20 Ways to Give Your Powder Room the Ultimate Makeover (2024)

Create a Gallery

There's no better way to maximize your wall space than creating a gallery wall—and while the powder room isn't the most common of gallery-style displays, it's certainly not the place to sleep on the trend.

An entire composition made of cohesive frames can make a half bath look spacious and expensive. We especially love the use of mirrors to give the illusion of more space in this small washroom.

Go for Maximalist Minimalism

At first glance, this seemingly muted powder room looks simple and clean. But upon further inspection, this visual stunner of a bathroom incorporates various design elements you usually see in maximalist spaces, i.e., the wallpaper print and brass fixtures. However, the achromatic color palette allows those special touches to shine without looking too overwhelming to those who like things streamlined.

Monochrome Montage

An extended color palette is fabulous, always, but there's nothing that catches your attention like a floor-to-ceiling monochromatic paint job. In a lot of ways, incorporating a single hue feels a million times cooler, especially a rich tone like this forest green.

Make It Bold and Beautiful

When it comes to overhauling your powder room, there's no design choice too big for this particularly small space. Think outside the box and go with décor that may feel too risky in the larger rooms of your home.

Get In Shape

With small spaces, even the tiniest of details are on display. We love how this powder room incorporates cohesive geometric shapes throughout the design. Take note of how the square shape of the vanity pairs with the squares on this wallpaper print, while the round mirror complements the moon formations.

Embrace the Finest Things

It's pretty amazing what some molding, metallic accents, and a deep, opulent shade of navy paint can do. You can transform even the tiniest, simplest powder rooms into one worthy of a palace with the right touches.

Bigger Doesn't Mean Better

When it comes to creating the bathroom vanity of your dreams, don't get caught up on the square footage. Bigger doesn't always mean better. Case in point: this small powder room vanity that boasts big-time style, from the classic wainscoting and vintage light fixture to the marble sink and gorgeous wallpaper.

Find Your Angles

Unconventional spaces can be intimidating, but rather than work around unwieldy lines, make those awkward angles work for you. If you're working with an awkward nook or an odd-shaped bathroom (as most powder rooms tend to be), do yourself a favor and embrace it.

Accentuate it with bold wallpaper and play up the angles with equally angular pieces like a hexagon vanity mirror and pyramid-shaped sconce.

Keep Things Looking Up

No matter what room you're decorating, a general interior design rule of thumb is to incorporate pieces to draw the eye up. Doing so elongates the room, giving the illusion of taller ceilings and a bigger space. This bathroom aces the test with a tall mirror positioned above the bathroom sink.

Keep It Sleek

Designing a powder room requires a certain amount of push and pull. You want it to look beautiful, but it also has to be practical. Since this half bath already lacks areas to hide your overflowing stash of toiletries, never underestimate the space-saving solution of the age-old medicine cabinet. Stock up on your favorite products while maintaining a sleek and clean look in your small space.

Maintain Shelf Esteem

Whether you need extra storage or just looking to add character to a bland bathroom, the addition of shelves gives the illusion of a bigger space. Who doesn't want their powder room to look bigger? Style them with your prettiest products and hide less attractive essentials in canisters for a chic and functional storage solution.

Go Team Texture

Any inviting space boasts a variety of textural elements. From the grasscloth wallpaper and wicker lampshade to softer fibers via hand towels and a rug, the textures in this washroom add a homey feel often seen in larger spaces.

And yes, you definitely want your powder room to feel inviting. Play with a cohesive color palette to avoid making your small bathroom look cluttered.

Pin the Pendant On the Powder Room

Lighting is the backbone of every room, but it's not often you see a pendant light hanging from a bathroom ceiling. While chandeliers and hanging lights are usually reserved for more-spacious areas, installing one in your powder room will make it feel glamorous but, more importantly, much bigger in a snap.

Remember Quality Over Quantity

Let's get real: it doesn't matter how small a space is—if it's gorgeous, nobody will miss a few extra feet of square footage. This art-deco-meets-boho bathroom doesn't skimp on an ounce of style with muted shades, geometric shapes, natural fiber additions, wallpaper, and a contrasting tile accent wall. And the best part is it's pretty enough to outdo even some of the most sprawling bathroom setups.

Take The Floor

You don't have a ton of floor space in your tiny bathroom, so the little bit that you do have better look extra good. A gorgeous tile install will instantly elevate the feel of your entire space. And the best part is you're working with less square footage, so it won't cost you a fortune to overhaul your floors.

Stay On the Hook

Keeping a high-traffic powder room tidy does a lot more than keep you organized. The more solutions you use to keep items off the floor and countertops, the less cluttered and bigger the space will look. Wall hooks act as a catchall for towels, accessories, robes, and much more.

Establish Neutral Ground

A light and airy color palette will instantly brighten and visually widen even the smallest of spaces. Go with a color palette of white, taupe, and gray shades and incorporate natural surfaces like wood and slate for an open feel.

Favor Open Concept

If storage isn't a priority for you, opt for a pedestal sink over bulky vanity drawers. Leaving the space under your sink open will visually expand your square footage making your floor look more open and your space look wider.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Dark colors have a reputation for being gloomy, moody, and claustrophobic. But actually, painting your walls black can open up your small space, making it feel larger, airier, and more open than you'd expect. Incorporate shiny surfaces and metallic patterns to bounce light around the room and make your powder room pop.

Go Bold from Wall to Wall

Don't let anyone tell you your bathroom is too tiny to handle a bold wallpaper print. Statement-making prints can look dizzying in a large space, but the smaller the bathroom, the bigger the impact. We love this coral-print powder room with a contrasting tile backsplash.