A Powder Room that Wows
Your Powder Room is a small but Mighty Room. It has the potential to impact you & your guests on a daily basis. It should be a room that takes your breath away, like a fine piece of art. A showcase for your style. You and your guests probably spend less than 5 minutes at a time in the powder room….. But if you make it a powder room that Wows….you’ll make those 5 minutes or less a special experience.
The “Wow Factor” can mean a variety of things depending on the person & their values. The Cambridge English dictionary defines it as a quality or feature of something that makes people feel great excitement or admiration. I’m going to take it a step further and add an element of surprise, something that makes you feel special….. Like a well planned surprise party that makes the recipient feel appreciated.
Here are the 5 Key Ingredients to creating a Powder Room that Wows.
The powder room is different than your other “bathrooms.” Because…instead of making practical choices you’ll be selecting the non-practical. These are the elements that will inspire the room. Your statement pieces. Now that could be a cool wall mounted vanity which fits the bill of practical & non-practical. Yes, you need something to house your sink but for the powder room you’ll scurry by the basic pedestal sinks and the builders vanity and happen upon one that says “WOW …..Now you’re talking my language. “
Let’s get started….
Vanity, Sink & Faucet
Start with the main focal point…
I generally start with the vanity. It’s the largest piece in the room. You want to take your time with this. This will be the central focus of the room. As you search imagine what elements you can build upon. For instance, a circular design inspires a round sink & a round mirror.
You’ll know you’re on to something when you feel a little thrill of excitement. That’s the one. I experience this with every project I work on. Sometimes I discover it in the first round of searching and sometimes it takes longer. Be patient and wait for the feeling you had when you met your life partner.
Once you have the vanity selected move on to the sink. Ask yourself, should it be oval, round, rectangular? Should it be a vessel sink? Should it be classic porcelain or a poured glass? Maybe a glazed ceramic would look good or what about copper? Maybe stone? Lot’s of gorgeous options to choose from.
The most important questions is…Which one complements your vanity? If your vanity is classic & simple your sink should be too. If your vanity has a unique personality than bring out the best of it by choosing a sink that plays on a detail that corresponds.
I find really unique sinks at Signature Hardware…right here. Every style I mentioned can be found here.
Now it’s time to choose the lavatory faucet. Here’s where you’ll determine your finish. Polished Nickel, Satin Brass, Bronze…..these will be the most stylish. However, if you have a busy family that frequents the powder room brushed nickel requires the least maintenance & chrome is the least expensive. If the style is right you can still choose the practical finishes and have a powder room that wows. For instance, a single lever chrome faucet with a vessel sink will still give you the wow factor.
Every time I think of updating my powder room I get a compliment from a guest.
The Powder Room in my 1893 Farmhouse
After 18 years, it’s still Wowing People of All Ages.
When I first designed my powder room in 2002, (Yikes…that’s eons ago. I better get with it.) I started with the vanity & sconces which I already had. The vanity was a piece of furniture I re-purposed. My reason for using this piece, even though it was quite worn & rustic, was to make it feel like it was original to the home which was built in 1893. It happened that it fit perfectly where my bathtub used to be when this was one of 2 full baths in our home. The sconces were from Ballard Designs and they had been in my former bedroom.
It wasn’t until I selected the mirror, toile wallpaper & fabric that this became a powder room that wows. I loved the fact that the Cleopatra style mirror actually was wrong for the vanity. It was the Prince & the Pauper. I wasn’t positive I could pull it off. I had my doubts. But here we are 18 years later and everyone that steps out of my powder room tells me how much they love the way this space feels.
On one occasion, when I was throwing a 60th Birthday Party for my husband, Mike, I was taken back by a very unexpected compliment. Our neighbors son, who was 6 years old walked over to me timidly. I thought for sure he was going to request a second hotdog or hamburger. (it was a 50’s theme party with red & white checked everything and a casual menu.) But to my surprise he said “Your powder room is beautiful.” I gave him a well deserved hug. What a mature comment from this little boy. I had literally been contemplating updating it but after that I decided to focus on other areas. Meanwhile, the compliments still flow.
let’s continue the journey on what it takes to add the wow factor….
Simple & Clean can add the Wow Factor too!
The Subtle Softness of the painted blue vanity & the Clean Lines of the sconces do the job.
This was the perfect wow for a busy family of 6. A home that can quickly be cluttered with coats & shoes, school papers & daily life. A perfect setting to have a powder room that wows with simplicity. White walls & fixtures, minimal accessories, fresh paper guest towels all create a refreshing reprieve from the busyness of the hectic living spaces.
Pattern
Wallpaper or a Tiled Accent Wall are both exciting ways to add the wow factor to your powder room. There’s nothing wrong with starting here if you find something that you love. Search on Pinterest or Houzz for inspiration. Pattern can take you by surprise & often do the most to add the wow factor to your powder room. One of the things that I love about designing powder rooms is that they’re small, so they don’t require a lot of wallpaper or tile. For that reason, you can opt to select materials that are more expensive and might shy away from for a large bath.
Lighting
Boy, has lighting changed over recent years. It used to be so practical, but now its’ truly art….another place to add the wow factor. Scones are my favorite when you have the room for them. Sleek & simple sconces often are only 4” wide so most of the time they do fit. Ceiling fixtures are another way to add personality especially if you have enough height to add a mini chandelier. You don’t want to hang a ceiling fixture lower than 84” off the floor.
It gets to be harder to add the charisma with a light bar but it is possible when there is enough style being implemented in other aspects.
The most important factor is that the lighting is flattering to the face. You & your guests want to look their best. Install dimmers to allow for subtle lighting that doesn’t have you jump back when entertaining in other areas of your home that have ambient lighting. Adjust the light to be soft & gentle on the eyes.
For more on lighting, be sure to check out my earlier blogposts Home Lighting for Your Health & Wellbeing & Healthy Home Lighting.
Mirror
The mirror is key. Not just anything will work. This is where your main focus will be. The goal is to choose a mirror that is complimentary to the other elements. A framed mirror is my recommendation. Whether it’s round, rectangular, oval or a curvy shape, a framed mirror always delivers a polished & finished look. The finish should coordinate with the other elements. It can certainly be the wow factor in the room, as it was in my powder room as well as the one below.
A Curvy Mirror is unexpected, yet an easy place to get a “Wow.”
Have fun expressing your personality!
Last, but certainly not least…..
Amenities
Okay, maybe I’m old fashioned but a simple way to create a powder room that wows is with amenities.
A fragrant hand soap, hand lotion, paper guest towels, a clean fresh guest towel, a fragrant burning candle and let’s take it one step further,….. just like the country clubs,….. mouth wash in a decorative decanter & pretty disposable cups in a decorative dispenser. It might sound like a bunch of clutter to you and yes it can be if you don’t have enough space. But, any or all of these amenities will say to your guest, you are special & you are welcomed in my home, make yourself comfortable. The same message goes for you & your family. Each time you enter your powder room you’ll feel like an invited guest.
