The bathhouse is a unique space created for relaxation, cleansing and healing of body and soul. That is why it is important to create a cozy atmosphere and properly design the interior of the bath room: choose practical materials for decoration, think over a convenient layout, select furniture and lighting. When designing a bathhouse, it is better to think through all the details of the situation in advance, down to the smallest detail: where the firewood, bath accessories will be, how to comfortably arrange the furniture, etc.
The interior design of a bathhouse requires a special approach and attention to detail, since the room will be constantly exposed to high humidity and high temperatures. You should not only think through the overall design concept, but also select high-strength building materials and successfully zone the space. To create a comfortable and functional bathhouse, you should adhere to a few simple principles:
- Finishing materials must not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also comply with safety regulations due to sudden changes in temperature in the room.
- The floor should not be slippery, otherwise the risk of injury increases.
- Metal or plastic is not used in the bath space: when exposed to high temperatures, they begin to emit toxic fumes.
- It is better to avoid angular and sharp objects to avoid injury.
- It is better to use bath accessories as decoration: hats, brooms and various utensils.
- High-quality wood improves the healing effects of procedures. In this regard, experts recommend using birch, aspen and linden in finishing.
Particular attention should be paid to the arrangement of the rest room, its comfort and homely atmosphere. For it, you can choose roller blinds or blinds made from natural materials, comfortable furniture and small cabinets, shelves or cabinets made of wood. When designing lighting, preference should be given to soft, subdued light and spotlights. As an addition, you can place aroma lamps with the addition of a few drops of essential oils.
When thinking about the interior of the space, focus your attention on one style in which each bath room will be designed in the future. There are many modern stylistic trends, but the most popular remain: Russian, Scandinavian and futuristic design.
Interior and exterior of the bathhouse
The main rule of any harmonious structure is that the same style must be maintained outside and inside.
As a rule, a Russian-style bathhouse is built from wooden logs or rounded beams, so from the outside it looks the same as it did a hundred years ago. This is a small, free-standing building made of untreated wood, the dimensions of which are often 4x6 meters, and the height of the bathhouse is about 3.5 meters. The interior of the bathhouse should correspond to this appearance. A classic is considered to be the original Russian style, which includes such elements as:
- multi-tiered shelves, the height of the lower one should be suitable for sitting;
- a large table and wooden benches around it, installed inside the dressing room;
- fireplace with real flames;
- inside the shower room there is often a huge tub of water, wooden buckets and ladles;
- red brick stove;
- wooden floorboards, brooms made of various types of wood, towels and sheets.
There may be many or few such details in a bathhouse, they may differ in style and design, but they have one thing in common - all elements in the interior of a Russian bathhouse are made of natural materials.
Important! Using synthetics or plastic inside a bathhouse is hazardous to health; when heated, such shelves can release toxic substances.
In the shower and dressing room, materials such as wood, lining made of boards, natural textiles, pottery, etc. are used. All this creates a very cozy atmosphere in the bathhouse, and things made by the owner’s hands add warmth and sincerity.
Bathhouse in Scandinavian style
Scandinavian style is most clearly characterized by its simplicity and lack of unnecessary details. It is minimalistic and requires maximum free space. As a rule, such an interior is kept in light colors, and acquires its charm due to maximum illumination in combination with honey shades of wood. There is no decor that cannot be used functionally, which creates a feeling of spaciousness and comfort.
Wall decoration
The walls of a Scandinavian-style bathhouse are often decorated with wooden beams or clapboards. Natural finishing materials create a cozy atmosphere and perfectly complement the interior of the bathhouse.
Scandinavian style walls
Scandinavian style walls
Lighting
Lighting in such an interior has a special place. A Nordic setting should be as illuminated as possible, so such rooms are often equipped with panoramic windows, if the location of the building allows. As an addition, there is lighting for niches and furniture, as well as spotlights.
Scandinavian style lighting
Scandinavian style lighting
Entry group
The façade of a Scandinavian-style bathhouse is distinguished by its laconicism: the simplicity of its forms, complemented by natural timber, acts as an independent decoration. A small minimalist backlit sign made of natural materials can be a worthy addition to such an entrance group and will support the overall style.
Scandinavian style facade
Scandinavian style facade
Steam room arrangement
A bathhouse is built primarily for relaxation, because today there are many more ways to wash yourself than before. Most often people relax in the baths with a group, so it is best to stick to the classic style so that guests are not afraid of the individual characteristics and preferences of the owner.
