6 Powder Room Makeovers That Mix Fabulous With Functional
See how new tile, fixtures and even flamingo wallpaper transform these compact spaces
If there’s one room in the house where you can have the most fun and make the biggest impact with color, materials and overall detailing, it’s probably the powder room. Given their smaller size and closed-off nature, powder rooms have become the spot to show a little more flair, as these six makeovers show. Tell us: Which one is your favorite?
After: Colorful wallpaper drove the powder room’s redesign. “The homeowner has such a fun and vibrant personality, and this wallpaper seemed like a perfect design match,” says interior designer Crystal Romero. Gold streaks in the wallpaper, along with new brushed-gold faucets and brass fixtures, pick up and showcase the original sink’s gold details.
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Bradshaw Designs designed a custom freestanding vanity, opening the space beneath the window next to it and providing more storage. The vanity, painted Benjamin Moore’s Starburst Orange in a lacquer finish, pulls a color in from the wallpaper. A Calacatta Gold marble countertop tops the vanity.
Overhead ductwork relocated during the renovation allowed the designers to raise the ceiling slightly. “Even a few inches can make a big difference,” Romero says.
Sconces: Camille, Visual Comfort; faucets: Purist, Kohler; countertop install: Delta Granite and Marble; trim paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
Read more about this powder room remodel
Overhead ductwork relocated during the renovation allowed the designers to raise the ceiling slightly. “Even a few inches can make a big difference,” Romero says.
Sconces: Camille, Visual Comfort; faucets: Purist, Kohler; countertop install: Delta Granite and Marble; trim paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
Read more about this powder room remodel
2. Red to Light
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Chicago
Size: 39 square feet (3.6 square meters)
Designer: Stephanie Frees of Plain and Posh
Before: Ornate accessories, raspberry-red walls and orange-stained wood floors in this Chicago powder room didn’t reflect the homeowner’s style. It also didn’t allow her curated wall art to stand out.
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Chicago
Size: 39 square feet (3.6 square meters)
Designer: Stephanie Frees of Plain and Posh
Before: Ornate accessories, raspberry-red walls and orange-stained wood floors in this Chicago powder room didn’t reflect the homeowner’s style. It also didn’t allow her curated wall art to stand out.
After: New white botanical-print wallpaper gives the room a bright yet neutral backdrop, contributing to a space that feels more ageless. The homeowner’s art and the room’s new fixtures pop against the white walls.
A vintage chest of drawers was transformed into a new freestanding vanity, anchoring the room with a rich-toned, one-of-a-kind focal point. Frees topped the vanity with a Bianco Perses marble counter and backsplash. Brass faucets and fixtures add a dose of contemporary yet classic style.
Sink: Caxton, Kohler
Read more about this powder room remodel
Shop for brass and gold hardware
A vintage chest of drawers was transformed into a new freestanding vanity, anchoring the room with a rich-toned, one-of-a-kind focal point. Frees topped the vanity with a Bianco Perses marble counter and backsplash. Brass faucets and fixtures add a dose of contemporary yet classic style.
Sink: Caxton, Kohler
Read more about this powder room remodel
Shop for brass and gold hardware
3. Closed-In to Opened-Up
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Norwood, Massachusetts
Size: 30 square feet (2.8 square meters)
Designer: Robin Schwadron of R Titus Designs
Before: This powder room felt cramped and outdated to its owners, and its walls — once part of an exterior porch — had never been properly insulated. That was a problem for a home in New England.
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Norwood, Massachusetts
Size: 30 square feet (2.8 square meters)
Designer: Robin Schwadron of R Titus Designs
Before: This powder room felt cramped and outdated to its owners, and its walls — once part of an exterior porch — had never been properly insulated. That was a problem for a home in New England.
After: The design team stripped the space down to the studs and added new insulation, ventilation and lighting. Then they raised the ceiling slightly to make the room feel larger. Designer Robin Schwadron built a new vanity from salvaged table legs to further create a feeling of openness.
