Hey everyone, I managed to snap a few shots yesterday of the upgrades to the downstairs powder room! Freshening this space was one of my Home Goals of 2012 and I’m loving the new look. This downstairs bathroom is just 3’ x 8’ but a few changes added some real drama to this space. Here’s how it looked two weeks ago:
Here’s how it looks today!
I added beadboard wallpaper last week, then painted the upper portion of the walls a deep mushroom gray. I also replaced the light fixture, the window shade, and the mirror with the one I mentioned with the winter mantel. This small powder room now feels much more sophisticated, dramatic, and modern!
I have no problem mixing metallic sheens, in fact I think it makes a space more layered and interesting. Although the glass shelf supports and the faucet are chrome, the mirror’s frame is an antique gold and I really love the medley!
Here’s an image of the other side before the changes. I reused the same Eiffel Tower and Montmartre prints I bought at a street faire in Paris in 1999, I still love them so much I just repainted the frames white to contrast with the new richer paint color. The golden tones in the woven shade also complement the natural wood floor.
So pretty right? And how about that crazy cool light fixture! I was looking for something unexpected and this modern petal orb fixture seemed just right (also much better than the icky florescent bug collector thing that was there before).
Here’s the source list:
Mirror: 31” Bellesol from Ballard Designs, on sale last year at $120
Glass Shelf: found at Pottery Barn ten years ago, similar versions here
Candle on shelf: Whole Foods (clearance)
Window shade:Levolor (cut to fit at Lowes) $42
Light fixture: Possini Ceiling Mount White Orb Flower $90, but you can find a similar pendant like this one at IKEA for less
Paint: ‘Seine’ by Valspar
Striped hand towels: Kohl’s (clearance)
Beadboard wallpaper: available here and here
* * * * *
I hope you love the changes as much as I do!
.
It looks great! Love the beadboard wallpaper!!!
LOVE this makeover. Simple yet sophisticated. The light fixture and mirror are swoon-worthy :)
The mirror is beast (sorry, that is the term in my house for the week…happens when you have 12 year old twins. btw…beast = completely awesome ;)
Love it all!
Trac
Wow, that is the prettiest 24 square feet I’ve seen, great job!!
It looks great, love the color! I’ve been wanting to try that wallpaper…maybe now!
Debbie
Oh la la! It looks great. Love the darker wall color.
The light fixture is really cool. Thanks for pointing it out because it caught my eye right away and I was like, “that is cool.” thanks for the post! Have a great Tuesday.. [email protected]
I do love it. I especially love the mirror and the new grey!
OMG I love this!! That paint color is perfect….I’ve been trying to find a darker color for our guest bathroom and this may be it! Thanks for the inspiration!
I love this bathroom…especially the light fixture. I am noticing the curtains as well, did you make these??
Looks great! I love the mix of metals and natural finishes.
Kate, your looking good! I love the rich color. Thanks again for the inspiration. Your amazing!
It looks sooooooo great! I am going to try the beadboard paper.
That wallpaper makes a huge impact! I had no idea they made beadboard wallpaper.
This looks so classy! I am so into gray these days, and am slowly weeding out the browns. I only wish I liked to paint because I would hire it out if it didn’t cost so darn much. I would much rather paper, which is something most people find harder to do.
I love that paint color, everything was put together so well. Thanks for sharing with us.
What a difference – the mirror is fantastic and the breadboard wallpaper too. I have the same light fixture waiting to be hung in my daughters room!
Kelly
It looks beautiful! I love the paint color and the mirror, and the beadboard makes such a huge impact! This looks great!
Oh my goodness! Your hanging light fixture? I did the EXACT same thing in my dining room! See: http://stopmeifyouveheardthisone.com/2011/12/11/a-little-light-augmentation/
Great minds.. :)
Your new powder room looks beautiful!! Loving that light fixture!
That looks really good. I was wondering if you would ever consider selling your old mirror. That would really match the style of my powder room. If not I would love to know where you had gotten it. Thanks.
Tracie
It looks fabulous! Subtle, stylish changes. I especially love the mirror and beadboard! Where did you get the towel holder from? I love that it swivels and holds two towels.
The mirror looks great in there! I love mixed metallics. I want to use that wallpaper in my powder bath too, but first I need to remove the paper the previous owners put up in there!
Gorgeous & inspiring, as always :)
love it. we are working on our downstairs bath right now, too. waiting on new flooring to complete the look!