In the classic version, bathhouses are built from log houses, and in most cases, clapboard is used for cladding both inside and outside. When arranging the interior, it is best to give preference to one type of wood and color, and you should not make the room too bright. Baths in natural wood colors are best perceived.
Figure 1 – Example of a wooden bathhouse
When decorating, it is best to use less plastic and varnished products, since under the influence of temperature and moisture they can release toxins.
The dressing room is traditionally a small room where “preparation” for the main hot procedures is carried out. To furnish the room, a couple of benches, loungers, hangers and rugs will be enough.
To decorate this area of the Russian-style bathhouse design, it is recommended to choose coniferous wood (fir, spruce, pine). Phytoncides released from pine needles when the temperature rises help strengthen the immune system and improve overall well-being. Of the deciduous trees, the most suitable option is birch. You can use tiles as flooring; it resists moisture better than wood and does not rot.
The steam room is the main room of any bathhouse. In a Russian bath, the central element is a stove-stove. Most often it is made of burnt red brick, but colored materials and ceramics can also be used.
Natural boulders and stones are placed on the stove; they should accumulate heat in the bathhouse. Water poured onto hot stones promotes the formation of moist steam, without which a bathhouse and steam room are impossible.
The height and area of the steam room should not be too large, the room should warm up evenly and quickly. Near the stove you need to install a container with water and a ladle for scooping it up.
Another constant attribute of the steam room is shelves. They are installed in a corner or along the walls. If the height of the bath allows, then the shelves are placed in several tiers at different levels. It is believed that it is easiest to withstand the hot steam on the bottom shelf, and not everyone can lie on the top. After all, all the hot air accumulates under the ceiling of the bathhouse, and breathing there is very difficult, but useful.
If the dimensions of the bath are small, the shelves are made narrow and rounded. Sharp corners will take up precious space. Linden and larch are used as materials for making bath shelves. Boards made from these species are resistant to moisture and rot, so the shelves will last about ten years.
Important! The most affordable wood - pine - is not suitable for building shelves, and in general, is not used in a steam room.
The fact is that when heated, pine releases resin, which becomes hot and can cause a burn.
The floors and walls in the steam room are made of planed boards. It is acceptable to use floor tiles, but you just need to take into account that when in contact with water, the coating will become slippery. Therefore, it is necessary to lay floorboards or wooden gratings on the tiles.
It doesn’t matter what the height and area of the bathhouse is, the main thing is what’s inside it. Even a small bathhouse can acquire a unique style if you devote enough time, taste and effort to its arrangement. Creating an interior for a Russian bathhouse is not difficult and very inexpensive, because many accessories can be made with your own hands from scrap materials and old things.
We suggest you read: Infrared sauna for colds
The most important thing in arrangement is to put your soul into this matter, then the bathhouse will be doubly more beautiful and useful, numerous photographs confirm this.
The heart of any Russian bath is the steam room (steam room). Scientific works and poetic odes are devoted to the art of steaming, not to mention the loud reputation of bathing procedures as a sure way to achieve eternal youth, beauty and health.
The heart of any Russian bathhouse is the steam room.
The interior of the steam room in a Russian bathhouse, the photo of which well conveys the intimacy and some mystery of the atmosphere, is the most laconic and, of course, reflects the purpose of this room, sacred to every lover of the Russian bathhouse. The main design material for the steam room is wood (linden, aspen, oak), and it is best if the finishing is made with clapboard.
Scheme of the floor arrangement in the steam room
When arranging a steam room, you should consider some nuances:
- The floors in the steam room must be unpainted and covered with a special compound that protects the wooden boards from constant moisture. The ideal flooring option for a steam room is made of tiles or stone, possibly heated. This type of flooring, unlike a wooden floor, is not afraid of moisture, does not contribute to the development of fungal diseases, and is easier and better to clean. For comfort, you can put a wooden grate on the tile floor.
- The shelves in the steam room cannot be treated with any antiseptics, otherwise those steaming may experience allergic reactions. It is best when the shelves are made in several steps and do not have sharp corners. Shelves should not be monolithic, but consist of narrow boards, with gaps of several centimeters. The best material for shelves is linden or aspen, but not pine: when heated, the wood of coniferous trees releases resin.
- It is not advisable to place skirting boards, platbands and other decorative elements in the corners of the room.
