The rustic bathroom - from primitive to luxurious - the choice is yours

We'll talk about both.

First - the modern conveniences
As romantic and rustic as an outdoor shower or a cute little biffy sounds, most of us will opt for indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, and a more traditional bathroom. But there's lots you can do to create a rustic bathroom that feels connected to nature.

A rustic bathroom has wood or warm-colored walls and tile, stone, or wood floors. The new laminates are a good looking option but you have to be sure the laminate you choose will withstand the dampness of a bathroom and occasional spills.

We've had a slate look laminate in our bathroom for four years and it's held up well. We're also very careful about mopping up any water quickly.

Elements in the rustic bathroom can include

• Antique or rustic lighting
• Wood or antique reproduction cabinets
• Clawfoot tubs
• Pedestal sinks
• Brass or pewter faucets
• Rustic wildlife towel bars, robe hooks, towel rings, and toilet tissue holders,hand carved wood toilet seats with bear, moose, elk and fish designs
• Rustic shower curtains
• Rustic switch plates, outlet covers
• Rustic cabinet hardware, drawer pulls and knobs
• Mirrors with wood, rusted metal, or bark frames

If you like solid color towels, go for rich burgundy, forest green, or chocolate brown. If you prefer patterns you can get wildlife, nature, moose, bear, and fish towels and accessories - sometimes with matching wallpaper borders.

Use wicker or wire baskets to keep your sponges, shampoos, and cremes handy near the tub or shower. Have a basket for magazines.

When planning your lighting, don't forget a lodge style night light so it's easy to find your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Outhouse (privy, biffy)
You may have an outhouse at your retreat by choice or by necessity. Some considerations are to have it close enough to allow easy access, but far enough to minimize any odors. An outhouse can be a health risk - it must be a suitable distance away from any freshwater well or the waterfront to minimize risk of contamination and disease.

Inside, have some fun decorating. The cabin we spent many years at while our children were growing up had a two-hole outhouse complete with a welcome mat, a chandelier, key to the city, and a variety of framed prints.

One lady told me about an outhouse her family owned that had a beautiful, ornate screen door, and that contained a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. You'd need a screen door if you planned to stay in an outhouse long enough to read from the encyclopedia!

Do you have an interesting outhouse photo or outhouse story? Send it to us.

Outhouses must be movable when the pit fills up. Depending on the size of the pit and the amount of use, this can be fairly frequent, possibly even yearly.

Outhouses can be used year round but in very cold climates a heater makes the visit much more enjoyable.

Outdoor showers
Imagine a having a shower surrounded by trees or vines, wild flowers, and singing birds. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it.

Your first consideration is plumbing. Some use the sun to warm their water, others have hot and cold water lines coming from the house. Having access to warm water outdoors makes other things possible such as washing off kids and pets when they've spent a day outdoors. You will need good runoff so water doesn't seep into your dwelling.

Next to plumbing, privacy should be your top consideration when designing an outdoor shower - unless you are so far out in the wilderness that it just doesn't matter!

The outdoor showering season ends when overnight temperatures drop below freezing as your water lines will be at risk of freezing.

You may want lights for nighttime bathing and motion sensor lights to brighten pathways to your biffy.

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