush holders, or a wooden bowl for soap. Wood cookies – round wood cuts from a tree base – can be used fashionably in your next bathroom renovation, as a sink-side lazy Susan.

How To Treat Wood To Use in the Bathroom 

For obvious reasons, when using wood in your bathroom, you’ll want to make sure that it’s as waterproof as possible. For this, you’ll need to use one of three different waterproofing methods. 

1)     Treat with Linseed or Tung Oil 

An au-naturel way to waterproof your wood is to treat it with linseed or Tung oil. The oil will act as a natural water-repellent. This is great if you don’t want to introduce foreign chemicals in your bathroom. 

2)     Combine Stain & Sealant Varnish 

There is such a thing as stain-sealant varnish, that simultaneously stains your wood of choice and then seals it against water. Use this sparingly, as it’s fairly powerful stuff. 

3)     Use Polyurethane 

One of the most common sealants for wood is polyurethane. This should be applied prior to installation in your bathroom. Polyurethane is a more cost-effective sealant method if applying it in large quantities. 

How Can Crystal Bathrooms Help? 

Aside from being the physical labour behind your bathroom renovation, Crystal Bathrooms has the design knowledge and background to help you formulate a plan of action and execute a flawless bathroom renovation, including as much wood as you want in your space. We’ve been helping conduct bathroom renovations in Sydney for the past several years and have earned our reputation for being the go-to bathroom renovators in the city. 

Contact us today to help you with bringing your wood-laden bathroom to life.