Love the paint color! I might try it out in our bathroom makeover: http://wrighthouseaffairs.com/2011/10/27/be-afraid-be-very-afraid/ (of which phase 1 is starting this week!)
Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic updates! So fresh and light!
Kate absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Love all the changes! I’m really lovin’ that mushroom gray. You have inspired me to look at some mushroom gray’s for our Great Room now. I’ve been looking for a gray I love. This might just work….but it has to be something lighter, but since I love Valspar’s colors, I’m going to check some of them out. Thanks for the inspiration. Enjoy your newest project!!! :)
WOw.. the room looks so elegant and beautiful! Love the light fixture! I tagged you in a post on my blog today. Hope you can get a chance to check it out! http://lovelacefiles.blogspot.com/2012/01/tag-im-it.html
Absolutely beautiful. You did a wonderful job!
Wow, Kate!!
Great makeover- you are so talented! I absolutely love the mirror! What a spectacular focal point to the bathroom!!
I have been lusting after the mirrors at Ballards and Z gallerie for a while now….Maybe my hubby will get me one for Valentine’s Day??? A girl can hope!!!
I love the colour ‘Seine’ that you chose. Ironically it seems to closely match a colour I am blogging about in my 2012 Paint Colour Trend Series this week, ‘Compass’, in the Safari Escape pallette by Behr, which I am posting tomorrow.
Would love anyone to come by my blog to say hi!!!
Heather at settingforfour.blogspot.com
I love the new look of your Powder Room. I recently purchased some bead board wallpaper at Lowe’s. After you put up yours did you paint it or leave it alone? Mine says its paintable … just not sure if it will look ok if it’s not painted? Thanks, Susie
you have kicked off the start of the new year RIGHT! awesome light bright crisp space!
It looks beautiful! I love the mix of modern and traditional, silver and gold, light woods with dark walls. It came together in a unique, lovely way.
Wow! What a dramatic improvement! Love the paint color. Congrats on completing a 2012 goal!
So pretty! I’m in the middle of a powder room update also! Love the new wall color you chose!
Triple Wow – and I liked it before, too! That wallpaper is on my list now, and so much of the new is gorgeous – great job (as usual)!!!!!
LOVE! It looks absolutely amazing! I especially love all of the variety in colors and finishes in there. Gives such interest in a small space! We are building our powder room in our house and I have to finalize my vision. Sadly, we have no windows in there to bring in light! Thanks for the inspiration!
where did you get the mirror? Lovin your new bath redo
It looks amazing! Love the warmth the antique gold mirror and bamboo roman shade brought to your powder room. Sometimes small touches could transform a room like what you did. Great job!
Wow! You weren’t kidding about that resolution list- way to tackle it head on! I love the beadboard wallpaper- it gives the space so much substance. I think the mirror and new paint add a lot of beautiful drama and sophistication too. Great job, I love it!
Great stuff! I wasn’t sure about the window shade at first, but when you explained how it goes with the floor, I went, “Ohhhhh”. The floor doesn’t show too much in your photos, which is why I was so confused at first! But I get it now. Nice job, nice job.
Love the transformation. I was wondering how you go the bead board wall paper on behind the sink. Did you cut around the sink or did you remove the sink, and put the wallpaper up behind the sink? I was thinking about doing some kind of board and batten or picture molding in our bathroom, but since there are so many obstacles to work around, I’m a bit hesitant.
What a transformation! Love it!
Love the dark taupe. I’d be spending a lot of time in that bathroom!
Oooooh. SO posh, Kate! The paint color you used is just perfection to make all of the white accents really pop! And that light fixture? Um, yes, please!
I have to admit that the only thing that didn’t sell me was the striped towels, which seemed a tad “kitchen-ish” for such a sophisticate space.
Maybe I’m just not getting their full effect.
But the overall feel is absolutely gorgeous!
Hope your Tuesday is fabulous!
i love love love the way the pictures look now with sprayed frames. I wasnt loving the original. now they are way more interesting looking. but i have to say I dont love the light fixture. probably because its too ikea looking to me.
Erin
Looks wonderful, but I have a question for you if you have a sec… I have been looking to spruce up my sewing room and I’ve been tackling it little by little, but I’m still in search of the perfect light fixture and I LOVE the one you found, but will it give off enough light for a 10x12ish room? I need style and function. Thanks for the pictures, the room looks great! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Hi Rebecca, it’s single bulb fixture and moderately bright … note you can only use a 40 watt bulb. I’m not sure if it would sufficiently light a 10 x 12 room to your satisfaction, but you can always add a lamp or two for more!
