20 Design Tricks to Instantly Boost a Boring Powder Room
When designing your dream home, you might be surprised by which rooms you have the most fun decorating. Typically, it's the smaller spaces that allow you to embrace your playful side. Larger communal spaces like a living room or kitchen require a balance of functionality and aesthetics, but the areas that take up the least amount of square footage—like a half bath—offer more opportunities for creativity.
While considering the most stylish half bath design ideas, remember that this is the perfect time to take chances and experiment with the decor. If you're building a house from the ground up or renovating your current home, adding a half bath—or powder room—is something you should definitely consider. Interior designers love a powder room moment as much as they love an ensuite one.
“Just because there's room to house a tub and shower doesn't necessarily mean it should be done,” explains designer Meghan Jay. “Powder rooms serve a utilitarian purpose: They're there to accommodate your family and guests' needs, and their petiteness makes them fun and less daunting to design! They're the perfect place to express your design creativity.”
For more beautiful bathroom inspiration:
45 Beautiful Powder Room Ideas You and Your Guests Will Love
35 Designer-Approved Bathroom Paint Colors to Refresh Your Retreat
What Is a Half Bath?
A half bath is also known as a powder room, and it consists of only a sink/washing station and a toilet. Half bathrooms do not have showers or tubs, and Jay adds that “because they require minimal plumbing, half bathrooms take up very little space, making them easy to fit into a home's floor plan.”
These bathrooms are typically located on the first floor of a house and are ideal for guest use. “They're often located near the entertaining hub of a home, tucked in between a living and dining room or hidden under a staircase in an entrance hall,” Jay says. “Their location makes it perfectly convenient for a guest to pop in and use the facilities before dinner.” Plus, having an easily accessible bathroom like this prevents your houseguests from running all over your home trying to find a bathroom.
What Is a Full Bath?
A full bathroom consists of a toilet, a sink, a bathtub, and a shower, or a shower-bathtub combination. These are typically more lived-in rooms, as opposed to a half bath which is mainly reserved for guests. Jay also says that a full bathroom can also have double sinks, like a Jack-and-Jill vanity.
What Is a Three-Quarter Bath?
As the name implies, a three-quarter bath is a combination of a full and half bath. They consist of a sink, a toilet, and a standing shower. “This is a perfect trio when you want to create an ensuite bathroom but don't have a ton of real estate,” Jay adds.
Check out the designer spaces below to spark some inspiration as you consider these 20 stylish half bath ideas for your home.
Choose a Monochromatic Color Scheme
Heather and Matt French chose a deep, emerald green for this half bath and the entire guest suite in our Whole Home 2021. The white accents against the dark green make for a stark contrast that's both bright and airy, as well as luxurious and dramatic.
Add a Corner Vanity
Don't let limited square footage stop you from having a dramatic and stylish half bath—create your own focal point by putting in a corner vanity. The angled vintage mirror that Alexandra Kaehler added above the vanity really pulls it all together.
Splurge on Custom Pieces
Finding items that fit perfectly into your small half bath can be challenging, so don't hesitate to splurge on custom pieces to make it the best space it can be. Designer Alison Giese opted for a custom white plaster vanity with a stone top and vessel sink, making the design feel truly intentional.
Make Everything Fun-Sized
In a small half bath, you don't want to put in oversize (or even regular-size) furnishings and decor because it'll make the room feel even smaller. Instead, do what designer Anne Hepfer did in this Toronto home and put in smaller pieces, like the teeny corner sink and narrow mirror.
Choose a Light Palette
A light, neutral color palette, like in this half bath by Benjamin Dhong, can help make the space feel larger and give it a more airy feel. The designer also ensured the space wouldn't look boring or plain by including different shades of neutrals and incorporating multiple textures.
Related Story: 25 White Bathroom Ideas That Keep It Simple and Stylish
Make It Sparkle
Make your half bath feel luxurious by adding subtle sparkle throughout the space. In this home, designer Betsy Burnham chose a wallcovering with a reflective gold design and a matching ball light fixture to give the room a sparkling allure.