- The wood in the finishing of the steam room must be carefully sanded to avoid the slightest possibility of getting a splinter.
The main decoration of the steam room is the stove. Without a good stove, any bathhouse loses all its attractiveness; It is worth taking care of the external appearance of this most important organ of the bathing organism. In the photo of the interiors of a Russian bath you can see various design options for the stove in the steam room. The most common stove model in a bathhouse is the heater stove.
Lighting in the steam room should be uniform and soft, dim. To do this, you should place several lamps in different corners of the room. It is best to use LED devices that can withstand changes in humidity and temperature well. A good option for placing lamps in the steam room is under the top shelf.
Due to the “hard” temperature and humidity conditions, bath doors are best made from laminated wood
Due to the “strict” temperature and humidity conditions, bathhouse doors are best made from laminated wood, but glazed doors decorated with stained glass are also possible. Please note that doors should not open inwards.
The Russian bathhouse and its interior in the photo clearly show how important it is to preserve traditions and not forget about the life-giving sources of folk culture. And then the world around us becomes more comfortable and larger-scale at the same time.
Nuances of the bathhouse interior
The main feature of the bathhouse is that it combines several rooms with different operating conditions. The shower or washroom is constantly damp. The steam room adds exposure to high temperatures. It is relatively dry only in the dressing room. All this leads to the fact that finishing materials must be selected carefully and carefully. Additional restrictions are imposed by safety requirements.
To make the bathhouse comfortable and convenient, you must follow the following rules:
- For finishing, materials with low thermal conductivity that are resistant to temperature changes, water and steam are chosen. Coatings must be practical, durable and environmentally friendly;
- plastic and metal are not used to decorate the floor, walls and ceiling, especially in the steam room. The former, when heated, becomes a source of unpleasant odors and harmful volatile substances. In addition, it does not allow steam to pass through; condensation will accumulate in the room. Metal surfaces become hot. Touching them results in burns;
- Light, natural, soft colors are preferred;
- There should be no slippery surfaces in either the steam room or the shower. Shelves and steps are made with rounded corners to avoid injury;
- In addition to traditional premises (steam room, shower room and dressing room), it is worth providing a pantry or closet for storing tubs of brooms and other bath accessories.
Choosing a stove
When choosing a stove for a bath, you can proceed from your own preferences. If health procedures last for several hours, you can install a pellet unit that runs on briquettes made of straw, husks, and wood shavings.
Modern modifications are equipped with hot water supply circuits and are designed for heating large buildings, including two- and three-story buildings. If a gas pipeline is connected to the bathhouse, you can install a stove that runs on blue fuel. The most uneconomical options are electric.
When installing furnace equipment, we must not forget about safety precautions. The wooden parts of the steam room should not come into contact with the chimney and firebox. Expanded clay, tiles, stainless steel in combination with mineral wool, heat-resistant brick or natural stone are used as insulating materials. The outlet pipe is raised above the roof level by 50 cm or more.
Lighting
The interior design of a classic bath does not involve the use of central lighting. Instead of a chandelier, sconces with diffused, subdued light are placed as high as possible on the walls. It should not hurt the eyes or disturb vacationers. The shelves in the steam room are often left in twilight. As an option, spotlights at floor level.
Particular attention is paid to the selection of lamp power. The optimal value is 25 – 40 W. The glow is warm. It is imperative that the lamps have moisture-proof housings. In the dressing room and rest rooms, a special effect can be achieved with wooden lampshades.
Windows are rarely made directly in the steam room. A small window is installed next to the stove to release excess heat and steam. In the dressing room, natural insolation is provided by standard double-glazed windows.
What does the bath consist of?
The Russian bathhouse initially consisted of only one room, its height was small, and the stove was heated “black,” so the walls and ceiling in the room were smoked with smoke. The first baths were used exclusively as steam rooms, and you could swim and cool down in a river, an ice hole or a snowdrift.
Today's Russian baths are a room of several rooms, each of which has its own purpose. There are various layouts of baths, some of them involve large-scale construction, sometimes the height of the baths reaches two floors. But more often, they build ordinary, small bathhouses consisting of three rooms:
- steam room;
- shower room (or washing room);
- dressing room (or rest room).
Advice! You can create your own unique style inside each room, however, it is important to maintain harmony in the interior of the entire bathhouse.
