The Powder Room is usually the smallest room in the house and the most fun to design. It requires the least amount of decorating yet can provide the greatest amount of creativity and surprise.
Not every home has a powder room, and if you don’t have one you might consider converting a larger closet into one because powder rooms are mostly small. Choose an area away from view so people can feel a sense of privacy.
As practical as bathrooms must be, the powder room can be the opposite. It’s not a room in which anyone spends much time. Since function isn’t a big consideration, it is important that it feels good and looks good. It should feel welcoming.
Make it an adventure to enter this room and experience the joy of surprise. My main criteria for designing a powder room is to make it nothing like anyone would expect when they walk in. It is the greatest chance you have to throw all caution to the wind and bring out your most outrageous ideas.
Of all the practical features, the sink is probably the most seen. This is where you can make a design statement: Select something unusual like the raised vessel sinks popular today with faucets coming out of the wall. These vessels can be placed into pieces of furniture such as cabinets, which can be anything from antiques to ultra-modern pieces made of wood, metal, or glass.
Since running water is the main attraction, you might play it up with a fountain and adorn it with aromatic candles to add to the ambiance. Involve as many of the senses as possible in the experience.
I don’t often say this, “good lighting doesn’t matter” but in a powder room—as a matter of fact, the darker the better to create the mood. Just in case serious repairs must be made, you can put the light on a dimmer so the light can be raised.
To give added warmth and possible transition, you can carpet the whole space or add an accent area rug. This also serves to absorb sound and give a feeling of softness and comfort.
In my own home I upholstered the walls in fabric with 2-inch wide black and white stripes. I also upholstered the ceiling, the ceiling corners in large diamond shapes, the vents, and the back of the door so it is completely padded in the same bold contrasting colored pattern. Once someone came out of my powder room and said they felt like they were Alice in Wonderland in a gift box. I was delighted that I could give someone an “E ride” at Disneyland merely by stepping into a room in my home.
To give the necessities a different slant, I have a free-standing toilet paper holder (since I didn’t want to attach anything practical or expected to my fabric walls) and another freestanding unusual shelf to hold towels and interesting objects of interest to delight the eye. Even the soap is color-coordinated and has a funky shape. I also have a beautiful piece of art which I hung on the fabric wall to give interest and a sense of formality.
Do something out of the ordinary when decorating your powder room, so when your guests come out of the powder room (hopefully, with a smile) they will feel entertained and cared about.
Don’t be afraid to express yourself. Always remember, room have no feelings, YOU do!
Barbara Kaplan, creator of the Bajaro Method for personalized Interior Design & Lifestyle, offers individual interior design consultations, group design discussions and luxury shopping tours to design centers. BarbarasPicks.com