Powder Rooms

Often times, the smallest room in the house can pack the biggest design punch. These tiny spaces are often hard to design and showcase due to their limited space.  However, when done right, can make the biggest impact. Why just stop with a simple pedestal sink and toilet? Why just paint the walls the same color as every other room in the house? The powder room is a great way to give your home some personality, and here are some tips, tricks, and inspiring ideas!


This traditional powder room shows
a Bombay style console with an
above counter vessel sink.
Designed by: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc

The Vanity

When it comes to the sink in a powder room, why settle with a simple pedestal sink from the hardware store?  Instead, you can add pop and storage with a great furniture inspired console vanity? The newest trend, recycling an old Bombay chest or other old furniture piece into a beautiful vanity complete with storage and design flair. The decorative elements including legs, hardware, and curves of these pieces are not to be forgotten.  The storage ads functionality to any bathroom leaving space to store spare rolls of paper, soap, cleaning supplies, and more.

The Sink
While I do love the simplicity of the Kohler Caxton Undermount Lavatory sink, there are thousands of other options that can be used in its place.  When the sink is going to be used solely to wash hands, why not think outside the box.  There are quite a few other materials for the bathroom sink outside the traditional vitreous China. Glass sinks, copper sinks, and even stone sinks are on the rise.


This modern powder room features
a wall mount pedestal sink and a
mosaic tiled wall.  Designed by:
Rachael Reider Interiors





The Walls

When looking at a small space like a powder room, you don't want to go too crazy with the walls, but going boring doesn't always work either.  Adding a pop of color, or even a fun print is often the best prescription for this tiny space.  Adding texture with tile, or pattern with wall paper keeps the room from being boring, and can add some personality to the space. 

The Faucet
There are thousands of faucets available on the market today.  With a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and finishes, the possibilities are endless. I typically recommend using a single handle faucet, or something easy to use by all users.  Stay away from anything with knobs, or difficult to turn on and off.  Faucets are a quick way to update your existing powder bathroom, if a full remodel isn't an option. 



Traditinal Outdoor Lighting
A great Alternative to the traditional vanity light
Available at Lamps Plus



When designing a powder bathroom, accessories are also an important factor.  Don't go with a generic mirror.  Have fun, find interesting mirror shapes, sizes, frames, and mounting methods.  Also, have fun with hardware.  Don't forget to add out of the box lighting, towel rings, paper holders, and decorations.  Just because the powder room is shoved into a corner of the house, doesn't mean it can't have some of those great and functional accessories.  A towel ring is much better than having a towel folded on the countertop.  Pull in other matching accessories like a trip actuator for the toilet, and a paper holder.  Most faucet lines have matching accessories, so get the set.  If not, mix and match styles to suit your own tastes.  Look at antique stores or consignment shops for mirrors that you wouldn't traditionally see in a bathroom.  Look at all lighting, not just vanity lighting.  Some outdoor fixtures are beautiful, and shouldn't just be banned to the back yard.

Floating Shelves

This eclectic kitchen was designed by
Tamar Schechner

Many times, a new trend surfaces, and it is either loved or hated, with little room for indifference.  This is true when talking about floating shelves.  Some love the open minimalistic feel of an open shelf in their kitchen or bathroom.  They love the casual appearance of a floating shelf being used as a picture rail.  Others, however, don't want all of their items on display, and out in the open to collect dust, fearing having to clean their dishes before each use, or having yet another ledge in the living room to remove dog or cat hair.  So where do you stand on this trend? 

I believe that this trend is yet another versatile trend, and has it's place in the design world.  While like many trends, this one shouldn't be over used in every space, it is a great look for most spaces.   Floating shelves, when styled properly and accessorized creatively and smartly, are a great accent for any space.  If you pile too much onto the shelf, you do have more to dust (and who wants that?) or the shelf could look overly cluttered.  When it comes to the floating and open shelf, less is more.

This eclectic living room was designed by
Michelle Hinckley 

Styling, or staging, a floating shelf is difficult.  There is a fine line between a bare shelf, and an overloaded shelf.  When stylizing your shelf, be sure to have fun, and try a few things.  This picture rail to the left shows various sizes of photo frames, alternating large and small.  The balance is perfect, and by using the same color frames and mat's, you keep the minimalist feel of the shelves.  By showing various sizes of frames, and orientations of the photographs, you welcome in eclectic design.

Traditional Kitchen designed by
Jane Ellison

Floating shelves aren't just for the contemporary space.  When the addition of corbels or shelf supports are used, they can lend themselves to more traditional designs and chic spaces.  The thicker floating shelves are typically more contemporary, but still look great in most spaces. This traditional kitchen uses multiple cabinetry finishes to add to the traditional feel.  They keep the shelves simple by keeping only white dishes on the shelves.  The shelves are utilitarian by having stacks of dishes, and less displayed features, keeping a comfortable, lived in design.  

If you are looking to stylize floating shelves, take a look through the ideabook below.

Floating Shelves

Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year

#ColoroftheYear2013

 Emerald 17-5641

A Style Defined: French Country

I have had a few clients ask me to help them define their style.  While most are eclectic these days, taking elements they like from all styles, some do actually have a specific design theme in mind.  This sparked a new idea for a series of posts,  A Style Defined, a series of posts giving examples and definitions of great styles across the generations, and the world. 



French Country is obviously a style that comes from just that, the rolling hills and country side of France.  Many of the pieces look collected, with minimal matching pieces.  It features a flair of sophistication and balance, while maintaining that old world charm. While the furnishings are elegant, they are also highly functional, sometimes serving multiple purposes.  There are various tones of distressed woods, and aged metals.  The design incorporates charming characteristics such as ruffled trims, and shows both subtle hues as well as vibrant colors.  Ghingam prints are often seen in these interior spaces, and other elements are natural, like terra cotta tiles and earthy tones.  Some of the motif's of the French Country design include roosters and grapes, as well as toile designs.  The design also features a lot of flowers and floral elements. 

ADEENI DESIGN GROUP



Kitchen by Denver Kitchen and Bath, Angela Otten

 

View my French Country Ideabook on Houzz.com