Powder rooms are a convenience many of us wish we had in our homes. After all, not having guests use your personal facilities is certainly preferable. While powder rooms are often an afterthought to many, they present an opportunity to make a big design impact. Whether you are building a home or renovating your current one, here are six powder room trends to consider.
Wallpaper
Although many people still think of wallpaper as a trend from the 1980s and 1990s, it is actually one of the most design-forward trends right now. While wallpaper is a great way to make a dining room or bedroom look unique, it’s also ideal for decorating a powder room. Take the powder room in this luxurious Upper West Side co-op apartment, for example. The bold red monkey print wallpaper gives the space a true transformation and a fun yet sophisticated vibe.
Using wallpaper in a powder room is a way to make a bold design choice or take a risk without major consequences. Because you can close the door, it doesn’t necessarily need to flow perfectly with the rest of the home.
You might want to consider using peel and stick wallpaper if you like the look but are hesitant to do anything more permanent. It’s a great DIY project you can complete on the weekend.
Vibrant wallpaper stands out in the powder room of this luxurious co-op on West 84th Street in Manhattan. (Warburg Realty)
Wall Murals
Wall murals are a graphic type of wallpaper that resembles a piece of art or painting as opposed to featuring a repeating pattern. The wall mural in the powder room inside this 740 Park Avenue residence is one interesting example of this usage. The dreamy pastoral image is something not typically found in New York City apartments. Just keep in mind that most wall murals will only work in larger powder rooms.
The wall mural in the powder room at 740 Park Avenue lends a dreamy pastoral note to the space. (Warburg Realty)
Bold Paint Choices
Not into a wallpaper? Why not consider painting your powder room walls a bold color? Opt for an unexpected paint color as an alternative to wallpaper. The red powder room in this beautiful San Diego condominium, for example, has a deep, limewash finish, giving texture to the wall.
However, limewash is by no means the only choice out there when it comes to textured paint options. Roman clay and metal style finishes are also readily available.
Or you may even want to consider simply choosing a darker shade of traditional semi-gloss or satin finish paint such as hunter green or a light hue such as pink or even violet in your powder room.
In addition to a crimson-red hue, the limestone finish in this San Diego penthouse’s powder room gives the room a textured look. (Willis Allen Real Estate)
Fluted Vanities
Fluting has been one of the biggest design trends of 2021. It’s a great way to add warmth to kitchen islands and bathroom vanities. The fluted vanity base in this impeccably renovated five-bedroom apartment at 1000 Park Avenue gives the powder room an up-to-the-moment quality. The color of the wood stunningly coordinates with the red veining in the marble. It also enhances the round shape of the vanity while providing visual contrast with the sharp angles of the square mirror above. Without the fluting around the sink, this bathroom would have a far more modern and potentially stark feel.
Among the biggest design trends of 2021 is the fluted vanity. In this Park Avenue apartment, the vanity’s wood is coordinated with red veining marble. (Warburg Realty)
Sconces
Sconces add style and light to any bathroom, but they are particularly suited to powder rooms. They’re also a great alternative to standard and dated vanity lighting.
The gold sconces in this condo at 9255 Doheny Road perfectly coordinate with the rest of the hardware in the bathroom, including the faucet and toilet paper holder. The fixtures pop against the dark veins of the marble. There are so many different types of sconces available that you can easily find any style in a range of prices and sizes.
Rose gold scones inside this Doheny Road condominium in Los Angeles are coordinated with the other hardware, faucet and other accessories. (Hilton & Hyland)
Three-Quarter Bathrooms
While not technically a powder roo trend, three-quarters bathrooms—bathrooms with a toilet, sink, and shower—are often a better use of space than a powder room. The term three-quarter bathroom comes from the fact that many refer to powder rooms as “half bathrooms.”
If you are renovating a larger powder room, it may be worth adding a smaller shower or shower stall. This may even increase property value. The three-quarter bathroom at this 1 West 67th Street duplex, formerly owned by pop artist Leroy Neiman, is a great example of this. While the square footage isn’t generous, the small sink and floating toilet allow for enough room for an average-sized shower.
Adding a small shower to a powder room, like the one seen in LeRoy Neiman’s former Manhattan home, provides flexibility and, potentially, added value to the property. (Warburg Realty)
