outhouse chic in our vintage bathroom

Potty training: The upstairs bath is still evolving.

Here is a preview image of our white-washed, mushroom wood wainscoting for the soon-to-be installed guest bath.  Scott said, “It will look like a shed with a toilet in it.  Let’s carve a half-moon in the door.”  I prefer to call it Outhouse Chic.

This post comes right on the heals of my “happy accidents“ post- um, yeah.  The rustic wood for the wainscoting in this bathroom was originally sourced for a bedroom niche, but it didn’t work there and it ended up in the guest bath.  It remains to be seen if the wainscoting will stay in the guest bath or end up banished to our leaky mudroom.  Wherever it lands, this wainscoting will surely be one of the happy accidents in our brownstone renovation.

I described the mushroom wood’s history in a previous post.  It was so much fun whitewashing it with thin milk paint.  I felt just like Tom Sawyer using that delightfully old-fashioned mixture.  I definitely see more milk paint projects in my future, and hopefully in yours too.

Envision with me a narrow mushroom wood shelf capping off the wainscoting just above the fixtures, some hand carved pegs for towels and an antique clawfoot tub finishing off the room.  The hardware (including a  retro widespread faucet set for the pedestal sink) will be reproduction in a brushed nickel finish.  Scott drew the line at vintage toilets, so a new Kohler “Memoirs” will be the only item out-of-sync with our outhouse chic.  I do see his point…

Please chime in with your thoughts on our rustic wainscoting and outhouse chic.  The jury’s still out here in Brooklyn.