Kate
WOW! Love everything, especially the mirror.
Gorgeous makeover Kate!
That bathroom is tiny but gorgeous! You did a fantastic job! I love it!
It’s amazing how adding and switching around a few things can change the feel so much! Love how the mix of colors and textures makes the space feel so much richer!
Oh it is lovely!! It is warm and sophisticated! You did a great job and it makes me want the contractor to come right now!! Thanks for all the info!
Nancy
Absolutely stunning. The darker color definitely adds elegance, and what a dramatic effect the wallpaper adds. Nice job.
Kate, it really looks fabulous!!! I love the color contrasts and the textures … to me those are the details that makes a room so interesting to look at! And you got it right!! LOVE! xo
Beautiful! I may have missed this, but where did you get the towel holders?
Your powder room looks fantastic! I especially love the mirror. And the light fixture – I have the IKEA version in my bedroom. Love it!
How beautifully appropriate that the paint colour you chose is called ‘Seine’?! Love this whole transformation – sooo gorgeous!
hey girl! i love your work!
allie
Girl, you don’t waste any time on your goals! This is fabulous…love the texture with the shade, and the new wall color looks great. The light fixture is so cool. I’ve seen the IKEA one and wondered how it would look in a “real” space–it looks amazing! Adds lots of interest.
That mirror is pure perfection!! I love it!
The bathroom looks great! I’m also thinking about a new look for a small bathroom I have. How light and airy!
maxwellhouseinteriors.blogspot.com
Turned out great! I just sent a bunch of those towels to college with my kid!!! I love the beadboard wallpaper. I used “knockdown” paintable wallpaper here in the Chicago area almost fifteen years ago when it first came out. Painters here would scratch their heads when I said that I wanted knockdown (orange peel) on my walls. I would say everywhere in the US has it except us! And others would ask why on earth would you paint wallpaper! I might have to have a go at this new version. Beautiful.
I love it!! It is so pretty! I was admiring your wallpaper last week, and now it’s so fun to see the room with all the pretty “finishes”. Love!
Love it – Where did you get that towel holder?
It’s stunning, Kate. Modern, classy and glamorous!
Kate – the powder room looks so pretty with the contrasting colors and the different textures! Did you paint the room by hand or did you utilize your sprayer? I have a Wagner paint sprayer but I have been too scared to use it on the walls/ceiling inside my home. I look forward to your review of your paint sprayer.
ohhhhhhh I dont know why the picture dont seem to open :( I even restarted my laptop
Gorgeous makeover! I love the richer color, and the beadboard wallpaper sets it off beautifully! Love the new mirror, too! Thanks for sharing.
beautiful! This is really nice, I love the color and the beadboard wallpaper, and the mirror especially! Great job!
I love the light fixture and the bead board! WOW I want it!! nice job.
Wow, you have some talent girl. Love your stuff…. I’ve been following you on facebook and pinterest for some time and just adore your work 100%.
Yes! Yes I do love the changes as much as you do! Love, love, love. :)
I love the new room! The color is spot on and the wallpaper is a nice touch! Brava my DIY sister :)
what a lovely powder room!! I love the beadboard wallpaper. I have it in my guest bath as well.I love all the details.
Kathy
This totally reminds me of these rooms I saw that Lenny Kravitz (YES THAT LENNY KRAVITZ) designed!
http://www.fengshuidana.com/2012/01/12/interior-design-has-been-saved-by-lenny-kravitz/
I love it…especially the color, it makes the white pop! I also bought the Eiffel Tower print on a street in Paris in 1999:) funny. Quick question, I have textured walls so do you think the beadboard wallpaper would work on that?
Hi Kristen, if you have lightly textured walls like me, you can get away with it. Someone suggested in an earlier comment a liner for textured walls, or you can retexture the surface yourself. Heavily textured walls like knockdown will likely show through the wallpaper.
Kate
It is beautiful! Quick question, what was the original color (the blue/grey) of the bathroom before? I love it, and want to paint our bathroom something similar.
It’s beautiful, Kate! I think the beadboard looks wonderful–classic yet fresh. And I loved the color of your walls before, but the new grey color is so sophisticated! My favorite thing, though? The mirror! Gorgeous!
