the french château bathroom

by Sharon Santoni

bathroom in a french chateau

A bathroom is a very revealing room, and not just because it’s where you get undressed.

Beautiful white tub in a French chateau

Step into a bathroom and you immediately understand a lot about its occupant … male, female, big family, single girl …. a place for a quick shower or a haven to linger in; practical washing or luxurious soaking in a hot tub filled with sweet-smelling bubbles.

chandeliers and silk curtains in a chateau bathroom

I admit to being very curious about French bathrooms, in particular in large old homes where the rooms are generous in size, and nobody ever worries about saving space.  I thought you may like to see gorgeous French bathrooms in châteaux today.

A look into a bedroom in a French chateau with blue velvet duvet

They are renovated, and thank goodness plumbing installed!  What would originally have been a bowl or a tub filled by a maid, is today replaced by spacious rooms, and very often with a claw foot tub in pride of place.  But, by today’s standard,  they are very rarely luxurious.

bathroom in a french chateau

Rather than wall to wall marble, the floor is often left in the original terracotta tiles, or even 19th C cement tiles or wooden parquet.

A French antique vanity and peach colored walls

There is never a slick, custom built vanity unit, but more often an old ‘meuble de toilette’ with a hand sink and marble plateau. Such a chic French bathroom!

 

bathroom in a french chateau

 What do you think about such big rooms? Would your overall impression be one of being cosseted and comforted, or do you think you’d feel a tad lonely in such a big space?  If this was your château and bathroom, would you leave it as is, or start afresh and bring it up to date?

I wonder if this is how you imagined the French château bathroom, and whether it fits your ideal?

 

 pictures are from the châteaux as follows:  1 -Champ de Bataille;  3 – Château de la Verriere;   4 – château de Prye;  5 – La Ferté Saint Aubin;  6 – château de Juvigny; 7 – château de Vollore

28 comments

Emm March 16, 2015 - 5:31 pm

Those are fascinating rooms, and I especially like #1 and #3 — although my practical side is wondering about the silver tub in the first picture. Surely it’s not real silver, requiring polishing?

The “meuble de toilette” is charming and very practical. I suspect that the current vogue for marble everywhere and all those hard, cold surfaces will eventually swing back toward something more people-friendly.

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Karena March 16, 2015 - 5:57 pm

Sharon I think the space is wonderful. An enclosed shower would be nice. So great to have a place to sit and dress or undress, put lotion on etc!

xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena

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Peggy Braswell March 16, 2015 - 6:06 pm

these are wonderful + especially the one of the room with nook for bath. #4 xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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Lorrie March 16, 2015 - 6:10 pm

The bathrooms are beautiful and I’d leave them as is, but I’d make sure they were well heated! There could be a lot of breeziness in those wide open spaces.

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Marlene Stephenson March 16, 2015 - 6:21 pm

I like 3 and 5 the best, and yes there would they to be heat but, i do love old.

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Kathryn March 16, 2015 - 6:53 pm

I think I just went to heaven when I saw the third picture. I adore the extra space in the older bathrooms, new builds feel so miserly. Thanks for the dream!

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Catherine March 16, 2015 - 7:22 pm

Such big rooms and bathrooms, wonderful!
Im found of this kind of deco especially old ‘meuble de toilette’ with marble plateau

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bonnie March 16, 2015 - 7:54 pm

It sure fits my ideal, they are gorgeous. I grew up in old homes that had bathrooms made from converted small bedrooms, so they were always generous in size, and often with a clawfoot tub as the main focus of the room. I will soon be doing one or more bathrooms in a large old property here in the south of France, and plan to make them look like some of your examples!

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Colleen Taylor March 16, 2015 - 8:15 pm

I love large bathrooms & have had several large ones for quite some time. I’d leave this as is if it was mine. Thank you for such beautiful examples.

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Denis March 16, 2015 - 8:23 pm

I think you can work on this a bit more,French bathrooms are not easy to come by,and you have the start of something interesting

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Jay Dee March 16, 2015 - 10:19 pm

Wow a real soaking tubs. I would possibly be late for everything, for not wanting to leave! Getting ready for the day or for bed would feel so much more glamorous and luxurious ! 🙂 love it!

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Elvie March 16, 2015 - 10:28 pm

I think they are all very beautiful ,I would love to bathe in any one of them.

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www.ourfrenchoasis.com March 16, 2015 - 10:30 pm

I love these big authentic bathrooms and I wouldn’t change a thing with the exception of adding a good quality heated towel rail and a separate shower – I find it quite impossible to have a quick bath!

