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45 Beautiful Powder Room Ideas You and Your Guests Will Love
They pack a lot of style into a small space.
More than just an asset for resale value, a tiny powder room is a big design opportunity—and all you need is about 15 square feet. These small bathrooms are a chance to show off your personal style and experiment with bold or expensive materials you might not use elsewhere. When it comes to using high-impact design in a small space, you have to be strategic—but you can also have just as much fun. In a powder room, for example, experimenting with color and pattern is so much less intimidating than it is in a massive, wide-open space. The best part? Unlike with a luxurious primary bath, every guest will get to appreciate it.
These chic powder room ideas from designers demonstrate how to make the most of small or tucked-away areas such as a former butler pantry or coat closet, a small hallway half-bath, or even the space under the stairs. Indeed, powder rooms tend to be some of the most exciting rooms in the house to decorate. We're spotlighting the chicest powder rooms we've ever seen, each with accompanying decorating tips and clever storage solutions.
Expert Tip: If You Have Space Under Your Stairs...
Make it a powder room! You can avoid the cramped Harry Potter–cupboard vibe with a smart bathroom design. Position the toilet at the end where the ceiling is lowest—but not so far back that heads will bump. Mount a corner sink for maximum maneuverability, and choose a medium-scale wallpaper with a creamy background to lend a sense of openness; continuing it on the door and ceiling enhances the effect. Finally, install full-size versions of the things guests focus on, like sconces and mirrors, to trick the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it is.
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Mix Metals
Yes, there's a strategic way to mix metals without it coming off as chaotic. In this powder room idea by Jeremiah Brent, the aged bronze wall details pair perfectly with the textured chrome on the sink.
Go Maximal in Miniature
Don't shrink your design just because powder rooms lack square footage. This cheerful powder room idea in a North Carolina home designed by Charlotte Lucas demonstrates why. Oversize fixtures, like this large-scale wallpaper pattern and sunburst sconces, can make a statement no matter the room size.
Embrace a Theme
Themed decor can easily be kitschy, but you can take inspiration from Cecilia Casagrande and commit to the bit. The homeowner picked out chartreuse tile by Clé to accent the cabinet-of-curiosities–inspired Pierre Frey wallpaper. “She was so brave, going for anything that brought joy,” Casagrande says.
Let Your Fixtures Shine
Rather than focus on wallcoverings or fanciful lighting, allow your powder room's hard fixtures to be the focal point, just like in this New Jersey powder room idea designed by Elaine Santos. The intricately-veined marble sink stands out against the stark black walls.
Repurpose Antiques
This powder room vanity is an old case piece in Rita Chan's California home. Simple modifications allowed the plumbing to thread through the cabinet, and the second drawer still functions as storage.
Create Stylish Storage
In this Dallas home, designer Sara Johnson splashed out on a Hawaiian-inspired Anna Spiro Textiles wallpaper. A cottagecore-inspired sink skirt is perfect for hiding extra toilet paper.
Related Story: How to Capture the Cozy Cottagecore Aesthetic at Home
Brighten a Small Powder Room
In designer Courtney Petit's Dallas home, an under-the-stairs bath is a nod to her late mother's beloved blue-and-white china. The durable quartz countertop continues behind the toilet, creating a useful ledge.
Elevate It With Stripes
A Schumacher linen wallcovering and brass accents elevate the half bath in Ashley Gilbreath's Watersound, Florida, home. “It's not overpowering,” the designer explains. “But the texture makes it special.”
Lean Nautical
A Watermark Fixtures sink sets an “oceanfront but not kitschy” tone for this Cape Cod, Massachusetts, gem, says Kasie DiNella of Mend Interiors. The color can be matched to any Farrow & Ball hue. This one is Hague Blue.
Paint It a New Neutral
To open up the first floor of an 1890s St. Paul, Minnesota, home, designer Bria Hammel painted millwork in Benjamin Moore Southern Vine, a grayish green that makes this charming half bath look bigger.
Hide the Pipes
The marbled waves of latte-colored quartzite form the only pattern in this minimalist New Jersey room, designed by Brittany Wurzak Hakimfar of Far Studio. The custom floating sink hides the plumbing for a clean look in this powder room idea.
Improvise a Mirror
To make an odd configuration work, designer Chauncey Boothby designed a curved, wall-hung wood vanity (finished to look like walnut) and floated an Isabelle Home mirror from a brass hook using grosgrain ribbon.
Use a 360-Degree Print
Dunbar Road Design founder Carla Fonts's client wanted a “magical and elegant” powder room under the stairs. With a Rosa marble sink and hand-painted walls (inspired by a floral De Gournay wallcovering that was too tricky to install here), this light and bright powder room idea delivers. Fonts mounted a mirror and sconces at an angle, using as much of the space as possible and creating a beautiful vignette visible from the foyer.
Related Story: The Best Wall Sconces to Add Into Your Reno Plans
Throw a Curve
The powder room pocket door in this narrow pied-à-terre atop the Apthorp echoes the famed building’s arched windows, as do a custom sink and an In Common With sconce. General Assembly designers Sarah Zames and Colin Stief chose Farrow & Ball wallpaper to contrast with the plaster walls in the rest of the apartment.
Find the Edge
In a small powder room without much access to natural light (for example, a windowless space under the stairs), embrace the moodier, edgier atmosphere with darker tones and dim lighting. In this powder room designed by Tamsin Johnson, the concrete floors, inky marble sink, and modern wallpaper set the right mood.
Related Story: We Tested the Best Removable Wallpaper
Contrast Patterns
While this much pattern might feel like a big commitment to make in a master bath, it's totally fun in a powder room. Pair an abstract floor pattern with whimsical wallpaper, but keep them within the same color family. In this powder room designed by Chango & Co., calming and sophisticated blue tones balance out the fun prints.
Carve Out Privacy
Add a partial wall to enhance privacy and create more depth. In this powder room idea designed by Emily Henderson, the partition actually makes the space feel larger and more dynamic. The gold light fixtures break up the sea of white nicely.
Tile the Walls
Make your powder room stand out with a fun tile. In this pink bathroom designed by Arent & Pyke, the penny tiles on the upper half play up the circle motif, from the round mirror to the round wooden drawer handles, while pink subway tiles laid vertically add a pop of color and contrast.
Mix Old and New
In this bathroom designed by Studio Life/Style, the classic black-and-white marble floors, delicate sconces, and ornate antique-inspired vanity assert a old-world charm while modern accessories add a fresh spin.
Recycle Materials
There are so many ways to put old objects to functional, stylish use. For example, you could save wallpaper scraps from a previous project for instant art, or your could take note from Leanne Ford Interiors and turn a bucket into a rustic, one-of-a-kind sink.
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