I used the beadboard wallpaper from Lowes and was VERY disappointed. It shows every little nick. (Even your fingernail!!!) The area around the towel bar and the toilet paper holder is all hacked up. VERY disappointing. I ordered a sample from Graham Brown after I had completed my mini-makeover…and I tested it…by dropping a soup can on it…it “bounced” right back into shape.
What brand did you use? Curious on your thoughts!
Hi Rita, I did use the Lowe’s brand (Allen + Roth I think) but I’ve read good things about the Graham & Brown version… thanks for letting us all know!
Kate
It is absolutely beautiful! I love it! I’ve had my eye on that Ballard mirror, too!!
Kate, love the new color but actually the old color would look great for my project! Do you know the name by chance? Thanks!!!!
Hey Becky, the old color was ‘Silver Sage’ by Restoration Hardware… it’s beautiful!
Kate
Well, of course, we do! It’s gorgeous. Has me even more excited about painting Ava’s room charcoal. Perfection. Great job, friend!
:-)
shaunna
TOTALLY OT but someone HAS to buy this set – only $200~~~ I’d take it in a hot minute but my husband hates this style (and he hates velvet; yes, he’s weird)
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/fuo/2801566525.html
Seriously, someone take this, put it in a beautiful room and post pics!!! :)
(North Bay SF area)
LOVE it – so much so that I just ordered the mirror from Ballard designs. My powder room is about 3.5 x 8 as well.
Thanks Kate! Your taste is fantastic
LOVE IT- so fresh and such a huge improvement- and I lOVE the little glass shelf- i totally will be using that idea in my upcoming tiny powder room redo!!
I redid my master bathroom and toilet with beadboard wallpaper back in November…..I feel so ‘with it’ now that you are doing it too!!!! I love the look, and figure the wallpaper can be freshened up in the future with a coat of white paint. Your powder room is lovely, once again you have pulled off a fabulous re-do, thanks for sharing!
Oh My…. I love the light fixture as well as everything about the makeover! Thanks for the before and afters!!
It’s beautiful! The new paint color really changed the overall tone of the room and it looks great with the bright white beadboard wallpaper!
Kate, it’s beautiful! Love the mirror and that cute light fixture. I so need to renovate baths in my home. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is so loverly. I think the orb flower makes it.
This looks so beautiful Kate! I totally have the same light fixture in my dining room. I love that it adds a big dramatic POP to a room! I feel you’ve really made the room look a lot bigger and tres chic!
-Sarah
Awesome as ever! Great job Kate! I’m lookin’ forward to fixing up our powder room too this coming Spring! I love the wall color you used! But I think I’ll be doing my first stenciling project on this one! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
The remodel is *gorgeous*. ‘Especially love that mirror. Such a statement piece!
My word! That is stunning! I was wondering how you were going to make it better than it was, now I know. Gorgeous!
Love it! What a huge transformation, it looks alot more spacious than before. Great job Kate!
~Mandy
Looks great! I am really loving the wall color.
The transformation is AMAZING!
Trying to decide what is my favorite thing in your transformed powder room is; however, I love it all. It is evident that you thought through every detail and it all came together so graciously. So very idyllic again!!..your “idyllic expressions” shine through over and over again.
I loved your before and hated the thought of change, but you are right again- it looks so good! I’m glad you mentioned mixed metallics- my bathroom has a mix and I was wondering if that was a big no-no. The gold on your mirror picks up the gold in the shade and it all works together so well!
You have such vision! Wonderful and I love that mushroom grey colour with the mirror. ;-)
jennie. x
Love, love, love it! The wainscotting and paint look fabulous, as does the mirror.
I love the new color. It’s amazing how going darker made the room look bigger. The beadboard paper probably did the trick. The light is absolutely beautiful. I love your glam powder room.
Hi Kate,
Love the new bathroom. It’s beautiful. Which size of the Ballard mirror is that you used?
Thanks!
I love the change! I just painted our bathroom a similar color, Granite by Benjamin Moore and going with turquoise shower curtain from Kohls and black and white photos of our kids, our cupboards are black. I have the same window treatment with a black curtain around it. I can’t believe the difference painting your frames! Love the light fixture!
What a fab transformation. I too love the mix of metal finishes and that mirror is just stunning. Great job.
