One of the most frequent queries I receive concerns the design of powder rooms. I suppose this space represents a cherished fantasy for many readers. And why not? A powder room is certainly a most welcome luxury.
Powder rooms are also ideal venues for stepping out of the ordinary. Since they're small, not a lot of money is needed to create a design more imaginative than the standard floral motif. A sense of humor, on the other hand, may be required if a powder room is to take on a truly imaginative look.
But no matter how playful the design, functional factors must be given their due. That's one reason why I generally restrict surfacing materials to basic and manageable choices such as wallpaper, tile, marble and mirrors.
As is the case with restrooms in even some of the best restaurants, proper lighting is a rarity in residential powder rooms. I don't understand that at all. Adequate overhead lighting will illuminate the entire room, but for nose-powdering purposes, bracket lights on both sides of the mirror are probably essential.
For the wall-covering, I prefer ceramic tile, especially a combination of decorative and plain. Besides producing a bright and shiny ambience, tiles are generally easier to maintain than wallpaper.
In the contemporary powder room shown in the photo, tile is used along with wood and metal to create an unusual design. The walls are covered in a plain white, oversized ceramic tile, accented by horizontal bands and a four-tile-wide, floor-to-ceiling panel. Yes, that "bookshelf" to the right is actually a reproduction of a colorful trompe l'oeil work by the Italian artist Fornasetti. The pieces themselves are manufactured by Bardelli, an Italian maker of ceramics.
Contrasting with the walls are the bleached wooden floor planking and the chrome-and-glass sink table, which makes a very modern and functional statement.
Should space allow, it's good to include a small table for a purse as well as a coat hook. Other than that, the job is complete. Remember, most powder rooms are not to be confused with bathing environments in which one can luxuriate for hours on end.