Unusual solutions
If you decide to do the finishing work on the steam room yourself, you are sure to get an unusual result. Experts offer very unusual solutions. In one of the country houses, the author spied the arrangement of a paired room made of two large wooden boxes, inside of which there were sea pebbles and sand. This is a very interesting way to relax and enjoy. The massage effect of the pebbles will have a beneficial effect on your overall well-being, and the beach sand will transport you to the seashore of Haiti.
Similar massage baths are also practiced in Japanese saunas.
Canadian saunas are distinguished by intricate, flowing shapes. Interestingly, all finishing materials here are natural. The well-known Canadian maple and other varieties are widely used in the production of bent products. Look at the photo below to see how gracefully a sauna room made in this style looks.
The interior of a Canadian sauna can look like a cave
An Alpine herbal bath will transport you to the atmosphere of mountain rivers and ridges. An exclusive stove is a worthy decoration of a sauna. The white wood of the benches will add purity, lightness, and freshness to the space. The presence of two bowls above the stove will allow you to steam natural mountain herbs here and plunge into the world of wild nature. The walls and ceiling are finished with dark wood. Oak is perfect for this.
Typically, a sauna room is built without a window, or with a small window, which serves as a source of fresh air. But if the sauna is located in a beautiful, well-kept garden area, then why not open the view of the flower arrangement directly from the steam room? Install a wide window made using special technology that allows you to retain internal heat.
A glass wall in a steam room is a very extraordinary solution
If it is not possible to arrange a viewing window, make a false version. To do this, you need to assemble an impromptu window frame, inside which you place a photo composition. To enhance the effect, the element is illuminated with a small LED strip. The frame is not necessarily made square. It can be round, triangular, star-shaped. The more unusual the solution, the more original the sauna design.
Linden is the best material for shelves
Thanks to the play of light, it is easy to diversify the design of a steam room. Small elements of artificial lighting sources are mounted in door and wall panels. This creates a shadow, harmoniously diluted by figured rays of light. The lamps are installed under the long sauna benches. Wooden lattice wall panels also allow you to install light sources underneath them. Nearby rods will create a beautiful play of light and shadow.
The design of the stove depends on the size of the bath
The stove can be an excellent accent in the decorative composition of the entire steam room. It is laid with brickwork, natural cobblestones, and tiled tiles. You can buy a metal stove, or decorate the bathhouse in the Old Russian style, laying out a real Russian stove.
Designing a steam room in a Russian bath
The steam room is the main room in the bathhouse. The use of synthetic materials is not allowed here - all finishing must be environmentally friendly and safe. Often the temperature in the steam room reaches 100 degrees; therefore, for the design of surfaces it is necessary to choose “resistant” materials.
Natural hardwood (aspen, linden, alder) is the best option for finishing. It does not emit resins, does not heat up, dries quickly and stubbornly resists the formation of fungus. Naturally, it is unacceptable to use wood in its unprocessed form in a steam room. To avoid rotting and deformation, the material should be impregnated with a special composition. It is not recommended to coat wood with varnish or paint, since when heated the coating will emit a chemical smell.
We suggest you read: How to properly make floors in a bathhouse
Doors are one of the key elements in the interior design of a Russian bath. In the steam room, it is preferable to install doors made of tempered glass instead of a wooden model. The glass sheet is completely sealed and does not allow hot air to escape outside the room.
It’s not for nothing that the steam room is called the heart of the Russian bath. After all, the main sacrament of the ancient Russian procedure is performed here. Therefore, in this room the interior should be as living and breathing as possible. No synthetics or panels. Everything must be made of natural wood. After all, it is here that temperatures rise to certain very high limits and what we are used to using at home can simply melt and lose its shape.
The combination of the most natural materials looks the most beautiful: wood, stone, brick, salt and granite slabs. Using two or three combinations you can create a truly cozy and beautiful room.
Figure 2 – An example of a successful combination of stone and wood when decorating
Another task that the owner faces when designing a steam room is to ensure complete safety. Therefore, it is very important to provide for all safety requirements, namely:
- Distance to oven;
- The quality of the walls behind the stove;
- Protection of lamps from moisture;
At first glance, it may seem that the designer has limitations everywhere and will not be able to express himself. But this is far from true. It is precisely because of such high requirements that more effort has to be made to make modern Russian baths look much more interesting. Many people use furniture with original curves when creating an interior; others place lamps under the shelves.
