POWDER ROOM REMODELING TIPS

by Karen Crorey, ASID
K C Interiors, Inc.

Does your home need a face lift or are you just ready for a change? Not sure where to begin? Consider the powder room as a starting point, its’ overall square footage (walls, ceiling and floor) is relatively small in comparison to other rooms in your house, allowing you to splurge a little on the components being incorporated. Adding at least one “wow” to your powder room will create personality for the space.

DEVELOPING A PLAN
When designing the powder room, be sure to ask yourself these questions and incorporate the answers into your plan:

• Who will be using the space?
• How durable do the surfaces need to be?
• What is the overall look you want to achieve?
• What is your budget?

In addition to these questions, be sure to consider your homes overall look or style and be sure to stay consistent with the architectural integrity. If your home is designed in classic 18th century, you should not design a nautical themed powder room – leave that for the kid’s bath in a more private area of your home.

FINDING A “WOW” THAT WORKS FOR YOU
Dramatic changes can take place even when you’re working with a budget of under $500. Combine some of these ideas to make your budget work for you:

Faux paint the walls and ceiling
Add a stencil or patterned wallpaper (in the proper scale) on the ceiling.
The final result can be fabulous and will add a surprise for those guests that look up. The ceiling is not a lot of square feet, so you can go a little more expensive on the finish.

Change the accessories
This can dramatically change the feel and mood of the space.

Look to your cabinet handles and knobs
Just as the perfect necklace can dress up or down your outfit, details like these make all the difference.

Be creative with your presentation of hand towels
Place them in an étagère, a bird bath or a sculpture. If space is more limited, a beautiful decorative box on the counter, filled with hand towels, will add a nice touch.

Modify your mirror
If you currently have a basic, builder slab mirror over the vanity, change it to a beautifully framed, wall hung mirror for a warmer, more sophisticated look.

Furniture styled vanity
If your budget permits you to make more major changes, you may want to consider the hottest trend in bathroom remodels – furniture styled vanities. Many furniture manufacturers now offer a variety of vanity chests with styles ranging from sleek minimalism to hand-painted country French. The price has come down considerably on these pieces in the past few years with prices ranging from $500 - $4,000 and, many of these are already fitted with the countertop, sink and faucets. Another alternative are semi-custom bath cabinet manufacturers, who offer legs and ornamental details which can achieve the look of a furniture type chest piece.

Today, there are also a variety of spectacular sinks, faucets, countertops and lighting designs on the market. Faucets offer wall, countertop and sink mounting options. (If you like the wall-mounted look, keep in mind the re-plumbing labor costs that will be involved). Vessel sinks (which sit mainly above the countertop) are an interesting way to have your powder room stand out from others. They are available in stone, metal and ceramic. Changing your lighting source will have an enormous effect in the space as well. Use of shaded or colored glass wall sconces on each side of the mirror will give a softer, warmer light than a chrome light strip with exposed bulbs (very popular in the 80’s).

To view a bio and additional work samples from Karen Crorey, click here