Project Review: Powder Room Upgrades
The project focuses on a powder room we renovated a number of years ago. Simple powder room upgrades completely elevated this builder grade powder room to a sophisticated contemporary space. While we go through the space and look at the changes we made then we also discuss what would bring it up to date now.
Sadly, the homeowner has since sold the home making the “what if’s, what could be’s?” impossible to determine.
Taking a powder room from blah to wow!
We elevated this powder room with modern upgrades: cool tiles, a glass sink, and a custom Roman blind.
We took a boring and rather blah powder room, removed the builder vanity and added in cool tiles to line the back wall and direct the eye upwards. Then we added a glass pedestal sink and new mirror and toilet to update the room. Finally we added in a roman blind to pull all the colours together. Oh, and did we mention that the light fixture echos the lines of the mirror – coincidence you ask? Mmmm mmm – no, not really!
Soft Furnishings
I like to bring in colour and repeat patterns with soft furnishings – yes, even in a powder room. Before this room just had a plain white wood blind. We kept the blind as changing the colour would really make the room feel dark. However, we added softness and texture and brought in the colours of the tile with a striped fabric for the window. We added in a custom Roman blind to tie in the colours and hide the wood blind hardware. This room is now the talk of the town!
Lighting matters
Even in small spaces like powder rooms it’s important to get the lighting right. You can have fun in this space but make sure that it’s well enough lit, especially if your guests are older. They will need brighter lights (especially if you’ve painted a dramatic dark colour) to navigate the space.
Flooring
In this situation the tiles were used throughout that part of the home so we were not able to replace them. Instead we used a grout colour to highlight the tiles and bring the wall tiles to coordinate with the floor tiles.
Shapes and forms in powder room design
By repeating the shape of the mirror with a light fixture with the same shape we were able to use the design principle of Rhythm through repetition. Repeating patterns and shapes is subtle but impactful. One of the things I like to focus on when renovating or updating a space is shape. The more you repeat the shape (without it being too too obvious) the more cohesive and successful the design is.
So, what upgrades would you need to do today to upgrade this powder room?
The tile is still contemporary and has stood the test of time. Ditto, the vanity and sink. That just leaves colour (and of course the window treatment which would depend on the colour).
Colour
While this bathroom was renovated a number of years ago now and the colour palette may not be to everyone’s taste today, changing the colour of the walls and window valance will completely change the look of the powder room without having to change the envelope of the space (walls, vanity, floor). So, what colour would I do in there now? Well, that isn’t up to me of course, it’s always up to the client. However I can provide direction. I would suggest a more neutral lighter tone, picking up the colour of the grout, or maybe go in a different direction and choose a moody green or navy blue.
Trends in Bathrooms
It’s hard to always stay up to date with the latest trends. We watch HGTV and other home shows, read the latest magazines and always find fault with our own homes. Unless you have an unlimited budget (call me quick, I’d love to help!) you have to make the best with what you have. Does that mean you’re stuck if you have a boring room?
Not at all. Wallpaper isn’t that expensive. Paint is an easy fix. Hate your vanity? Paint it and replace the knobs. Sometimes switching out a light fixture can transform the space. However, that may lead to the need for painting that wall…and so it starts. Take a good long look at a space, figure out what will make you happy.
Small space, simple updates
The great thing about powder rooms is that they are small. And the door shuts. This means that you can have fun, go wild, bring in the unexpected in a powder room. I had one powder room in a home I was living in and renovating for sale. The walls were a deep rich blue purple. Benjamin Moore French Violet CC-960). Gorgeous.
I kept them the same but painted the ceiling the same colour and then added a new larger mirror, and a light fixture that reflected the light. It was magical, yet a quick and easy improvement. Unfortunately the photos don’t do it justice. You had to be in the space with the light on and the door shut. It’s very hard to take photos like that in a small space!
I’m a lover of blue so this was just the perfect colour for a small space. You felt enveloped in the space.
Back to the Project at hand:
The Homeowner was thrilled with these powder room upgrades:
“My powder room gets rave reviews from visitors! Clarissa suggested tiles with a vertical stripe for the back wall. She found a cool glass vanity and mirror and a light that has the same shape as the mirror.”
Want to read some more renovating stories? Here are few you might find interesting. Renovation Tips for Basements and Kitchen Makeover: Transforming a Small Condo Kitchen.
