The Essential Powder Room

Interior designer Mark Cutler's guide to gettin your guest bathroom in order and in-style

Written by Mark Cutler

One of the guilty pleasures of visiting anyone's homes is a trip to the Powder Room. There, we get a quick glimpse of the homeowner's taste and refinement. To help you create the ultimate Powder Room, I've compiled the following tips.

• Eliminate
  • Grooming products. This isn't the place to have personal grooming products on the counter. Get rid of brushes, toothpaste, and certainly any medications.
  • Dirt and grime. Is the sink a little dirty? The floor in need of a good scrubbing? Get cleaning.
  • Wear and Tear. Does the paint need a touch up? Are the cabinets scratched or in need of a new coat of stain? I find that taking a few snapshots can really help since it's a totally objective way of seeing the room.
  • Rug. No rug around the toilet. It's not good from a hygiene—or aesthetic—perspective.
    
    
• Backgrounds
  • Color. Do the walls need a new color? Here's your chance to gussy it up a bit. With the right lighting, deep color in a Powder Room. can be incredibly flattering and dramatic. In the image above you can see I opted for black with gold accents, creating a terrific counterpoint to the rest of the mostly white house.
  • Paint. Consider high gloss paint since it will make the room sparkle.
  • Artwork. The Powder Room is a great spot for collections of smaller pieces. I'm not a huge fan of large format pieces since I feel it overwhelms the small space. I'd rather see groupings of smaller, more intimate objects. A theme works well here, perhaps a focus on a particular flower or seascapes or portraits of different styles. One of my favorite Powder Rooms was done by a friend who collected small portrait paintings of women. The portrait styles ranged from traditional to modern, but as a grouping, they had tremendous impact.
    
    
• Countertop Display
  • Keep it simple. A small floral arrangement or plant, some liquid soap (not in the store-bought package, but in a stylish dispenser you've selected), some paper towels (I like the heavy weight ones) and a scented candle.
  • It's as simple as that. No family pictures in silver frames, no cutesy soaps, just clean and straightforward.

• Favorite Items
• Liquid Soaps:
  • Molton Brown - I like the White Mulberry (moltonbrown.com)
  • Kiehls - I am a fan of the Grapefruit (kiehls.com)
  • Body Shop - The vanilla Spice is a nice one to try too (thebodyshop.com)
• Paper Towels
  • I like the ones with the look and feel of real linen (mypapershop.com)
  
  
  

Mark Cutler
Interior Designer,
MarkCutlerDesign.com

MORE DECORATING ARTICLES