Read more about this powder room renovation
Read more about this powder room renovation
4. Laundry to Luxury
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco
Designer: Homeowners Cory Bradley, an oil painter, and Eva Muller, an interior designer
Before: Homeowners Cory Bradley and Eva Muller’s San Francisco flat featured an exposed laundry nook in its main hallway. The couple decided to convert the nook into a powder room as part of a whole home makeover, relocating the appliances to a closet by the main bathroom.
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco
Designer: Homeowners Cory Bradley, an oil painter, and Eva Muller, an interior designer
Before: Homeowners Cory Bradley and Eva Muller’s San Francisco flat featured an exposed laundry nook in its main hallway. The couple decided to convert the nook into a powder room as part of a whole home makeover, relocating the appliances to a closet by the main bathroom.
After. Behind a new hidden door in the hallway, the new powder room surprises with color, pattern and gilded finishes. Vintage accents and colorful trim create a playful and artistic look that feels current while recalling the home’s Victorian heritage.
Trim paint: Pacific Sea Teal, ceiling paint: Iron Mountain, both Benjamin Moore
Read more about this home transformation
Trim paint: Pacific Sea Teal, ceiling paint: Iron Mountain, both Benjamin Moore
Read more about this home transformation
5. Faded to Flamboyant
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Havertown, Pennsylvania
Designer: Homeowners Alex, an engineer, and Michelle Gage, an interior designer
Before: Old linoleum floors, traditional wallpaper and outdated fixtures in Alex and Michelle Gage’s 1924 Colonial-style Pennsylvania house called for an update. The two first-time homeowners decided to tackle the project on their own.
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Havertown, Pennsylvania
Designer: Homeowners Alex, an engineer, and Michelle Gage, an interior designer
Before: Old linoleum floors, traditional wallpaper and outdated fixtures in Alex and Michelle Gage’s 1924 Colonial-style Pennsylvania house called for an update. The two first-time homeowners decided to tackle the project on their own.
After: To give the powder room a playful and dramatic update, the couple splurged on floor-to-ceiling flamingo wallpaper.
“We used leftover flooring from the kitchen and selected a nice enough toilet and sink,” Michelle says.
Read more about this powder room renovation
“We used leftover flooring from the kitchen and selected a nice enough toilet and sink,” Michelle says.
Read more about this powder room renovation
6. Understated to Extraordinary
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Alameda, California
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters)
Designer: Lisa Konjicek-Segundo of Olive Juice Designs
Before: The owners of this home in California’s Bay Area were ready to give their powder room some color and more lively character. They also hoped to make it function more efficiently for a family of seven.
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: Alameda, California
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters)
Designer: Lisa Konjicek-Segundo of Olive Juice Designs
Before: The owners of this home in California’s Bay Area were ready to give their powder room some color and more lively character. They also hoped to make it function more efficiently for a family of seven.
After: Interior designer Lisa Konjicek-Segundo added a floor-to-ceiling picture of a New York City subway station, both for interest and to create the illusion of a larger room. “My clients love New York City, so we decided to make it an ode to the city, with an industrial vibe and photography,” she says.
The oversize mirror above the sink also helps to create the illusion of a larger space. Konjicek-Segundo chose black hex tiles to reinforce the subway station theme, and a new recessed niche between wall studs stores excess toilet paper, a dispenser and a magazine rack.
Read more about this powder room renovation
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The oversize mirror above the sink also helps to create the illusion of a larger space. Konjicek-Segundo chose black hex tiles to reinforce the subway station theme, and a new recessed niche between wall studs stores excess toilet paper, a dispenser and a magazine rack.
Read more about this powder room renovation
More on Houzz
Key Measurements to Help You Design a Powder Room
Photo Flip: 102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms
Find a bathroom designer near you
Shop for bathroom products
Powder Room at a Glance
Location: San Antonio
Size: 30 square feet (2.8 square meters)
Design team: Julie Bradshaw and Crystal Romero of Bradshaw Designs
Before: The existing powder room in this Texas home featured a low popcorn ceiling, dark red wallpaper and a cultured marble-topped vanity that stretched the room’s length, adding storage but cramping the space.
As part of a whole-house remodel, the owners wanted to update the powder room’s style while incorporating its existing vintage Greek-key patterned sink.