Design in other styles
The Bankov company offers designs for a comfortable bathhouse in the Art Nouveau style. The interior of the dressing room involves many artsy, catchy elements: a carved oak table, massive ornate chairs, a beautiful bright carpet on the floor.
Baths in this style require scope. They are built on two or three floors. The upper floors are reserved for the living area, the lower ones directly for steaming and water treatments.
An interesting solution is a loft-style bathhouse. Here, it seems, incompatible materials are combined with each other. So in the steam room, bare brick walls are combined with shelves and an oak wood floor. The clay stove in the dressing room, together with the rough, ultra-modern tiles on the floor, creates a laconic composition.
The approaches described above are used only to a limited extent when designing baths. The vast majority of projects are formed in other styles, which are recognized as the most practical.
Russian interior
When using timber or rounded logs, the traditional Russian format is considered the best option. If you approach the matter with due diligence, the cost of materials will be quite small, and you will be able to complete all the work with your own hands. The walls in such a bathhouse do not have decoration, because the design concept itself denies it. Other necessary features of the old Russian approach:
- classic stove or heater;
- large table for seating a large number of guests;
- plank permeable floors;
- distinctly rough seating furniture;
- various little things that enhance the overall color and external comfort.
An old-fashioned Russian stove, even those improved in the 20th century, is installed quite rarely. Most consumers prefer a simple heater. Decorations in a rustic interior can include oak brooms, figured benches and elegant tablecloths with ornaments and embroidery. A samovar and round pillows placed on the table can complement the created image and logically complete it. But the rustic style is less demanding than the true old Russian approach. A variety of objects are suitable to form a composition, as long as they look like authentic things from peasant life.
The advantages are obvious - you can make a lot of things with your own hands; but ultra-modern things, on the contrary, should be removed or disguised. Another option from the same series is the “goblin” style, the inexorable canon of which is the combination of glazed doors with linden wood (no other species will do).
We suggest you read: How to cover lining in a steam room
High tech
The argument that all people strive to return to nature and traditions, to escape from the metropolis, is not entirely correct. A considerable number of city residents are in their usual surroundings and do not even think about changing it. Such people, finding themselves in an old-fashioned bathhouse, feel much less comfortable than in a modern home, full of technical achievements. Such customers will be happy to design a bathhouse in a high-tech spirit. It is not at all necessary to use toxic synthetic materials; even timber allows you to create a completely progressive look.
The high-tech format implies:
- external luxury and catchy appearance;
- beauty and grace;
- impeccable taste.
Unlike antique-style bathhouses, ultra-modern interiors and exteriors imply rigor and conciseness. There are almost no excesses that can clutter up the space. A mandatory feature of the style is the presence of large panoramic windows that let in a lot of light inside. The coloring is mainly grey, black, brown or white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpolicyandsafetyru
The colors of an ultra-modern bathhouse should be as restrained as possible; This is how the inviolable principle of balance between color and form is manifested. The foundation must be made light and strong at the same time. Construction takes 8-12 weeks.
Inside the bathhouse, decorated in a loft style, you can see:
- stylization of unfinished brick;
- various graffiti;
- a combination of natural wood and comfortable upholstered furniture;
- finishing of individual elements with cedar and linden.
It will not be possible to use a truly unfinished brick wall. It will transmit too much heat, and therefore the heating fees will be quite heavy for the owners. The interior is made emphatically rough and laconic, as if the room had just been used for production purposes. Multi-level ceilings and lamps can be used, but only if they do not destroy the stylistic rigidity.
Minimalism
The appearance of a minimalist bath implies maximum release of internal space. The main part of such buildings is made in a corner format or is equipped with an internal mezzanine. A miniature “barrel”, often equipped in summer cottages, is also one of the varieties of minimalistic finishing options.
Scandinavian
The Norwegian format of the relaxation room is close to minimalism - it is finished with natural or synthesized stone. With an inattentive glance, this style can easily be confused with the Russian approach or with country music, but a closer look will reveal differences. The appearance is more urban and not so calm, it excites emotionally. But still, beautiful Scandinavian-style baths are now in wide demand; Textured plaster and decorative brick are used in their finishing. Visual mismatch of materials is categorically unacceptable; they must form a stable and inextricable ensemble.
Any corner bath project has its own subtleties. They allow you to play with non-standard geometry, as well as leave certain objects alone:
- trees;
- edges of ravines;
- cliffs;
- hillsides;
- roads.
