Designer’s Own Powder Room Packs in History, Color and Charm
A special wallpaper print and curated antiques help update this powder room in a 1790 Boston home
Bryan Anthony
June 3, 2020
Designer Amy Mitchell and her family live in a 1790 farmhouse just outside Boston that retains many of its original features and charm. “We’ve lived in the house for eight years and I have been renovating it room by room ever since we moved in,” Mitchell says. Her latest project was the remodel of the powder room located off the mudroom. “The room didn’t have any heat, so it didn’t get much use in the winter,” the designer says. The finished (and fully heated) room now features a mix of old and new finds and a timeless look that befits the historic home.
Photos by Emily O’Brien Photography
Powder Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Amy Mitchell, her husband and their two kids
Location: Boston
Size: 18 square feet (1.7 square meters)
Designer: Amy Mitchell of Home Glow Design
“The powder room is only 6 feet by 3 feet, so every design decision had to be well thought out,” Mitchell says. The new wall-hung porcelain sink helps to visually enlarge the space. “It’s important to see the floor; even a small pedestal sink would’ve felt too big,” the designer says.
Find for a designer near you
Powder Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Amy Mitchell, her husband and their two kids
Location: Boston
Size: 18 square feet (1.7 square meters)
Designer: Amy Mitchell of Home Glow Design
“The powder room is only 6 feet by 3 feet, so every design decision had to be well thought out,” Mitchell says. The new wall-hung porcelain sink helps to visually enlarge the space. “It’s important to see the floor; even a small pedestal sink would’ve felt too big,” the designer says.
Find for a designer near you
Mitchell considers a powder room a great space to feature wallpaper, and the one she chose for her own speaks to her personally. The woman depicted in the wallpaper is holding a copy of a book on solfège, a vocal training system.
“I’m a trained opera singer, so I fell in love with this wallpaper immediately,” Mitchell says.
The tiger maple Chippendale mirror is an antique that Mitchell picked up at an estate sale years ago and had been eager to use in the right project.
“I’m a trained opera singer, so I fell in love with this wallpaper immediately,” Mitchell says.
The tiger maple Chippendale mirror is an antique that Mitchell picked up at an estate sale years ago and had been eager to use in the right project.
The designer added a pair of contemporary exposed-bulb sconces on either side of the mirror. “I like to add something contemporary to even the most traditional of spaces because it allows you to share something from the current generation,” Mitchell says. “It’s a reminder of the people who live there now and tells a more complete story.”
Shop for contemporary bathroom sconces on Houzz
Shop for contemporary bathroom sconces on Houzz
Mitchell used a round toilet rather than an elongated oval one to free up more space. Pleated linen curtains and a Roman shade valance on the original window allow natural light in. “For such a small bathroom, the window is quite large and provides lots of great light,” Mitchell says.
The bathroom floor is covered in new zellige tiles in a shade of green apple selected to complement the wall trim, door and window molding painted in Benjamin Moore’s Herb Garden.
The bathroom floor is covered in new zellige tiles in a shade of green apple selected to complement the wall trim, door and window molding painted in Benjamin Moore’s Herb Garden.
There’s a scene in a TV adaptation of the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in which Mr. Darcy jumps into an algae-filled pond. “My husband and I both love the book, but he always mentions how gross that pond must be,” Mitchell says. “I found this little painting at an antique shop and it reminded me of that scene.”
She says it’s a perfect match for the room because her husband likes for there to be a story behind every piece of art they hang in the house.
More on Houzz
102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms
Look for a bathroom designer
Shop for wallpaper
She says it’s a perfect match for the room because her husband likes for there to be a story behind every piece of art they hang in the house.
More on Houzz
102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms
Look for a bathroom designer
Shop for wallpaper
Related Stories
Bathroom of the Week
Bathroom of the Week: High Style in a Tiny Powder Room
By Becky Harris
A homeowner’s love of all things green and botanical inspires a pleasing transitional style
Full Story
Pattern
7 Stylish Patterns for a Powder Room Makeover
See how adding a pattern like hexagons, stripes or florals can enhance your powder room refresh
Full Story
Trending Now
The Top 10 Powder Rooms of 2023
By Becky Harris
Get small-space ideas for eye-catching mirrors, bold wallpaper and more from these most-saved photos of the year
Full Story
Holidays
10 Things to Enhance Your Powder Room for the Holidays or Anytime
Treat yourself and your guests to one of these special touches for the powder room
Full Story
Photo Flip
30 Powder Rooms With Wonderful Wallpaper
Wall coverings fill these rooms with color, pattern and pizzazz
Full Story
Bathroom Color
Powder Room Palettes: 10 Great Color Options
See how paint, tile and wallpaper in 10 colorful shades add style, drama and fun to these powder rooms
Full Story
Trending Now
The 10 Most Popular Powder Rooms of Spring 2023
By Becky Harris
Get stylish small-space ideas for countertops, sinks, wall treatments and more from these most-saved new photos on Houzz
Full Story
Trending Now
Top 10 Powder Rooms So Far in 2023
By Becky Harris
Bold patterns, stylish sink setups and other great designs are featured in these popular powder room photos on Houzz
Full Story
New This Week
5 Bold New Powder Rooms
See how designers used playful pattern and bright color to elevate the look and wow guests in these small bathrooms
Full Story
Bathroom Design
Bathroom of the Week: Traditional Style in a 1920s Cottage
By Becky Harris
A designer creates a beautiful new bathroom that serves as a powder room and en suite guest bath
Full Story
I would like a closer look at the tile used on the floor. It's very interesting.
I have that small sink...it was a gift from a friend who removed it from a home he was remodeling. I was delighted to receive it and have been saving it to use in what will eventually be an 8' x 3' half bath. I love it!
Here are two links to Amy's blog that discuss the powder room renovation and the tiles she installed in the floor:
https://homeglowdesign.com/2019/05/09/no-plain-jane-powder-room-inspiration-wallpaper-green-trim-tile-floating-wall-sink
https://homeglowdesign.com/2019/04/13/3-important-things-know-before-install-zellige-tile/