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Design

Powder Bathrooms (For The Farm) I Won’t Copy But Seriously Want To Copy…

If all the rooms in a house are meant to feel like a “family”, the powder room is the crazy cousin, the one that spikes the crystal light during the family reunion. You can take risks in here, and go a bit wild because they are temporary spaces, used for just one (or two – :)) singular purpose. It’s usually on the first floor, often without a window, and it’s the bathroom that guests will likely use. And since it’s not where you regularly bathe, shower, or get ready you can forego storage needs or other practicalities that you have to consider in other rooms. Also with less water splashing around, it means less need to use a waterproof material so you can lean into wood on walls floors, backsplash, or even vanity top. Less ‘functional needs’ means more fun.

So today I’m showing you all the powder rooms I’m HEAVILY inspired by, and pointing out the ideas that I kinda want to copy (and obviously do the EH shaker/victorian PNW farmhouse version of it). I still don’t know the adjectives I want to lean into. Here we could echo some of the themes in the sunroom which are more “Victorian” and “whimsical”, or we could keep it “utilitarian” and “rustic”. We could panel the walls and do a custom penny mosaic tile floor, OR we could go balls to the wall and tile it all in a pattern. I am still exploring all the things and just waiting to find the right special salvaged sink, and then if we don’t find one we’ll lean in a different direction. Unlike most other spaces I feel more freedom in here because I know I can take a big risk, a bold move because it’s used pretty infrequently (aka, I won’t get sick of it). I guess I want it to “appropriately unexpected”.

Inspiration

design by beata heuman | photo by simon brown | via you magazine

That first one, by Beata Heuman is JUST INSANE. The “under the stair” architecture was ingeniously embraced, the off-center sink gives room to play on the other side (and you can do a super small sink in a powder room or WC), and I love how the pleated skirt doesn’t go to the floor. SEXY MOVE, LADY. It looks like there is a low window here, at shin level, the sconces might be headbangers but I kinda don’t care, and that pink paint color is incredible. I will not copy this bathroom, but I want to.

design by beata heuman | photo by simon brown

This next is also from Beata… obviously. The marble backsplash, taking it up and creating such a pretty sculptural shape at the top ABOVE the shelf is excellent. I’m also loving decorative brackets these days, and again with the skirt.

design by patrick williams | photo by michael sinclair | via house and garden

Now this one is just about finding that perfect vintage sink and hoping that you can find faucets or taps that work with it. So sweet.

design lauren caisley interiors | photo by sarah griggs

When I saw this bathroom above I said “yes, this”. How they played with the wood paneling and trim is inspiring and just a simple super utilitarian sink mounted off-center on the wall. Of course, I think it helps to have a window (and we don’t have one) but it’s made me hunt for a sink like that, to place it off-center and play with the paneling.

via home stories

Or could I go away from being “utilitarian” and lean into some romance and whimsy. The single sconce is awesome but the carved marble sink steals the show. I’ve been looking online all over the country to find a special “sink” to help the direction of the room but nothing yet.

design by yvonne mcfadden | photo by jeff herr | via atlanta magazine

I’m not typically a vessel sink lady mostly because you lose some space and feels like you can never clean the base of it, but this one is special and would be worth it. I LOVE that thick slab of marble, the exposed screws on the wood base (keeping it still feeling casual), and that gorgeous rounded dark wood backsplash. INSPIRED.

design by elizabeth metcalfe | via house and garden

Ok, generally this one is a bit fussy/antique-y for me BUT it did remind me how much I love a patterned tile. I found deadstock tile from France online that I’m eyeing and might pull the trigger because even if we get it and it’s not right, I feel confident we could use it in one of the other buildings or another project.

photo by marina denisova | courtesy of cotswold farm hideaway | via remdolista

If I DID do a patterned tile on the wall, I love the idea of taking it up to be the backsplash and then stopping it.

design by brooke and steve giannetti | via giannetti home

This is a shot I’ve pinned a thousand times for this house so I must love it. I think it’s about that table, in the most beautiful non-replicable Swedish worn blue. I would likely do an undermount sink with a sweet little lip and maybe a plaid or floral skirt to take a little bit of the Rachel Ashwell out of it (nothing wrong with it, but it’s a bit shabby chic for me and I would rather lean into a weird pattern). Also, that wall mount sink on plaster walls is so pretty. I do wonder how plaster walls look in a windowless room – like do they create enough movement without natural light to create that feeling? Unsure. Either way, without that vintage table I’ve got nothing – so to execute this look I need to go on the hunt.