We suggest you familiarize yourself with: Hot water bath tank
It is important to demonstrate expressive emotions through the play of colors. But at the same time, you should not concentrate too many bright colors, so as not to tire you psychologically. The use of artificial animal skins and other similar elements can be integrated into the Scandinavian style (presented in a hunting manner). You will get an even more brutal look when using a billiard table.
Provence
Rigidity and severity are not to everyone’s taste, but even harsh and strict people need to relax somewhere sometimes. The calm and measured design of the bathhouse can be made in Provence style. This is also a rustic approach, but it is deeply imprinted on the French tradition. Its influence is easy to recognize:
- wooden white furniture;
- monotonous light curtains, trimmed in small checks or floral patterns;
- the predominance of light colors everywhere, and especially pastel colors;
- active use of embroidery.
Country
Country style is a more general concept than Provence (more precisely, it is one of the branches of this direction). It is strictly necessary to use wooden furniture with minimal presence of other materials. When finishing, wood products are actively varnished, and if dishes are displayed inside, they can also be made of wood. The introduction of cotton and linen and walls made of exposed logs are welcome. But at the same time, instead of simple boards, it is allowed to cover the floor with tiles.
Bath stones: what are they?
When choosing stones for a bath, you should keep in mind that this is not a simple decoration, but the main consumer of steam. After all, it is when they come into contact with water that special bath spirit is formed.
To ensure good steam, you should choose stones responsibly. After all, a lot depends on them in the steam room, so the stones must meet the following requirements:
- Good heat resistance;
- High-quality heat capacity;
- Uniformity;
- Smooth and round shape.
It’s easy to check the quality of the stone at home. It should be heated and then thrown into the water. If it doesn't crumble or give off bubbles, you can safely use them.
To obtain sufficient steam, the number of stones must be correctly calculated. To do this, you should use the following calculation: for each square of the steam room you will need to prepare 6 kg of stones. It is worth noting that it is better to stack the stones, starting with the largest ones, then the medium ones and the smallest ones as the last layer.
Over time, the quality of the stones may deteriorate as they are subjected to repeated heating and cooling. It is for this reason that experts recommend replacing them once a year.
Interior of a shower room in a Russian bath
The style of the wash room should correspond to the idea of a Russian bath. Comfortable and modern shower cabins can be installed here, but it is better to disguise them - hang a curtain or lay tiles with an ornament.
Huge tubs of water, which are installed on top, look more harmonious in the interior of a Russian bathhouse. The height of the containers must exceed the height of the person. To take a “shower”, just pull the rope - an invigorating waterfall is guaranteed.
In the shower room you can install shelves and cabinets where bath towels, sheets, felt caps, brooms and other steam room attributes will be stored.
The walls inside the shower can be made of wood, but tiles will be more functional. Ceramics are resistant to moisture, easy to clean, and prevent the appearance of fungus and mold. Lovers of everything natural can use pine boards in the shower - they are not afraid of moisture and fungus, and only pine exudes that unique pine aroma that fills the baths.
Ideas for arranging a dressing room
In the classic version, the Russian bathhouse combines three rooms: a dressing room, a steam room and a relaxation room. Of course, the main material of the structure is natural wood. In a modern interpretation, a non-residential building can be supplemented with a bathroom, a swimming pool, and a billiards (or games) room.
– themed accessories. Bast shoes on the walls, amulets, brooms under the ceiling, a bucket with a ladle, rugs, runners on benches and other bath-themed items give the room a touch of antiquity and make it more colorful;
– shelves. The main items in the steam room are shelves. They are often made from solid wood. For normal air circulation in the room, small gaps (1.5-3 cm) are left between the beams, and the sides are not sewn up. The shelves can have a stationary structure or be fixed on the walls in several steps. In the second case, they seem weightless, although their estimated load is capable of supporting the weight of several adults;
- stove-heater. She is the heart and soul of the interior design of the Russian bathhouse. As a rule, it is built of brick and then trimmed with stone or ceramic tiles. The easiest way is to purchase a ready-made steel stove and decorate it with stone.
