If you’re looking for some powder room design ideas, we’ve got 7 tips that will help make this room a hit with all of your guests. Because outside of your living spaces, your powder room is probably the most popular room in your home with visitors according to interior stylist and award-winning podcast host Lauren Keenan.

And in this episode of At Home with Lauren Keenan we’ve got 7 amazing powder room design ideas for your next renovation or to help you improve the powder room you’ve already got. Listen now to our interior design podcast or read on for our top 7 tips.

1. Your powder room really matters 

Your powder room shouldn’t be an afterthought and should definitely feel like part of the house, even if it is the smallest room.

Remember, other than your living areas, it’s likely to be the room most visited by guests. So consider your powder room design ideas carefully and make it a good one!

2. Keep your powder room connected to the rest of your home

There are a few ways that you can achieve a seamless feel across all of the rooms in your home. And your powder room should be no different. It’s small, but it needs to be connected to the rest of your home. 

Consider a similar scheme to the other bathrooms in your home for your powder room. It could be through colours and hardware selections. Or consider using the same type of basin as your main bathroom but in a more petite size. 

Colour palettes should be integrated with nearby rooms if possible so they don’t clash. But I do think the powder room is a good place to have a bit of fun with colour, especially when it is on a small scale. 

And if you’re planning a renovation or a new build, try to position the room so the door doesn’t just pop out in the middle of a wall awkwardly. There should be a nice flow between rooms and people using the powder room should feel like they have some privacy.

3. Set the room layout first

The layout of the room will usually be pretty simple. It should only house the essentials like a toilet, handbasin, a handrail for a hand towel and possibly a little bit of storage. 

But it is important to get the layout of your powder room right. And it is the key consideration before you start thinking about fittings and finishes. The space is often tight and there are a few things you can do to improve accessibility.

The size of and shape of the hand basin and vanity is a factor. But choosing the right door is the main thing to make sure you have a functional space. If the door opens into the room, make sure you can move around the space easily and that it doesn’t open onto the hand basin.

An alternative if you are tight for space is a cavity sliding door or a barn-style door. That means there will be less precious floor space taken up by the door.

4. Resist the urge to add too much storage

The best approach for storage in a powder room is less rather than more. You want just enough to store essential items such as toilet paper and hand soap. 

A mounted shaving cabinet might seem like a good idea, but it’s another item in an already small room. Instead consider losing the storage altogether and keeping toiletry items in a nearby linen cupboard. And an oversized vanity will only make the room feel cluttered and heavy so choose carefully.

5. Use mirrors to create space 

Powder rooms are small spaces, obviously. They’re meant to be functional. But make sure to include a mirror in your powder room. 

Hanging a mirror above the basin offers great functionally but will also help bounce light around the room and make it feel a lot bigger. Look out for oval or round options to help break up all the straight lines.

6. Have fun with the design and colour

Because we’re talking about a small room, any statement finishes you choose to include will  add just the right amount of zing! 

Some more powder room ideas that will help your room pop include paint colours, tile choices and even graphic wallpaper. The powder room is the perfect space to be very bold. And we say the only rule when it comes to wallpaper and paint would be to do all the walls. We don’t need a ‘feature wall’ in a powder room – so go big or go home!

In this episode of the podcast At Home with Lauren Keenan, we spoke about specific choices you could make when it comes to tiles. These included Moroccan zellige tiles, which feel very soft and luxe as they are usually handmade and glossy with subtle colour variations in each tile. A patterned floor tile is another option. 

“Keep it very simple across the room and then go for a really bold floor tile. Think something quite Spanish looking or Mediterranean inspired. Go black and white for something classic, or consider blue and white which looks amazing too and has a really playful vibe,” Lauren said.   

And our last powder room design idea is to do away with tiles completely on the walls. They’re not essential for practical purposes like in the bathroom. But you might like to create a splashback behind the basin using marble or engineered stone. It is a really clean look and you can opt for something quite expensive and luxurious because it’s a small area.

7. Lighting is essential in powder room design

Powder rooms have an important function, but your guests will also want to be able to check their hair and makeup before they come back to the party. So lighting in your powder room is really important, just like in your bathroom. Make sure to consider light from the mirror or near it with sconces for the critical tasks in the room.

More about our podcast At Home with Lauren Keenan

Our award-winning interior design podcast, hosted by Sydney interior stylist Lauren Keenan, is now in its sixth year. Lauren and Producer Scott are working right through the Australian summer to bring you short, sharp and fun episodes with some useful advice on a single topic to help you create a home you love.  

Get in touch if you have a topic you want us to talk about on the show. Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. And subscribe in your favourite podcast app like Spotify or iHeartRadio so you never miss an episode. 

If you want Lauren to get started on a project in your home, email lauren@laurenkeenan.com.au. It could be building, renovating or just updating your favourite room. Find out more about the services we offer at Lauren Keenan Home and check out Lauren’s portfolio of work for some inspiration. And thanks for listening!