| The Powder Room - it’s one of the smallest spaces in the house but it is usually a very frequently visited space and can be memorable for your guests. This space can be packed with personality, style, and color. It can provide a great opportunity to take a chance with design. Go crazy. Do something different. Don’t be afraid of drama. Experiment. I recently remodeled my powder room into a little jewel box. Here's a little gallery of images I captured with my iPhone. I don't think they do the room justice. The lighting in the room is such a major component to bring to life the sparkle in the wallpaper, mirror, and sink. Here are my thoughts on approaching a powder room remodel. |
BUDGET
As with all other home remodel projects establish a budget. It helps to understand exactly what you can keep and what needs to go. For example, we are planning on installing hardwood floors throughout our house after we do the major kitchen remodel so I didn't want to update the tile floors in our powder room until I could find a great ceramic tile that looks like hardwood to match the rest of the flooring. So the tiles stayed.
Think about what you want to accomplish in the room and the pieces that you’ll need to include – toilet, vanity, sink, fixtures, accessories, etc. You get the idea. For me, I wanted wallpaper which meant I had to skim the textured walls to prep for wallpaper installation.
Do some window shopping to accomplish two things – see how to adjust the allocation of money within your budget and learn more about the style you are working towards.
STYLE
Don’t be afraid to let loose in your powder room. To help pinpoint your style check out these beautiful bathrooms.
Here’s my Pinterest bathroom board. I've also had the pleasure of finding inspiration at bath and kitchen showrooms, hotels, shopping department stores (I love the Neiman Marcus bathroom in Walnut Creek), and even some restaurants have interesting ideas for their bathrooms.
COLOR
I can’t say this enough – TEST, TEST, TEST. The paint chip in the store will not look the same in your space at home. Buy a small test amount 3-5 colors and test it out on your walls. Look at the space at different times of the day to see how the color changes with light.
Don’t be scared – bold colors like navy, grey, chocolate, even black work well in small spaces. Go for drama. My inspiration was a ‘jewel box’ for my powder room.
SOURCING
Once you know exactly what you are looking for go out and figure out where to buy it. Take the time to look around for what you want and price compare. I found my sink at the Dublin The Plumbery but I bought it at Walnut Creek General Plumbing Supply. If you go to these websites there is a plethora of products and galleries to find inspiration and information.
ACCESSORIZE
Now comes the frosting in the room – the accessories. Add art to walls, create small vignettes on the countertops, and provide little treasures like fine soaps, a candle, and maybe some scented lotion. A beautiful orchid or plant to finish things off and you have a powder room you're ready to show off to all your guests.
MY BATHROOM SOURCE GUIDE
As with all other home remodel projects establish a budget. It helps to understand exactly what you can keep and what needs to go. For example, we are planning on installing hardwood floors throughout our house after we do the major kitchen remodel so I didn't want to update the tile floors in our powder room until I could find a great ceramic tile that looks like hardwood to match the rest of the flooring. So the tiles stayed.
Think about what you want to accomplish in the room and the pieces that you’ll need to include – toilet, vanity, sink, fixtures, accessories, etc. You get the idea. For me, I wanted wallpaper which meant I had to skim the textured walls to prep for wallpaper installation.
Do some window shopping to accomplish two things – see how to adjust the allocation of money within your budget and learn more about the style you are working towards.
STYLE
Don’t be afraid to let loose in your powder room. To help pinpoint your style check out these beautiful bathrooms.
Here’s my Pinterest bathroom board. I've also had the pleasure of finding inspiration at bath and kitchen showrooms, hotels, shopping department stores (I love the Neiman Marcus bathroom in Walnut Creek), and even some restaurants have interesting ideas for their bathrooms.
COLOR
I can’t say this enough – TEST, TEST, TEST. The paint chip in the store will not look the same in your space at home. Buy a small test amount 3-5 colors and test it out on your walls. Look at the space at different times of the day to see how the color changes with light.
Don’t be scared – bold colors like navy, grey, chocolate, even black work well in small spaces. Go for drama. My inspiration was a ‘jewel box’ for my powder room.
SOURCING
Once you know exactly what you are looking for go out and figure out where to buy it. Take the time to look around for what you want and price compare. I found my sink at the Dublin The Plumbery but I bought it at Walnut Creek General Plumbing Supply. If you go to these websites there is a plethora of products and galleries to find inspiration and information.
ACCESSORIZE
Now comes the frosting in the room – the accessories. Add art to walls, create small vignettes on the countertops, and provide little treasures like fine soaps, a candle, and maybe some scented lotion. A beautiful orchid or plant to finish things off and you have a powder room you're ready to show off to all your guests.
MY BATHROOM SOURCE GUIDE
- Sink - Kohler (Kohler Briolette Vessel faceted glass bathroom sink)
- Vanity - Ronbow (Ronbow Rebecca Wall Hung Collection)
- Mirror - Horchow (Quatrefoil Mirror)
- Wallpaper - Walt Disney Signature II Collection by York Wallcoverings (Pixie (WD2928WS) in Charcoal/Gray)
- Faucet - Graff (Tranquility Lavatory Faucet)
- Toilet - American Standard (Town Square One Piece Toilet)
- Artwork - Jen Garrido (Jen Garrido)
- Lighting - Troy Lighting (Collins triple light fixture)
- Liquid Soap Dispenser, Towel Holder, Toilet Paper Stand- Restoration Hardware (Restoration Hardware)
- Soap tray - Michael Aram (Gold Orchid Dish)