Powder Room Transformation
/Our powder room has seen a few refreshes and updates over the years, but during the last few weeks it got its biggest transformation yet! In anticipation of Jack’s graduation party (and now a big move!) I knew I wanted to get this bathroom buttoned up and looking good for guests. Powder rooms are such a great opportunity to really think outside the box design-wise and step outside your style wheelhouse. They’re small enough that wall treatments, paint, and decor aren’t going to completely break the bank (especially if later on you decide you want to go a different direction) so you might as well live it up and have fun!
One of the best tips I have for transforming flexible spaces like a powder room that can get changed constantly, is temporary wallpaper. I was turned off of the idea of permanent, pain-in-the-butt to remove wallpaper, but then I discovered Tempaper and all of my wallpaper worries melted away. They make high quality peel and stick wallpaper in endless colors and patterns, that is totally renter and DIY friendly. If you’re someone like me that likes to change things up consistently or maybe has commitment issues with big design decisions, this stuff is for you. You just peel it off, stick it right up on the wall, and remove it whenever your heart desires!
I ended up deciding on Bohemia in Saffron Sun to really brighten up our powder room. I love that its neutral enough to coordinate with the rest of the house but also gives a little pop of color and playful pattern to surprise guests when they open the door. It has the appearance of being watercolored straight onto the walls which is typical of more expensive traditional wallpapers. It gives it a very fluid, dreamy look. I would suggest overestimating the amount you may need so you can really play around with matching up the pattern and how it covers the wall!
As I was installing the wallpaper, I could tell the plank ceiling was going to give me a hard time getting a seamless look at the top. I ended up adding crown moulding to hide any imperfections or gaps and painted it to match the board and batten below. If you have any kind of wall or ceiling treatments that may interfere with your wallpaper plans, I suggest adding some type of trim or molding to conceal any overlap. I’m really happy with how it turned out!
Next I came home with a few Behr paint swatches to find a coordinating color for the board and batten. I wanted to repeat a color from the Tempaper design but also find something that would play nicely with the ceiling (which is just stripped plywood stained with Early American). I decided on Rodeo Tan by Behr.
Brass just felt like the right move for an accent, so I swapped out the cabinet hardware for these brushed brass pulls from Amazon - less than $2 a piece! I also installed a new antique brass faucet for just over $50 that is way too cute for its own good. Amazon really pulled through for this powder room…I even added a fancy leather tissue box cover just to make those daily essentials a little less unsightly. The vintage paintings help tie in my love for antiques and thrifted treasures, and are an easy way to elevate a space on a budget.
I also decided a new vanity light in here was a must. I picked out this one from Maxim Lighting for its simplicity and little bit of a modern edge. The tubular lights are fun, powder rooms are fun, so why the heck not? The black finish helps balance out all the brass in the room and coordinates with the dark vanity. It gives off great light and helps brighten the space which is everything I wanted!
Overall I am so happy with how this little powder room transformation turned out. The temporary wallpaper was a huge win and made all of the other decisions and details fall into place. Now its ready for ALL the guests - and a new homeowner!