Paint Your Millwork
An easy solution to fixing a section of your home you might not be crazy about is to paint it, as seen in the moody wainscoting in this half bath. Designer Bria Hammel chose a charming grayish-green for this powder room to make the space feel larger.
Related Story: What Is Wainscoting? All About the Historical Design Detail
Hide Your Plumbing
As with any room that doesn't offer much square footage, you want to hide away unsightly parts as often as possible, such as the plumbing in a small half bath. In this minimalist powder room, designer Brittany Wurzak hid the plumbing from this custom floating, marble sink for a cleaner look all around.
Add Wall Sconces
As they say in big cities: Build up, not out. You should do the same with your smaller rooms, like in this half bath by Cate Dunning. Rather than adding lamps for extra light in this blue and white powder room, she chose to install two wall sconces that help add more interest in the space.
Contrast Your Colors
If you want to add a big piece of furniture into your half bath but worry the dark color may make the room feel smaller, contrast the hue with a much brighter shade. In this powder room, designer Charlotte Lucas knew she wanted to use this Fornasetti chest as a vanity, so she added a vibrant yellow trellis wallcovering and high-gloss trim to brighten the space.
Related Story: The Outdoor Garden Staple Redefining Interior Spaces
Paint a Textured Wall
Add more intrigue to your half bath by choosing a textured wall paint. In this gorgeous powder room, designer Jeremiah Brent used Nitty Gritty Roman Clay by Portola Paints to add more dimension to the space. It also looks so beautiful behind the antique brass accents and white marble sink.
Related Story: The Gut Renovation of Jeremiah Brent
Layer Patterns and Prints
These Gucci wallcoverings can be found throughout Cortney and Robert Novogratz's West Village home, but we think they look especially amazing in this little powder room. The busy print combined with the natural pattern of the stone sink and the matching flowers they have displayed offer a stylish half bath idea for those who lean more maximalist in style but don't want to overdo it.
Install a Freestanding Vanity
Typically, a bathroom vanity with storage is essential for hiding away makeup and bathroom accessories. However, in a half bath that's generally not used for morning routines, like this moody one designed by Heidi Caillier, consider installing a freestanding vanity without bottom storage. This choice can make the space feel larger and more open.
Put Up a Statement Light Fixture
A half bath is the perfect opportunity to simply have fun with your design, so adding in statement pieces, like this purple chandelier by the entrance, helps bring more character into the space. In this moody, dark Tudor by Kati Curtis, the light fixture pulls in the purple from the wall.
Choose a Curved Vanity
In a small half bath where you might not want too many sharp corners jutting into the open space, choose to put in a curved vanity. In this light powder room by Katie Ridder, the moldings on the front of the sink cabinets add dimension to the room and match the geometric pattern of the floor.
Add a Statement Mirror
Without the large, gold mirror in this half bath, the room would perhaps look a bit plain. Designer Kristen Panitch brought in this ceramic mirror to match the color of the sconce and under-sink wastebasket, bringing a little shine to the otherwise black-and-white room.
Go With an Accent Wall
The flamingo wallpaper on this accent wall immediately catches your eye when walking into this bathroom, and it adds a beautiful playfulness to the space. Courtney McLeod from Right Meets Left Interior Design installed this fun covering to add more color to the room and coordinate with the other prints and vibrant colors in the house.
Put In a Pocket Door
In an already narrow space, adding a pocket door just makes sense. Sarah Zames and Colin Stief from General Assembly chose an arched entrance to this bathroom with a pocket door to make the small space inviting and easy to navigate.
Make It Whimsical
When designer Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey started working on Bunny Hop Cottage in the Poconos, she knew she needed to add those cotton-tailed creatures everywhere she could. To tie in the fun wallpaper, Cavin-Winfrey also incorporated other woodland themes in this powder room, like with the mirror and storybook-esque vanity.
Related Story: The Best Poconos Resorts for an Unforgettable Mountain Getaway
Install a Custom Counter
For an oddly shaped half bath, consider adding custom pieces that make the design feel more intentional. Designer Joe Lucas went with a custom walnut countertop for this powder room's vanity area, leaning into the cool coastal style throughout the rest of the home.
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