We just don’t get it: The Powder Room, also known as the formal restroom for guests, is often an area many overlook. They’re known for being small, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to make a big impact. As designers, we see the space as an opportunity to influence the overall style of the home by incorporating the personality of our clients into the finish out. In fact, it’s our favorite place to add big impact, especially because other than your entry, it’s the place your guests are guaranteed to see!

Let’s start with hardware and fixtures. Whether the project is a complete remodel or just a quick superficial renovation, hardware is like the jewelry that completes the space. We usually try to include pieces that have some personality and are different than the rest of the home because the powder room deserves to have its own moment to shine. The same applies to fixtures. While not quite as easy to change out, upgrading the plumbing fixtures can give the room a well-deserved upgrade, as well as suiting the preferred taste of the client in terms of water pressure and/or handle orientation. While many people think that mixing metals is a design faux pas, we encourage creativity and include mixed metals in our designs, not limited to the powder space. We encourage clients to embrace the creativity in new ideas, but it is important to remember to match the finishes when from different collections. One good example would be brass because not all brass finishes are the same. If you’re using brass finishes from different collections, be sure they are the same color! 

Because the Powder Room is so small, the impact needs to be bold. We love finding new and creative ways to accessorize the walls with variations of artwork, wallpaper, and tile combinations. We’re seeing more creativity with wall design more than ever, as the possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to options. One of our favorite applications is a unique tile on the vanity wall creating a focal point to anchor the small space. If you don’t want to commit to wallpapering the whole room, the vanity wall is a good option and coordinating the paint on the remaining walls. (We are about to take photos of a current Plano remodel where we used a beautiful geometric wood look tile on the vanity wall and selected a rich, saturated emerald green on the other walls. #projectbanister – keep a look out!)

The mirror above the vanity is also a great place to stand out. We love functional lighting solutions by way of frameless backlit mirrors that give the user perfect task lighting all day long. Lighting, as always, is very important and this space is no exception. We have been loving the modern approach to Powder Rooms by using hanging pendant lighting or one accent ceiling chandelier. The way lighting frames the mirror is so important, and completely elevates a space from dated to dreamy. Subtle, ambient lighting is so important and preferred over harsh bright light in this single function space.

Any experienced designer would tell you to never overlook the power of paint: an economical option. The vanity is a great vessel for paint, particularly to tie into the wall art. There are so many things to consider though the space is so small! This is also a great place to use a vessel sink because it’s a low use space. We do not recommend vessel sinks in high use bathrooms such as your master if our client is concerned with ease of cleaning. But in the powder, pair it with a gorgeous wall mount faucet and you’ve got the makings of a spectacular powder room!

Though often overlooked, we consider the Powder Room one of our favorite spaces because it gives us a chance to be bold and to let the creative juices flow. We’d love to hear from you and see some of your favorite elements of this small space. We could seriously go on and on talking about the options in this little space (wainscoting, vanity cabinet design, etc)!….