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Elvie March 16, 2015 - 10:38 pm

I love all the bathrooms ,I can imagine just relaxing in any one of them and dreaming of all the beauty of yesteryear

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gayle callahan March 16, 2015 - 10:38 pm

They are all wonderful. Your comment about the bathroom reflecting the personality and needs of the individual are right on. At the age of 80 and with one knee and two hip replacements i would require an attendant to lift me into and out of the tub. Then selecting the right person could be fun!!!

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Esther George March 16, 2015 - 11:14 pm

Hi Sharon, I think they are all beautiful bathrooms, but they are a bit dark and lonely. For me it has to be a bright, uncomplicated bathroom. Because of our weather and there seems to be water restrictions every other day we have learned to have as short a time in the bathroom as possible. Can you imagine at one stage they were suggesting… you only need 5 minutes in the shower, I thought it was a joke…Hah. Thank you for sharing beauty. Till next time regards Esther from Sydney.

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Katherine March 17, 2015 - 12:19 am

The wonderful thing is that you can achieve the look of old world charm with new fixtures and conveniences. We put in a deep tub and a shower/steam room – the best of both worlds. Then we used an antique vitrine to display towels and toiletries – and an antique chest transformed for the sink.
It is a pretty look with function.

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Kathy March 17, 2015 - 12:31 am

Sharon,
They are so beautiful. I especially am in love with number 1 and 3. I would love to have a large bath and decorate like these. Love,love your blog.

Calins,
Kathy

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AnnJ March 17, 2015 - 1:33 am

I would definitely not “renovate” them. I especially love the last two.

But people, please do not keep works on paper on your bathroom walls, unless they have no value and/or you don’t care what becomes of them!

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Deb March 17, 2015 - 1:52 am

All I can say is wow!! My favourite is the 3rd one. I can see myself luxuriating in jasmine scented bubbles or oil whilst gazing out at the view while I contemplate where I will dine and what I will wear.
If this was my bathroom or it was in my hotel room I would like it to also have a stand alone shower. If in my home I’d hide it behind a pretty screen or something. I’m not a fan of the shower in the bathtub. Can’t stand those clingy shower curtains and the sliding doors completely ruins any ambiance that a gorgeous romantic stand alone tub, especially one with feet has. A modern bathroom is more appropriate for a shower with sliding doors in bathtub I feel. Those big rooms would be lovely in the summer.
Debbie

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The French Château Bathroom | Home Design March 17, 2015 - 5:07 pm

[…] the french château bathroom – MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME. […]

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Deborah March 19, 2015 - 10:21 am

I think No. 3 is fantastic. A soak while looking out that beautiful window would be so peaceful. I especially like the colors in the room too. The first bathroom is too fussy. We once stayed with a friend who had beautiful Persian carpets in the bathrooms and I can still feel them on my feet, they seemed out of place as any carpet in a bath does. No matter what was done to avoid it, water was often inadvertently placed on the carpets through the day and they took forever to dry. A lovely towel rack and a warming light would make No. 3 a peaceful haven.

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The Enchanted Home March 22, 2015 - 4:08 pm

Like this idea? LOVE this idea!! I want to hear more more more….absolutely fantastic! We know someone who did something similar for a villa in Tuscany, 8 families bought it together.

I would love this…..2-4 weeks a year, probably no more than 8-10 owners. Look forward to hearing more…..

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carole roseman June 19, 2017 - 1:53 am

Love the pink and white bathroom….. so fun ~

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plumber Blacktown March 6, 2019 - 7:52 am

More of like a vintage bathroom, it’s classy and elegant at the same time…

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Erin June 17, 2019 - 1:28 am

I absolutely love the one with the balloon shade and crystal chandeliers! And the floor tile is beautiful. I think when they’re too big, you get cold coming out of the shower. Who needs a bathroom that big? A master bathroom should be generous in size so if you’re both in there at the same time, you’re not bumping into each other. I think the one I really liked is just the perfect size. Especially in terms of cleaning it too! It’s just elegantly designed.

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Emma January 8, 2021 - 6:55 pm

It looks really luxurious. You can feel the hand of a professional. To make such a bathroom, I think it took a long time. Although many professionals promise results in a day, I read reviews about one of these specialists here https://bath-fitter.pissedconsumer.com/review.html . Such reviews help you understand whether a plumber is right for you

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Adam July 23, 2023 - 10:46 am

Good option and looks very luxurious, thank you for the photo. I’m also planning some bathroom upgrades right now, and started by looking for a toilet. Fortunately, there are quite a few reviews on the Internet like https://bestplumbersclub.com/product-reviews/best-skirted-toilets/ that can help you choose

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