So inspired right now! Going to make a DIY to do list for our bathroom right now.
great job, awesome gal. LURVE. ;}
Yes the room looks great, but what I wonder about is how do you find the time to do it? I mean, you are just a human, right? And you just finished the holidays like most of the rest of us. And you have kids. Are they all in school? Is that when you get all this work done? I mean it would have taken us two months to do that bathroom. It makes me know I’m not doing something right. I do have two kids homeschooling this year and two in school but it doesn’t feel like a good enough excuse comparing all you do. Do you hang out with your husband in the evenings? Or is that painting time for you? Sigh. I want to get more done… Do I have to drink coffee? :)
Hi Shannon, please don’t feel bad! We’re all different in the way we use our time, I guess I’m a big multitasker! I painted the bathroom while watching the football game in the background with my hub, we make it a priority to spend time together in the evening, and I’m always present for my kids between 3 and 6 from the time they get home from school till dinner time. And yes, coffee helps!
It looks stunning! Guess what! My bathroom is gray, my mirror looks exactly like your old one and we have the exact same towels hanging in our gray bathroom. Great minds think alike! :)
Really great job. Love the surprise of the fun ceiling light!
Beautiful! Love it!
Absolutely beautiful! Love the color and the accessoriers you chose. I’m a big fan of beadboard wallpaper!
That is such a great look for such a tiny room..The ceiling light is awesome..love it Kate!
So glad you shared this great bath…I have one just like it except that it is under the stairs, so no window…Still trying to figure out what I am going to do with it (as soon as I get there that is). Love your blog, Lori
Wow, seriously such a dramatic before and after with such simple upgrades. Divine as always. Love the wall color, mirror and pendant. Bringing in the white frames and wallpaper wainscoting really brightens it and adds fantastic drama.
Now I want to add “update bathroom” to our 2012 project list, lol!
xoxo!
Jen
Ok….I have been wanting to install the beadboard wallpaper in our guest bath…but…I hesitate…because I don’t know what to do with the pedestal sink? Did you remove the sink to install the paper? Or did you install the paper and caulk around the sink? Please oh please…give us detailed instructions on how to re-create this wonderful look. :)
Thanks, Tina
tinab158 at hotmail dot com
I’m with Tina B. Can you give us some hints on how to work around the pedestal sink?
Hi Tina and Andrea, it was trickier, I had to go really slow to work around the pedestal and the plumbing, I just used my finger to “carve” the edge into the paper as I worked my way around it, then carefully and slowly cut it with the scissors. Hope this helps!
Kate
OMG! This is SO gorgeous!!! I love everything about it! Well done :-)
I love how the paint color is Seine with the pictures from Paris!
I love the light fixture.
I am drooling over that mirror and light fixture. Just beautiful!
Thanks for mixing those finishes up. I’ve had the opportunity to decorate my own living room for the first time ever and have had a lot of fun mixing golds, tarnished silver and pewter. I was sort of self-concious about it but I’m glad this look gets your thumbs up. :)
Wow! I loooove it!!! But I’m loving the before mirror, where is it from or would you be willing to sell it?!? what a wonderful makeover makes me want to go to the bathroom lol
Nancy, you can find that Before mirror at Lowes’s for about $60!
Kate
Omg thank you!!!!
It looks great! Love that color– I’ve been seriously crushing on charcoalish brown lately.
Wow this bathroom is stunning! I was looking at that Bellesol mirror at Ballard and now after seeing this post I am getting it!!! So fab! You did such a wonderful job!
Kayleigh
@ The Gotta Have It Girl
What a great update! Love the bead board wallpaper and considered it for my powder room re-do but decided to go with two-tone paint instead. Love your mirror too! I just finished my powder room too and ended up painting the vanity and installing a new marble top. Thanks so much for your inspiration, as always!
http://carnoustielane.blogspot.com/2012/02/powder-room-reveal.html
This looks so great! I would like to do the same thing in my powder room but I have rounded corners. Do you think it would still work?
I don’t see why not Meaghan!
Hi Kate! Help!
Looking for some guidance. I have the same color paint on my dining room walls and a similar color floor as the one in your bathroom. I plan on getting the slip coverered chairs you have in your dining room in off white. Can you tell im a fan?! Im wondering what kind of area rug you would choose? I like the newer designs like they have on dash and albert but cant seem to figure out what would look best. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
I’m completely in love with this look! Never in a million years would I think that wainscoting could be done with wallpaper. It looks so clean and polished. I have a guest bathroom that I’m going to try this with. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to a miter saw to do the chair rail. What to do, what to do? :)
The paint color looks awesome too! Great job!
Hi Cadie, see if your local home improvement store will make the cuts for you!
Kate