design by meredith sherrill

Now this is just pretty, simple, doable and you could get creative with the color, the wood, the paneling, and the stone. I love the architectural sconce coming into the vanity from the sides. Maybe a vintage mirror with wavy glass that you can’t even see yourself in and then add a skirt (obviously).

design by studio tack | via remodelista

I ALSO love this bathroom from the Anvil Hotel in Oregon. It has more hipster “dude” vibes, but that dark navy vanity disappears into the beadboard in a really chic way, then the heavy blocked chair rail trim is a cool way to transition the colors. I think I can say for sure that this bathroom won’t be white or gray, but not sure I would go this dark. It’s also a VERY small beadboard that I love, rather than the traditional scale.

design by studio alexandra | photo by lucy halfhead

Lastly, this round chubby little lady makes me smile!!! Maybe there is a version of this that goes wall to wall instead of what seems to be a 1/2 circle and gets much thinner on the sides. I have been collecting vintage plaids for years and dream of quilting them together a la Adam Pogue’s work (yeah, right) which would be the more EH homespun version of the victorian skirted sink. Also, fun fact, which you might know, but the reason tables and sinks were skirted in the Victorian era was because it was inappropriate to look at the legs – the level of prudeness is beyond Bridgerton levels and it makes me smile just to think how far it affected art and design.

Opener Image Credit: Design by Beata Heuman | Photo by Simon Brown

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Marian
3 years ago

I love this post and all the bathrooms in it! I would LOVE to see a post about how you hunt for specific things like the sink or table. You said this a couple times, “so to execute this look I need to go on the hunt.”

I would love to know every detail about this! What website do you use? What keywords do you search? How do you want in person? I’m so used to going to vintage stores without a plan, and there are so many resources when looking for something specific that I often feel overwhelmed. I would love some sort of step-by-step post on how you go about hunting for something so specific like this. Thank you!

3 years ago

What happens when you get tired of the skirt under the sink? Would you be able to build in cabinetry? I had a skirted sink in a tiny half bath off my bedroom as a child and honestly find them kind of temporary looking and gross. (Especially the one in the first photo that is very close to the toilet. Eeeew.) Also beware of vintage sinks with two faucets – it is nearly impossible to achieve the right temperature of water and you have to wave your hands back and forth under the scalding and cold water coming out of each faucet, making a big mess. I’m sure people survive just fine all over the world with this situation but I wouldn’t choose it on purpose.

kk
3 years ago
Reply to  molly

Yeah I grew up with antique bathrooms and the two taps are very annoying- as is a wavy mirror you can’t even see yourself in as the primary mirror. Think of guests who just wanna want to check their hair and properly wash their hands during a dinner party without it being work. Not to sound all Mommie Dearest but my mom is British, thinks anything made after 1840 is vulgar , and a huge thrifter and decorator. She decorates in the super old school style like the ones you have pinned above. A grandmillenial pioneer if there ever was one. I grew up in houses that were 90% antiques styled to the nines, and they look great to visit, but they ANNOYING and STRESSFUL to live in. Everything was a rickety antique- tables heights didn’t work with chairs, hot and cold taps annoyed, can’t see yourself in mirrors- surfaces FULL of styled objects.. after a while it started to feel like everything was delicate and special and old and ANNOYING. It felt like the pace was more about how she wanted to be seen rather than caring how it felt to live in for the family… with all the… Read more »

kk
3 years ago
Reply to  kk

and you can tell it works when you see it. So it doesn’t have that 1900’s stress factor. Anyways this is a long rant, but it really was my experience of living with these bathrooms!

Donna
3 years ago
Reply to  kk

Lauren Liess uses skirts with her kitchen sink and she says she has a couple and regularly throws them in the laundry.

3 years ago
Reply to  kk

So many good points! Agreed that it is so important to think of how spaces will feel/be lived in, rather than just photographing well or appealing to guests for a few minutes. We converted our family home to an Airbnb that we rent out weekends (while we stay at my in-law’s farm) and it has been really eye opening. Our house has 80% fewer things in it but is WAY more functional, because I finally put time into making sure everything was convenient, clear and super super clean. I’m surprised by how much more pleasant it is to live here now, having staged it to make it better living experience for other people. 😝

Anyways, thanks for the great comment. 🙂

kk
3 years ago
Reply to  Katie Raquel

Thank you for liking my comment I have antique trauma so I felt my comment was so OTT! I also did Air B and B in my home and it helped so much terms of visual and physical decluttering, functionality and anticipating user needs that it greatly improved my experience of my space.