We suggest you read: How to cover the lining inside a bathhouse
– lighting. The intimacy of the atmosphere is emphasized by warm, dim artificial lighting. Instead of a regular ceiling chandelier, it is recommended to use spotlights or sconces with lampshades. When organizing a lighting system, it is important to secure all electrical accessories, because... high humidity and high temperature can lead to a short circuit or fire;
- furniture. Massive wooden tables with benches are attributes of a relaxation room in a bathhouse. Here you can have a meal, have a heart-to-heart talk, and just relax after the steam room. Soft sofas and armchairs with patterned bedspreads create a cozy atmosphere and promote a comfortable pastime;
– aroma design. A real Russian bathhouse is distinguished not only by its interior aesthetics, but also by its characteristic aroma. A pre-steamed birch broom, pine oil poured into a bowl, tincture of eucalyptus or lavender set visitors up for recovery, having a relaxing and pacifying effect on the body.
Compared to a steam room, this place is quite cool, so there is more scope for imagination and materials to use. If the bathhouse is made entirely of wood, then it is best to use coniferous wood. It is ideal for this temperature regime and will release a pleasant aroma.
If the room is not too large, then the rest room and dressing room are made from the dressing room, but when the space allows, the rest room can be moved to the attached gazebo. This will make it much more convenient to combine a Russian bath and, for example, a family vacation with barbecue.
For a dressing room, everything is simple: cozy light, comfortable benches and places for clothes; with a little imagination, you can make unique things from simple accessories and furniture. For example, if you decorate the walls with herbal brooms, you will get wonderful aromatherapy for visitors.
Figure 3 – Beautifully decorated dressing room in Russian style
Where to begin?
Before you begin interior decoration of the sauna, you need to do some preparatory work :
- Implement heat and vapor barrier;
- Select high-quality and reliable construction and finishing materials suitable for baths and saunas;
- Treat coatings against constant increased exposure to steam and moisture;
- Protect wooden coverings from rotting and fungi.
The interior design of a modern Russian bathhouse implies:
- Creating a certain style and aesthetic perfection - finishing the coverings of the steam room, washing room and relaxation room;
- Installation of equipment - boiler, pool or hot tub;
- Filling the bathhouse with furniture and household items - benches, shelves, basins, ladles, and so on.
The scope for creativity depends primarily on the number of square meters of the bathhouse space. Let's say if you have a small living room, then a spacious table installed in the middle will look extremely cumbersome. The main purpose of the dressing room is rest and relaxation after visiting the steam room. A laconic bench or a comfortable chair would fit into it much more harmoniously.
If you have a large room for a dressing room, then it certainly needs a table for a cheerful company. Install it in one of the corners of the rest room and add several comfortable benches or benches. The remaining space should not be left empty. In the recreation room you can put upholstered furniture, a small billiard table, all kinds of equipment and kitchen furniture.
Rest room
The dressing room is the first room in which a person enters the bathhouse. This is the coolest and most spacious room; often there is a window in the dressing room.
This room is used for relaxation between “couple sessions”. A table is often set up inside the dressing room, where people gather to drink tea or something stronger and just talk. Sofas, armchairs or benches are installed around the table.
Advice! If there is high humidity in the dressing room, it is better to install wooden furniture. Fabric sofas and chairs can become infected with mold and mildew.
The interior and style of the relaxation room largely depends on the habits and preferences of the bathhouse owners. Here you can put a billiards table, a TV, a refrigerator with a microwave, or even a karaoke system.
An important accessory and irreplaceable part of a relaxation room in a bathhouse is dishes. It is better to choose original cups and plates with folk motifs in the ornament. The central decoration of the table in the bathhouse can be a Russian samovar, bright and colorful.
The lounge area is an equally important room. Heartfelt conversations and tea with friends after hot procedures are part of the ritual of visiting a Russian bathhouse. As a rule, no less time is spent here than in the steam room.
Sofas and armchairs, a coffee table and stools are integral details in the relaxation room. They create a relaxing atmosphere and promote complete relaxation. You can put a rug made of natural materials on the floor; synthetic fibers and natural animal skins are not suitable for a lounge, as due to high temperatures such a covering will warp and rot.
Styles in bath interior design
Despite the fact that relatively little time is spent in the bathhouse, no one lives here permanently, the closest attention should be paid to the design of the premises.
Russian style in the interior of a bathhouse
A characteristic feature of a Russian-style bathhouse is the priority of decoration and objects made of wood. The walls are made of logs and trimmed with clapboard. The floor and ceiling are also decorated. Drying oil and paint are not used. When exposed to high temperatures, they emit substances harmful to humans.
In the steam room, the central place is given to the Russian stove, decorated with tiles or decorative plaster. In the simplest case, the brickwork is whitewashed. Furnace laying can only be trusted by professionals. For high-quality heating of the space, the total length of the chimneys must exceed 5 meters.
