Powder rooms, guest bathrooms, and half baths are among my absolute favorite rooms in the home to decorate. The function they need to serve is relatively simple, which means that once you’ve got the basics down (Sink? Check. Toilet? Check.), you have a ton of room to get creative with your decor. This powder room by Robeson Design is a great example, because it uses a few incredibly simple tricks to create a really lovely, traditional look and feel that doesn’t overwhelm the relatively small space.
Choosing a few pieces that evoke very traditional elements is a great way to pull off a classic style in a small powder room (by Robeson Design)How It Works: In a heavily-trafficked bathroom, you need a few things that a guest bath doesn’t: plenty of storage, a big mirror, bright lighting, and lots of counter space. With these requirements thrown by the wayside, you can really focus on what looks good. That means smaller, more interestingly designed vanities, designer mirrors, mood lighting, and plenty of room for actual decorations. Practically speaking, that can be just about anything – your imagination is the limit for how creative you can get with your fixtures when style trumps substance – but this powder room opts for a very clever, classic throwback style. The vanity is designed to look like an old fashioned dresser, and the ceramic vessel sink like a washbasin, which immediately gives the small space a very Victorian look and feel. The antique, wall mounted faucet bolsters the look, as do the countertop knick-knacks (vintage glass bottles and fresh flowers are always a nice touch for a traditional bath). The shaped mirror (particularly the beaded, slightly tarnished silver trim reminiscent of nailhead upholstery) adds a little extra decorative flair, while the silvered pendant lights – though not terribly traditional – spotlight the glass bottles and give the vanity a nice, warm glow. Last but not least, all the stylish pieces are offset by the tile accent wall, which is made of marble but designed to look like wallpaper for a subtle but very effective traditional backdrop.
Get The Look: First, you need a vanity that feels like a dresser: wide, long legs, and drawer-style cabinet fronts, like this Chardonnay vanity. Then, you want to top it off with a vitreous china vessel sink that looks and feels like a washbasin, like this Zefiro sink (or, for a more distinctly Victorian feel, look for a hand painted sink like this one) and top that with an antique, wall mounted faucet. Just about any shaped, silver-and-glass mirror will help make your powder room pop, but this one is the Cattaneo mirror from Uttermost. For easy installation, look for mosaic tile sheets done in a nice, wallpaper-like pattern like this Chicago tile. The silvered pendant lights are just icing on the cake; for a more traditional look, you could opt for something with more vintage flair or a distressed finish, but personally I like the way these teardrop pendants give the powder room a subtly more transitional feel.
