In your entire house, there is one room that has no boundaries with decor. You can flex those design muscles and go to town with color, prints, glamour and more. Nope, this isn’t the grand foyer or your master bedroom.  By all accounts, this is the smallest place in your house — the Powder Bath.  Also known as a “1/2 bath”, the powder bath is defined by having simply a toilet and sink.  You are not going in here for conversation. But why not enjoy the view while powdering your nose?  Giving a common sense approach on how to create the perfect powder bath, R.Higgins Interiors walks us through their steps on designing this small but mighty spot.

BACKGROUND: Roger Higgins and Ann Shipp opened the doors of R. Higgins Interiors in 1994 after meeting at O’More College of Design. The partners describe their relationship as each of them being “half of a bowling ball” which couldn’t be more appropriate. Without the combination of Roger’s creative enthusiasm and Ann’s resourceful ingenuity, the company would not be able to land a perfect strike as they do with each project they face. The pair keep one thing in mind when working and that is always the client. They believe the most significant element in the process of creating a home is the people who live in it, and it is with that philosophy in which their endless inspiration stems.

Thank you Interior Canvas!

Now, excuse me, may I use your… POWDER ROOM?

The Powder Room is easily one of our favorite spaces to design in a home. Why, you ask? Because it’s a space that is easily enhanced  with a little more drama without demanding a lot of the fuss. More often than not they are the size of a shoebox, but from now on let’s think more Hermes, less Nike. Powder Rooms don’t have to be quite so practical-in fact we recommend going the opposite direction when designing your space. Being that you don’t usually have a massive room to work in, this is the time to splurge!

Have we convinced you yet that this little room deserves more attention than it normally gets?

Allow us to start the visual presentation…

Our first space combines all of the elements that we feel make up the quintessential interesting Powder Room.

Extravagant Walls: Check.  Striking Mirror: Check. Contrasting Elements: Check.  Lighting: Check!

Let us break them all down for you.

Let’s talk about WALLS: We’ve already mentioned the advantage of distinctive wallpaper in this space, but we’re not sure you understand how much of an impact it makes. Find a textile that makes a statement, you will feel much better about rationalizing five rolls of an expensive European wallpaper, then you would if you spent the same amount of money covering a chair in Fortuny. Why? Because people will notice it more! Trust us- it’s worth every penny. Take a look…

Let’s talk about MIRRORS: Typically in this small of a space, a skinnier, vertical mirror is ideal. If you have tall ceilings, go as high as you can. Again, we’re thinking dramatic. If you find a shape you like, but want to enhance its height even more- try hanging it from ribbon. Disclaimer: This should only be done with fairly lightweight mirrors.

Let’s talk about BALANCE: The space above and below both have hand-painted wallpaper and while the walls are quite fancy, the unfinished wood vanities are able to tone them down. Not everything in a single room should be lavish one-of-a-kinds, it would be too much. Just the same, it shouldn’t all be flea market goods, then it would be too little. Offering a balance of your high-end pieces with your cheap steals is more exciting and ultimately creates an inviting space.

Speaking of BALANCE, let’s talk about HARDWARE: We can’t stress it enough… it doesn’t all need to match! It’s often more interesting to see how two different styles complement one another. The hardware below belongs to the Powder Room we showed you. While most people wouldn’t expect it, the traditional faucet looks great with the contemporary flower knobs.

Let’s talk about LIGHTING: We are always going to recommend multiple sources of lighting for a space, which will allow you to create the ambience you are looking for. In Powder rooms, we suggest a small-scale chandelier and a set of sconces. Keep the wattage low- after all, you aren’t performing surgery in here! When you can, buy old fixtures to give the room a feeling of age and character. We love the chandelier below which is an antique originally from a Catholic school in Mexico.

These two spaces are full of personality and suit the charismatic clients who own them perfectly. We adore the charming French wallpaper above that plays off the client’s love for gardening, while the bright floral covering below is sure to brighten any visitor’s mood. Both rooms don’t end their playful aesthetic with the walls, they both contain fun accessories and saturated hues to bring life to their space which is always encouraged!

Let’s talk about VANITIES: One of our favorite things to do is think outside of the box when it comes to vanities. If the client prefers to not have a built-in, we tend to look for an architectural piece that could become a vanity rather than use an ordinary freestanding one. Below, the vanity was made from an old fluted column that we had cut down into several pieces.

This vanity was made from an old reclaimed tree trunk which is very appropriate for this active family’s home. Creating a custom vanity is much more personal and impressive than settling for a generic piece, contact us if you are looking to create one – we’re positive we can build one to fit any personality.

And finally, here are a few of our essentials plus a few suggestions to creating a dramatic Powder Room…

Remember you can make this room an experience for your visitors, so be bold and allow your style to show!

Hope you enjoyed our post. Thanks, Interior Canvas!

 R. Higgins Interiors

2000 Blair Boulevard 

Nashville, TN 37212

(615) 297-9632

www.rhigginsinteriors.com

http://rhigginsblog.blogspot.com/ 

www.facebook.com/RHigginsInteriors

 

(Photos: Image 1: www.Vintageandchicblog.com; All other photos courtesy of R. Higgins Interiors)

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