Totally agree on the eco-friendly route—it can save you headaches later. Just a heads-up though, reclaimed wood shelves look amazing but make sure they're properly sealed. Learned that the hard way when humidity warped mine after a year...
"Just a heads-up though, reclaimed wood shelves look amazing but make sure they're properly sealed."
Good point about sealing, but honestly, even with proper sealing, reclaimed wood can still be tricky in bathrooms. I've found bamboo shelving holds up better long-term—still eco-friendly and way less hassle with humidity...
Bamboo’s a solid call, especially if you’re not into babysitting your shelves every few months. I tried the reclaimed wood route once—looked awesome for about a year, then started warping like crazy. Maybe I got unlucky, but humidity just does its thing no matter how much you seal it. My last bathroom reno ran me about $7k, mostly because I splurged on tile and fixtures... but at least the bamboo’s still holding up!
Bamboo’s definitely low-maintenance compared to most woods. I went with basic ceramic tile and laminate for my last update—kept it under $4k, but skipped the fancy fixtures. Honestly, I’m not convinced reclaimed wood ever really works in a bathroom unless you’re okay with some warping.
I get where you’re coming from about reclaimed wood, but I think it can totally work in a bathroom if you’re willing to put in a little extra effort. I mean, yeah, it’s not as “set it and forget it” as tile or bamboo, but there’s something about the vibe it brings that just feels different. I used some old barn wood for shelving in my tiny guest bath—sealed it up with marine-grade stuff and honestly, it’s held up way better than I expected. No warping so far, even with my kids basically turning the place into a steam room every night.
Honestly, I’m not convinced reclaimed wood ever really works in a bathroom unless you’re okay with some warping.
I was nervous about that too, but I think the trick is picking the right kind of wood and sealing the heck out of it. Plus, if you’re into that slightly imperfect, lived-in look, a little bit of movement in the wood isn’t always a bad thing. It’s definitely not for everyone though—if you want zero maintenance, tile is probably the way to go.
My remodel ended up around $5k because I splurged on some weird lighting and a custom mirror (regrets? maybe). But honestly, mixing materials made it feel less cookie-cutter. If you’re into experimenting and don’t mind a bit of unpredictability, reclaimed wood can be pretty cool. Just gotta be ready for a little extra TLC now and then.
