Bathroom Design Idea: The Lodge Look

­Most lodge-look rooms are soothing retreats in earthy tones of green, brown, and gold. These bathrooms, however, rewrite the history books with a fearless use of knock-out color, especially bright red and cobalt blue.

A vintage-style tub in bright crimson red sets a confident tone for this one-of-a-kind bath.

Surprisingly, these colors work just fine with the predominantly golden tones of the wood, creating a nicely balanced triadic scheme of the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. In addition to courageous color, these rustic beauties share a use of practical surfacing materials. In one bath, floors are wood like the walls, wrapping the whole space in golden tones.

Splashes of color add to this bath's rustic charm.

A vintage red tub nestles alongside a contemporary glass-block panel that evokes the small window panes of old, especially when it's set into a wall paved in fieldstone. Nearby, a comfy sofa in royal blue sets off the golden-hued log walls.

In another, white ceramic floor tiles are easy to clean and offer visual refreshment, too. A sink alcove in a cheerful blue-striped wall-covering gets an extra punch of color from a red vanity, its paint agreeably scuffed and distressed for an aged look.

Underfoot, a wildly modern rag rug in blue and red reinforces the whimsical look of the curly iron-framed mirror.

Tucked into a discreet corner in the third bathroom, the one-piece toilet is given a measure of privacy by the double-sink vanity. The vanity cabinet, simply crafted in rustic knotty pine, is topped by deep cobalt blue ceramic tiles that are as handsome as they are practical. Rosy red wall-covering and a Spanish-inspired mirror add sparkle and warmth.

Bold colors highlight the intriguing shapes in this lodge-style bathroom.

In rooms this naturally dramatic, a few decorative accessories exhibiting influences from colonial Spanish to Southwest Native American are all the spark these schemes need. The effect is a tribute to the romance of the Old West, rejuvenated with a bracing jolt of contemporary flair. These rooms evoke the past while embracing the amenities of the present.