Furniture, shelves, benches are decorated with wooden carvings. The tables are covered with embroidered tablecloths. Tea is poured for guests from a samovar.
Rustic style in a bathhouse design project
Rustic style or country style is inherent in every country to one degree or another. The differences relate to the color of textiles and walls, the type of stoves and the size of furniture.
Characteristic features of country music, regardless of country:
- Light furniture is used. Legs and facades are engraved and decorated with carvings;
- on tables and windows there are linen and cotton textiles. Floral prints or checkered patterns predominate. It can be small and large, bright and almost invisible;
- the ceiling is decorated with beams. Sometimes they are artificially aged.
Scandinavian style in the design of a bath complex
A distinctive feature of the Scandinavian style is the abundance of white. Straight, clear lines predominate, without curls or bends. The walls are whitened or covered with light clapboard. Furniture is chosen from wood or forged metal. Bright spots in the form of textiles are allowed.
Japanese minimalism
The Japanese do not build or use steam baths. They prefer to recover in round-shaped furaco baths installed in the open air. A heating element is installed in one part of the barrel, and benches for vacationers are installed in the second.
Another option is ofuro. Rectangular containers are filled almost to the top with heated cedar or linden sawdust. The immersion lasts no more than half an hour, but this is enough to cleanse the body of toxins.
To separate zones in a Japanese bath, light screens or partitions made of bamboo and paper are installed. Small stylized lanterns illuminate the space.
Bathhouse in a classic style
A bathhouse is not necessarily a wooden, smoky hut. If desired, it can be given a slight touch of pomp and sophistication. For this, columns, curly cornices and moldings, and stucco on the ceiling are used.
When choosing decorative elements, it is important to consider what material the walls are made of. Replicas of classics and neoclassics are recommended for buildings made of brick and foam blocks.
Modernism in a bathhouse interior design project
Modernism seems to be created for fans of abstract art. It does not involve the use of strict geometric shapes. Bright accents and textiles with floral or geometric patterns are welcome.
How to choose the right accessories?
Various accessories will help complete any interior, especially a Russian bathhouse. These could be bast shoes and spoons on the walls, or a samovar instead of the kettle familiar to modern people. Also, paintings on a bathhouse theme, figurines and curtains in the old Russian style will not be superfluous. Many people order beautiful wooden signs with Russian sayings and proverbs.
Figure 4 – The most common bath accessories
But everyone will have a question about where to get all this. After all, now there is little that is sold in stores. Today, for lovers of the bath ritual, many supermarkets and private stores have special departments where you can find any bath accessory. Starting from washcloths with soap and ending with various herbal brooms that will provide an old Russian aroma.
Everyone will be able to choose the most attractive attributes for their cozy holiday in the lap of nature. By the way, things that were inherited from grandparents will also come in handy. After all, very often in a modern furnished apartment they do not fit into the interior, but in a bathhouse they will help maintain the old Russian atmosphere.
Figure 5 – Using bath accessories when decorating a relaxation room
Tags: bathhouse, old Russian, style
« Previous entry
We style the washing room and non-traditional rooms
So that the interior of the bathhouse inside, because of the washing room, does not look mixed against the backdrop of the bright ethnic stylization of the bathhouse, you can introduce some features into the latter: hang a tub for dousing with water, as has always been the case in steam rooms, put a couple of rough benches on which you can sit, and tiles put it on the wall and floor with some folk motif. And, of course, a newfangled shower room with blue lighting and a huge panel for turning on the hydromassage - hidden from view with a curtain in a cute Russian flower.
Fashion and tribute to tradition - a modern rain shower and a pair of classic tubs
But what to do with the billiard room, without which today even a Russian bathhouse is not a bathhouse? No amount of stylization will help here, even if the table itself is not green and the balls are cut out of wood. There is only one way out - place all the benefits of civilization and objects foreign to the Russian style on the second floor of the bathhouse, where they will not be conspicuous and will not disturb the overall harmony.
Yes, a warm and dry room for organizing a billiard room is what you need! And it’s okay that sometimes, when creating the interior of a bathhouse with your own hands, in some design issues you have to resort to tricks - as Darwin said, it is not the strongest who survive, but those who know how to adapt. And this is not a violation of style - just light eclecticism, in the center of which is the idea of coziness and comfort. Cunning and purely Russian!