Powder bathrooms can be so much fun to decorate, anything goes. Because they are an entity into themselves it is not s important to coordinate with the rest of the home. I like to cover as much of the walls as possible with busy decor and large artwork. Overwhelming the senses is exciting in these small spaces. After all, they are only occupied for a brief amount of time.
My Highover powder bath had very little interest before I made my mark.
First, I changed the faucet, toilet paper holder, door handle, door hinges, and light fixture to oil-rubbed bronze. The walls were then painted a soft neutral green. My 6’2″ husband, Daryl, swapped out the modern low-seated toilet for a higher more traditional one. The brown baseboards and door were painted white to match the sink and toilet and to contrast with the rich cherry wood floors.
The footprint was tiny, so I decided to accentuate the room’s best feature – the 9-foot ceilings.
Above the sink, I mounted a 4-foot tall mirror the same narrow width as the pedestal sink. It not only drew your eye up to the tall ceiling, but it reflected the opposite wall where I hung a large (46”x40”) metal picture of a stately Italian villa with a sculptured garden. Just the vibe I was looking for.
Next to the mirror are four floating shelves displaying one of my favorite accessories – cigar boxes! (see my post, Cigar Boxes in Home Design, Who Knew?). I love these boxes, they have such intriguing designs, and shopping for them is quite entertaining. I added dimension by recessing one of the boxes at each level until the top shelf where a single box created the illusion of a cone top.
On the third wall, I hung two large black and white architectural drawings of formal European estates purchased from Art.com and framed at Hobby Lobby. They fill the wall and are viewed directly from the door, giving my guests a grand first impression of this tiny, but very interesting room.
My friend, Diane’s, powder bath overwhelms her guests with rich, deep red wallpaper. Her room is also quite small and features a space-saving pocket door.
Above the pedestal sink is a large oval mirror and an elegant single pendant with crystal teardrops.
On the opposite wall is a tall creamy ivory cabinet topped with deep crown molding.
Behind the cabinet doors is the laundry chute from the second floor. I love it when beauty meets function!
Lastly, Diane has chosen tumbled travertine tiles with thick grout laid in a random pattern complementing her home’s Old World decor. I feeling like I am in a European castle.
These are just two unique ideas of how to have fun with powder bathrooms. I like to admonish the, “less is more”, statement and, “go to town”, overpowering the senses in these small, but highly visible spaces.
Which of these ideas will you use in your powder bath? Do you have a powder bathroom that has a unique design? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you.
Meanwhile, “Happy Decorating!”
You make me want to redo my powder bathroom. It is too traditional and no surprises. Blaaaaa
But, you have a cool mushroom tapestry which is definitely not blah. 🙂
I love what you’ve done, again, Cheryl!! You are amazing!
Thank you Carole!
Fun post Cheryl!
Thank you Karen!