New This Week: 3 Powder Rooms, 3 Winning Styles
Traditional, contemporary and modern farmhouse looks transform these small spaces
Mitchell Parker
July 21, 2017
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Powder rooms may be small spaces, but they can still offer loads of opportunity to showcase big style. This trio shows how three different styles can work in three similar-size spaces.
1. Colorful Traditional
Designer: Amy Storm of Designstorms
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: About 23 square feet (2.1 square meters); 3½ by 6½ feet
Style: “This old farmhouse has had a lot of work and several additions put on it over the years,” says designer Amy Storm. “The homeowners wanted this bathroom to look like it had been in the home since it was first built, so we used products and materials that had a vintage farmhouse feel and look to them.”
Special features: Wall-mounted sink with black-painted base. White subway tile walls. Colorful patterned cement tile floor. Button light switches. Vintage stool. Detailed floor register.
Designer secret: “At the last minute, the contractor said we needed material behind the wall-mount sink for added support, so we used it as an opportunity to create something beautiful,” Storm says. “We turned it into a backsplash and shelf, which is now the perfect place for a small vase, pretty soap or extra hand towels, plus it gave us an edge to tie the wall tile into for a nice and clean finished look.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “The floor tile was installed, and we took a photo of it and posted it on Instagram,” Storm says. “One of the designers in my office came to me and said, ‘Why didn’t you change the bad tile in there?’ As we looked closer, one of the tiles was missing a part of the pattern. Thank goodness she noticed. We had the contractor go back in and dig it out and replace it with a good tile.”
Subway tile: Virginia Tile; faucet and sink: Kohler; cement floor tile: Cement Tile Shop; mirror: Rejuvenation
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Designer: Amy Storm of Designstorms
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: About 23 square feet (2.1 square meters); 3½ by 6½ feet
Style: “This old farmhouse has had a lot of work and several additions put on it over the years,” says designer Amy Storm. “The homeowners wanted this bathroom to look like it had been in the home since it was first built, so we used products and materials that had a vintage farmhouse feel and look to them.”
Special features: Wall-mounted sink with black-painted base. White subway tile walls. Colorful patterned cement tile floor. Button light switches. Vintage stool. Detailed floor register.
Designer secret: “At the last minute, the contractor said we needed material behind the wall-mount sink for added support, so we used it as an opportunity to create something beautiful,” Storm says. “We turned it into a backsplash and shelf, which is now the perfect place for a small vase, pretty soap or extra hand towels, plus it gave us an edge to tie the wall tile into for a nice and clean finished look.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “The floor tile was installed, and we took a photo of it and posted it on Instagram,” Storm says. “One of the designers in my office came to me and said, ‘Why didn’t you change the bad tile in there?’ As we looked closer, one of the tiles was missing a part of the pattern. Thank goodness she noticed. We had the contractor go back in and dig it out and replace it with a good tile.”
Subway tile: Virginia Tile; faucet and sink: Kohler; cement floor tile: Cement Tile Shop; mirror: Rejuvenation
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2. Modern Farmhouse
Designer: Kal Macdonald of Trickle Creek Designer Homes
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Size: 33 square feet (3.1 square meters); 5½ by 6 feet
Special features: Shiplap walls. Custom furniture-style vanity. Rustic reclaimed mirror. Gold-finish sconces. Hardwood floor.
Designer secret: “Start with a big piece you love and build from there,” says designer Kal Macdonald. “This powder room started with the rustic mirror we found at an antiques store and was our inspiration when selecting the rest of this room’s pieces.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Mixing different-colored woods,” Macdonald says. “This can be a scary idea to homeowners, as it’s hard to envision how it will actually look once it’s all together. If you are going to mix woods, keep to neutral undertones and make sure they are vastly different. If you go too close in color, you risk it looking like it’s supposed to match but one item is an odd color. Go bold or not at all.”
Mirror: Uniquities; sconces: Kichler via Cartwright Lighting; faucet and sink: Rubi by Soligo, via Icon Stone + Tile; custom vanity: Ateliers Jacob; Quiet Hideaway paint on walls: Dulux
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Designer: Kal Macdonald of Trickle Creek Designer Homes
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Size: 33 square feet (3.1 square meters); 5½ by 6 feet
Special features: Shiplap walls. Custom furniture-style vanity. Rustic reclaimed mirror. Gold-finish sconces. Hardwood floor.
Designer secret: “Start with a big piece you love and build from there,” says designer Kal Macdonald. “This powder room started with the rustic mirror we found at an antiques store and was our inspiration when selecting the rest of this room’s pieces.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Mixing different-colored woods,” Macdonald says. “This can be a scary idea to homeowners, as it’s hard to envision how it will actually look once it’s all together. If you are going to mix woods, keep to neutral undertones and make sure they are vastly different. If you go too close in color, you risk it looking like it’s supposed to match but one item is an odd color. Go bold or not at all.”
Mirror: Uniquities; sconces: Kichler via Cartwright Lighting; faucet and sink: Rubi by Soligo, via Icon Stone + Tile; custom vanity: Ateliers Jacob; Quiet Hideaway paint on walls: Dulux
See more of this farmhouse
3. Contemporary and Industrial
Designer: Amy Emery of Amy Emery Interior Design
Location: Sunset, South Carolina
Size: 38½ square feet (3.6 square meters); 5½ by 7 feet
Style: “We wanted to mix clean contemporary with a bit of an industrial and nautical vibe, being that this home is on Lake Keowee,” says designer Amy Emery.
Special features: The vanity is built with mitered pieces of solid cedar. The concrete composite vessel sink is stain-, crack- and scratch-resistant. The pendant light and exposed plumbing add to the industrial style. Clean white walls keep the space feeling cool and airy on hot summer days, while the white-washed dark floor helps hide dirt and scratches.
Designer secret: “The rest of this home is very much about natural materials and blending with the outdoors,” Emery says. “We continued that theme using the cedar wood, and then contrasted that with industrial materials of metal and concrete.”
Snowbound paint on walls: Sherwin-Williams; flooring: Specialty Wood Products; lighting: Restoration Hardware; faucet: Delta; sink: Native Trails; toilet: American Standard
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Designer: Amy Emery of Amy Emery Interior Design
Location: Sunset, South Carolina
Size: 38½ square feet (3.6 square meters); 5½ by 7 feet
Style: “We wanted to mix clean contemporary with a bit of an industrial and nautical vibe, being that this home is on Lake Keowee,” says designer Amy Emery.
Special features: The vanity is built with mitered pieces of solid cedar. The concrete composite vessel sink is stain-, crack- and scratch-resistant. The pendant light and exposed plumbing add to the industrial style. Clean white walls keep the space feeling cool and airy on hot summer days, while the white-washed dark floor helps hide dirt and scratches.
Designer secret: “The rest of this home is very much about natural materials and blending with the outdoors,” Emery says. “We continued that theme using the cedar wood, and then contrasted that with industrial materials of metal and concrete.”
Snowbound paint on walls: Sherwin-Williams; flooring: Specialty Wood Products; lighting: Restoration Hardware; faucet: Delta; sink: Native Trails; toilet: American Standard
See more of this home
More
Photo Flip: 102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms
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Browse bathroom products
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Just love the sink and tile in #1!
In reply to mimi4403,
It would help if you included where you are located, however, it would be better if you went to Houzz's Find Professionals and locate a wood trim contractor in your area to provide the services you requested.
Does the person using #1, move the towel and place it on the step stool to prevent it from getting wet? I would think some type of hook or other hanger suitable to the design would be a lot more helpful.
I find all 3 examples to be very tastefully done for the style they represent even though none have any artwork on the walls - at least shown.