In primary bathrooms, homeowners usually want a serene, spa-like space that helps them feel more relaxed while getting ready for a busy day – or coming home from one. For their powder rooms, clients usually want to do a 180, and designers are always willing and able to turn up the volume.
“The powder room is a total wow factor space – it’s that one piece of eccentric jewelry you love to wear,” said Sharon Sherman, CKD, owner of Thyme and Place Design in Wyckoff, N.J. “It does not get a ton of traffic, but it is like the feature article in an overall story.”
Ellen Eilers, senior project designer for Lucas-Eilers Design Associates LLP in Houston, says clients typically go bolder in a powder room because it is not the bathroom they most frequent. They almost always show it to their guests, which gives them a chance to show more personality, but can close the door when it’s not in use.
“It’s one of those rooms that doesn’t really belong to anyone, so it can be more precocious than a regular bathroom,” said NYC-based architect and designer Ghislaine Viñas. “It’s the perfect place to be overly dramatic and add a bold gesture to a common space in the home.”
