Dream Spaces: 12 Ultraglam Powder Rooms

Often the smallest room in the house, the powder room is a place where homeowners can easily realize their most extravagant design aspirations. Remodeling one is less expensive — and less time-consuming — than revamping a living room or installing a new kitchen, so these manageable spaces are a good spot to get a lot of design bang for your buck.

Graphic wallpapers and rich colors that might be overwhelming elsewhere provide pizzazz here. For lighting, think shimmering chandeliers or eye-catching pendants, rather than conventional overheads. Instead of a traditional vanity, why not use a modern vessel sink atop a wooden slab?

If you’re itching for a small project, the powder room is a great place to experiment. Here are 12 inspiring spaces chock-full of good ideas that are easily transferable to many homes.

With its gleaming black walls enhanced with silver picture-frame wainscoting, this elegant room is the epitome of glamour. A vessel sink sits atop a waterfall slab of marble, flanked by two large square towel holders. Holly Hunt designed the traditional sconces, complete with luxurious tassels.


The narrow floor-to-ceiling mirror behind the console sink makes this space look bigger — and also hides the sink plumbing. The soothing color combination works, too: Benjamin Moore’s yummy Seacliff Heights wall paint is teamed up with a dark gray textural tile backsplash (Wenge Mosaico by Fibra).


In a nod to the architecture of this Spanish colonial house in Phoenix, the powder room’s custom moldings and sink are made from Cantera, a quarried volcanic rock mined exclusively in Mexico and South America. The muted walls (painted Deep Ocean by Dunn-Edwards) set off an eclectic collection of vintage art, carved wood mirrors and hanging pendant lamps.


The wow factor here is the spectacular wood counter, custom made by the architects at Krannitz Gehl. But as they helpfully point out, you can do this at home: “You just need to get a big timber, blacken and wax it, drill holes for the plumbing and mounting plates, and bolt it to the wall.”

More drama comes from the dark stacked-pebble tile and custom bronze sink with a WaterBridge faucet by Sonoma Forge.


Impress your guests with a striking wall covering like this chinoiserie design, Shantung Silhouette by Schumacher. Offsetting the boldness of the walls: a simple white pedestal sink (Memoirs by Kohler), a glass-fronted cabinet from Restoration Hardware and a large, gold-framed mirror.


A design element in itself, this sleek, high-backed toilet (discontinued by Duravit; its Starck 1 model is similar) fits easily into the narrow confines of a modern space in San Francisco. The rich purple on the walls (Benjamin Moore’s Caponata) contrasts beautifully with the pale wood floor.


There’s nothing expected in this half bath. Rather than a standard vanity, a chunky Turkish marble basin sits atop an antique painted chest. The muted blue shade (Pinedale Shores from Behr) on the walls shows off the framed art and ornate mirrors nicely.


This powder room, in a classic Greek revival house in Chicago, is beautiful in its simplicity. The veined gray and white tile wall is enhanced with touches of black (the base of the sink, the metal sconce) and glints of gold (a Kohler Purist wall-mounted faucet and soap dish). Add in the single, small oil painting, and it’s just about perfect.


It’s fitting that this powder room is on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, considering the water-inspired moody blue color scheme. Other nice touches: shimmering wall tiles (Muse from Oceanside Glass), a large oval mirror for primping and a disco-ball hanging light (from James Modler) that reflects patterns on the wall.


The vibe in this space is cool and collected, from the soft gray walls (Benjamin Moore’s Rocky Coast) to the elegant marble moldings and custom-made console. Silvery chrome legs on the console and a simple shiny mirror complete the design.


Rich gold rules in this dramatic space. Asuka wallpaper (from Osborne & Little), with its stylized white peonies against metallic gold leaves, sets the scene. The theme continues with luxe gold fixtures, including the towel bar and cabinet pulls.


With its carbon-gray grass cloth wall covering (part of the Glam Grass collection from Phillip Jeffries), this powder room has a sleek, sexy feel. Adding to the appeal: a sparkly light fixture from Boyd Lighting, a dark wood vanity with a shallow white vessel sink and a silver-framed mirror.

More: Powder Room Essentials to Keep Guests Happy

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