Ok, let‘s talk about the toilet. Or rather, the room the toilet is located in. In America this is very charmingly referred to as the powder room, in the UK the loo and in Austria – not so charmingly – as the Häusl. I’ll stick to the powder room as it infers the image of a beautifully clad lady powdering her nose (this fantasy comes with charming 50s decor and beautiful lighting). Now here in Austria the powder room is often an afterthought that was literally added to hundred years old apartments AFTER plumbing became widely available to the public. This means this room often sports very high ceilings, very low temperatures (whatever do you need heating for when you are sitting on a toilet – completely overrated) and lots of interesting tile choices. In newer buildings this room is mostly just tiny and so so WHITE. Oh and some sport the beautiful floor to ceiling tile look that I personally like to call the slaughterhouse style….
After creating that mental image in your heads (I apologize!) let me fill it up with pretty things instead. Because in my opinion the powder room is one of the rooms in a home where you can have the most fun in (apart from the bedroom of course – and I’m talking about design here, get your minds out of the gutter!). You can go a bit crazy with color, texture and pattern as this is a room you don’t spend that much time in – so you won’t tire of it as fast as in a highly frequented space. Here are some ideas for the powder room that I absolutely LOVE:
1. Get Rid of The White and Go For Some Color
The argument for allover white is usually that it makes a small (tiny) room look bigger – which I call bullshit on! You can make a small room look bigger by adding mirrors and smart lighting and visual interest. Leaving it all white just makes it a small room that happens to be white….To me, color is a great way to add instant character to a powder room without breaking the bank. If you have neutral tiles you can add pretty much any color you love. So go bold with pink or blue or even green!
2. Go Over To The Dark Side
Going dark and adding some art makes your powder room an instant attraction. I was once invited to dinner where the walls of the powder room were painted dark and there were dozens of framed (!) cartoon strips on the walls. It looked fantastic and I spent way more time in there than I intended to (and I came out with a big grin on my face)!
3. Take A Walk On The Wild Side
Animal wallpaper is all over the place right now. You can see zebras hopping, giraffes grazing and monkeys peeking out from behind leaves. I would add that to my powderroom in a heartbeat (sadly I don‘t have one so I must live vicariously through others).
4. Add Some Pattern
Use a simple graphic wallpaper in black and white and add a great mirror and lighting. It will make your powderroom instantly more attractive – I promise! I love these three examples. Simple, yet stylish at the same time.
5. Flower Power Forever!
I‘m a girl that – as my husband can attest – Ioves everything floral. Including, but not limited to, wallpaper that is blooming. My husband might start sweating when looking at these images but I think if it fits the style of the property a powder room with flowers in full bloom all over the wall is a fantastic idea!
So now the question is which of these beautiful options you prefer for your personal powder room? Let me know in the comments! Just promise me that you will be adventurous and try something new instead of sticking to the boring white. After all, being adventurous is what a small room is all about!
If you need help with the design of your powder room then have a look at our E-Design Service. I´d love to help you out!
