How to update your powder room: small changes, big impact

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It’s so easy to push smaller spaces, like this powder room, to back of your mind and call it “fine for now”, while focusing on bigger projects. Our powder room got overlooked and put on the back burner over the last year and a half. When we first moved, I immediately knew that a refresh of this little space was inevitable. So that’s exactly what I did, starting with our living room, the office, the kids rooms. However, with the larger projects out of the way, it was time to make this little room shine.

The way it was, the room had very little to style: it had mud-colored walls, outdated finishes, corded blinds and that odd little shelf I gave a side-eye to every time I walked in there. Before getting started, I had some limitations though: the vanity and the countertop had to stay (for now). Replacing them was not in my budget.

Injecting personality in a small space like this can be a challenge, so I knew adding wallpaper would be the way to go. After some searching, I came across this beautiful wallpaper and knew it was the one! I love the depth of the print, it almost looks three dimensional and so dynamic.

Next, I had to pick the color for the wall trim I planned on adding to the bottom third of the walls. The ceilings in this room are 9′ tall, and breaking up that hight would adding a cozy, welcoming vibe to the room. I’ve used Farrow and Ball Lamproom Gray before in our living room built-ins, and loved the color. It went really well with some of the softer gray tones in the wallpaper, so that was a match for me.

Finally, it was time to pick all the fun finishes: a new faucet, a mirror, vanity light and window blinds. In the back of my mind, I was still concerned about the busy pattern of the granite of the vanity countertop, but these colors pull it all together. I love this mix of metals! Matte black and shiny bronze finish help add interest and keep the eye moving from one detail to the next. The brass brings out the warmer tones of the wallpaper, while the black finishes keep it clean and modern.

As soon as I saw this wallpaper up, I knew it was the right way to go! I mean, look at that pattern!!!

After the wallpaper was installed, I added the crown molding and the wood paneling all around the room. I made a decision not to remove the baseboards in this room, and used this baseboard trick to make the transition to the wood paneling smooth and less obvious.

Next, I replaced the old dated light fixture with this pretty new vanity light. The bronze finish really softens the look and plays off the wallpaper print.

The rest of the process was just like putting the puzzle pieces together. I replaced the polished nickel faucet with a matte black one that worked better with the existing countertop. While I was at it, I replaced the cabinet knobs as well. I think matte black adds just the right amount of contrast and interest, and that’s exactly what was missing in this room before. I swapped the ornate mirror for a simpler, more organic look, in bronze finish to coordinate with the new light fixture. Then I added some vintage-inspired art, greenery and sweet finishing touches, and just like that, we had a brand new powder room!

This framed picture was a lucky HomeGoods find, and look at how perfectly it complements the print of the wallpaper and the bronze finishes throughout the room!

The finishing touches, like this sweet towel hook, the woven window shade and the fresh greenery make this room so inviting! That traditional feeling of the wallpaper and the bronze details is balanced perfectly with the more modern feel of matte black accents and clean lines of the wood paneling.

I love how this room turned out, it’s an upgrade from the old mud-colored walls and matchy builder-grade finishes. It has character and interest, flows so well with the rest of the house and no longer feels like an afterthought!