Photos by Tara Scherling, Hillary Ehlen
A master bathroom with heated flooring and a stand-alone tub is a luxurious attraction for a homeowner to enjoy. However, most guests typically don’t get to experience the delight of such a space and, instead, use a powder bathroom off the main room. During gatherings, powder bathrooms are a place for guests to take a break, refresh and momentarily recharge. To the homeowner, they might not initially seem like a design priority, but your powder bathroom can be reimagined as the most hospitable part of the home. After all, don’t your guests deserve the best?
Because of, rather than in spite of, the limited space of a powder bathroom gives homeowners the prime opportunity to boldly showcase their taste and personality. The small square footage of a powder room allows for statement flooring or wall-coverings that might be too overwhelming or pricey for a larger room in the house.
Interior expert Christen Anderson of Christen Joy took on two powder room refreshes and one new construction that prove that even these small spaces matter. In these three half-bath projects, Christen Joy showcases the beauty in the details and embraces making a statement. Since these spaces are often highly trafficked rooms, she treated them with the same attention to detail as any other room of the house. With limited space to work with, Christen Joy turned these powder rooms into perfectly accessorized and luxurious destinations.
A Field of Dreams Powder Bathroom
After having Christen Joy assist with flooring a few years ago, the DeJong’s were ready to refresh their powder room with her help. Christen Joy got to take the reigns on this project and put together a functional space that was stylish but not overbearing.
What was once a beige and white room became a welcoming blue that paired with the new flooring impeccably. When decorating the blank walls, it wouldn’t be a Christen Joy project without the addition of abstract art to tie it all together. In this project, they found the perfect piece that complimented the new paint while evoking the feel of North Dakota’s own prairie fields.
Above the toilet is a chic bundle of lavender hanging in the wall in a tin, farmhouse-inspired container. Add in a custom-framed mirror, new lighting, fresh linens and appropriate accessories and this powder bath is ready for guests.
Redecorating bathrooms isn’t all about paint colors and finishes. Christen Joy replaced the original toilet with a comfort-height toilet, making for a more pleasant experience for older guests. This new toilet also has more square edges, rather than rounded ones, complimenting the new rectangular vanity, mirror and other geometric elements. Keeping to a singular shape story (geometric rather than organic or rounded) ensures a higher-end and less busy feel for the small room.
Another priority was replacing the existing pedestal sink with a larger, quartz-topped vanity. Now, the small space has extra room for storing toiletries and cleaning supplies —with style. With the additional space beneath the sink also came more counter space for soap and a pop of greenery, or other seasonal decor.
The “Current” Wallpapered Bathroom
Some powder bathrooms are purely utilitarian and others are statements of their own. This bathroom in the Johnson home is the latter. Christen Joy got to flex her vibrant and creative side on this high-impact project, providing the homeowners with a powder bathroom that cannot be overlooked.
Instead of a sole piece of artwork hanging on the blank wall, Christen Joy opted to transform a whole wall into a piece of art with accent wallpaper. She was set on using this dark teal wallpaper with a current-like movement pattern that left a dramatic feel for the focal point of the room. As to not be too overwhelming in the small room, this dramatic wallpaper is only used on one wall, while the others are painted a complimentary dark teal.
All the finishes in the room, including the toilet handle, faucet, toilet paper holder, towel rack and trash bin, were thoughtfully executed in warm brass. As chrome is a popular bathroom finish, this veering from the norm with gold-toned finishings makes for a special statement. Matching the hardware is a brass globe vanity light that parallels the organic shapes from the wallpaper. The final addition of a large, walnut mirror adds more warm tones and makes any guest feel right at home.
The Noteworthy Powder Bathroom
As we’ve learned from many other Christen Joy projects, wallcoverings are a simple way to personalize a space with impact. The powder bathroom in this new home uses this Noteworthy Wallpaper from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines as a subtle and sophisticated take on wallpaper. This particular wallcovering is unique thanks to the raised, handwritten Latin script. The textured lettering implies a handcrafted nature with a blend of homespun and luxury.
White wainscotting anchors the space, ensuring that the wallcovering isn’t too busy for the room. Since the existing space was long and narrow, a pedestal sink kept the space light and airy, where a solid vanity might have weighed it down too much. A singular globe pendant light adds just the right amount of modernity to the otherwise very classic space.
Eucalyptus stems in a glass vase atop the toilet add a quiet touch of color to contrast with the grey and white throughout. Overall, the finished product is a serene space, ideal for guests to have a quiet break to themselves.
