Powder Room Makeover
Happy Tuesday, friends! Time to get excited… I’m finally sharing the end result of my little powder room makeover with you today (click here for the design plan and before images). This tiny space is located inside our laundry room and despite the odd location, it gets a ton of use. It’s the one and only water closet on the main level of our home, and when we entertain- this powder room is the bathroom our guests use. Eventually we’ll demo this entire space, knock down the walls and reconfigure our powder bath and laundry. The laundry room will eventually become a mudroom, but that’s a story for another day. Anyway… knowing we’ll fully renovate someday, I didn’t want to spend a ton of time or money making this space better. Much like my laundry room makeover, I used temporary, budget-friendly materials in an effort to make this room feel more interesting until the day comes to bust out the sledge hammers and renovate. It feels more like our aesthetic and I don’t have to be embarrassed anymore, once we’re finally allowed to entertain and host friends & family again. Click through for all the details!
This is a little reminder of what the space used to look like. It was pretty blah and boring. A pocket door separates the powder bath from the laundry room.
I updated cosmetic features while working with the existing footprint… think lighting, removable wallpaper, sticky floor tile, art, trading the mirror, etc. It was a relatively quick and easy makeover! Here is another before image…
The vanity is probably the most dramatic change in the room. I kept the existing vanity, but swapped the doors for simple, shaker style cabinet door panels. I also traded the laminate countertop, sink, and faucet… in addition to painting the cherry wood. The vanity was kind of an overhaul, but it really didn’t cost much. It was mostly just my time and labor.
I tried to use leftover materials I had from our laundry room makeover, so you’ll probably spy some familiar items… the door pulls, the paint, the floor “tile”, and the towel. Given the powder bath is INSIDE of the laundry room, it feels natural that these space should look cohesive anyway.
The toilet is original to our home, and it honestly looked pretty dated. I gave it a little budget refresh- check out this post for my toilet updating ideas… I’m serious. You guys know I like the high contrast look, so I swapped the lid and lever. It looks similar to our guest bath toilet upstairs!
The biggest change is probably the wallpaper. I used this peel-and-stick paper that went up easily and quickly. If you missed the tutorial, you can find that here. There is something about wallpaper in a tiny space that feels very designerly to me.
To my surprise, Emmett LOVES the wallpaper. He even asked if we could incorporate wallpaper into our laundry room and powder bath once we actually renovate “for real” someday. Obviously, I’m on board. Ha! I feel like this is the point in our relationship where I now know we’ve been together for so long, and he’s been hanging around me long enough to start having a trained design eye (you’re welcome, E!). Ten years ago, he never would’ve been into or appreciated this look, but here we are.
The countertop accessories remained the same. I’m a big believer that no matter what your bathroom looks like and no matter how dated it may be… splurge for your favorite candle, hand soap, towels, and any other small thing that brings you joy. It’s amazing how these tiny items can make a space feel more like home… even without a single update!
The lighting also got an upgrade. You guys know I couldn’t leave a boob light up there on our ceiling. When we renovate someday, my plan is to install the brass light fixture, pictured above, in my closet. It feels chic and feminine!
We also traded the vanity light. Although budget-friendly, this one feels more classic than the existing nineties sconce that used to live there. As an added bonus, it matches the semi flush mount fixture in our laundry room, shown below. Win / win.
Don’t you feel like the two rooms are cohesive? They’re not “matchy matchy” like twins, but more like siblings… which is nice! They belong in the same family, but are also unique. It’s tricky to design a room-in-a-room. Do you have any odd spaces in your home like this (other than a closet in a bedroom, etc)?
I’ve always loved toile, but seeing it in our house has convinced me it should live someplace permanently. I might have to invest in real wallpaper, fabric, or something in this gorgeous pattern in the future! Are you a fan of classic toile? It’s especially easy to use in a neutral color.
Of course I know there will be lots of source and paint color questions, so I’m linking all of those details below! Click directly on the objects to be redirected to the source, or use the numbered links below to shop…
01: semi flush mount light fixture // 02: peel-and-stick toile wallpaper // 03: vanity light // 04: wall mirror // 05: nude art one // 06: nude art two // 07: brass widespread faucet // 08: carrara sink and countertop // 09: nude art three // 10: nude art four // 11: peel-and-stick floor tile (light marble / dark marble / black squares) // 12: toilet lever // 13: toilet paper holder // 14: black toilet seat & lid // 15: towel hook // 16: hand towel (similar) // 17: waste basket … ceiling paint color: SW Tricorn Black
Everything is super affordable in this makeover! I tried to stick to a tight budget for this one. The art should also look familiar! Remember the bathroom at our previous home? My best friend Laurie Anne painted those nudes for me.
I’m a details person, so even when completing a small makeover or styling tiny vignette, I try to focus on those little things that make a room sing (and me smile). In this space it was the faucet, patterned wallpaper, and brass accessories.
There you have it… my powder room makeover! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Not bad for a budget makeover, right? I’m really happy with how it turned out and am very glad to have personality in the powder room now. Happy Tuesday!