Sheila
3 years ago
Reply to  kk

Loving this, kk:
🤣😂🤣”full 1900’s cosplay”🤣😂🤣

3 years ago
Reply to  kk

It sounds like you and I had very similar childhood environments!

Kirsty
3 years ago
Reply to  kk

‘Kooky stiff’ omg- my mind’s eye went crazy! Then I realized… lmao

Lisa
3 years ago
Reply to  molly

I was coming here to ask if I’m the only person not enthralled by the skirted sink trend;)

Tali
3 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

Omg same…I cannot understand it!!! It’s literally hideous to me 😆

Rachel S
3 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

Haha yes – I firmly believe people should put what they loves in her their house but personally I find them awful. I didn’t like any of these. I also agree with the comments on two separate taps – it makes it very hard to wash your hands in cold weather!

Ever
3 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

SAME! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! LOL

Sally
3 years ago
Reply to  molly

I had taps like that too, in my 1950s bathroom and you’re so right.

Eliot
3 years ago
Reply to  molly

Yes, skirted sinks and tables BUM ME OUT. And bedskirts too, now that I think of it. There is just something dingy and fussy, and, yes, a little prudish about them. Is it the probability that the fabric is always a little dirty because it’s so near the floor? But then I don’t feel the same way about curtains. I think it’s just the sense of shame–of something unspeakable being hidden–that bugs me, although as I understand it, the story of Victorians covering the legs of their furniture because they were horrified by legs in general is a bit of a historical misunderstanding or exaggeration.

Sheila
3 years ago

Less functional needs and more fun? OK, but in a home with kids, that first floor powder room is often as heavily used by the kids and their friends than by adult guests. You can’t completely forego storage or ignore the issues of cleaning delicate finishes and fabrics. I want at least a mini cleaning kit in that room so I can duck in and give it a quick once over when guests arrive or take care of messes quickly during a party. And where are the towels in these rooms? I see some but others look like a recipe for floor drips all over the place. And one artfully draped towel on a sink is not a solution for either a bunch of kids or a party of adults. Also, offbeat decor is fine but plumbing fixtures, light switches, fans, door or cabinet hardware etc. should work smoothly and without quirks if they are to be guest friendly.

Eleanor
3 years ago

All pretty but those skirts seem so unhygienic. On the plus side, kids (and adults?) can conveniently use them as hand towels 🙂

Rusty
3 years ago
Reply to  Eleanor

Bahaha🤣😂

Amanda
3 years ago
Reply to  Eleanor

Skirts next to the toilet would give me the heebie jeebies too. That second photo looks like it might be a utility room though? I feel like a sink skirt under a utility sink could be a fun touch, just make it removable/washable.

Christa
3 years ago
Reply to  Eleanor

100% will happen.
They also are dust catchers, aka ‘dust ruffles’ – a big part of my design aesthetic is ‘easy to clean’ . Any ruffled fabrics, pleated lamp shades and wall to wall carpet are not included.

Rachel S
3 years ago
Reply to  Christa

Whenever I’m considering something for my house my first thought is “can I wipe it with a damp cloth”. So many beautiful light fittings and then you think – how could I possibly keep dust off this!

Ashley
3 years ago

Watermark Fixture on Etsy has a very similar sink to the one in the pink powder if you haven’t already checked them out. I got it in a different colour and love it!

Jen A
3 years ago

Chiming in on the sinks, we have an old sink with separate hot and cold faucets and the novelty wears off really quickly. It’s awful, even for just washing your hands. These bathrooms are all very cool and so fun to use vintage and play. But stick to combined hot and cold. There is a reason this became the standard! :+)

Roberta Davis
3 years ago

Nice, quirky inspos! What caught me right off was the idea that something could be Shaker and Victorian, which to me seems impossible. Shaker is minimal and Victorian is… not. How can it be? I look forward to seeing how you employ them together.

Roberta Davis
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily

If anyone can pull it off, you can!

Kat R
3 years ago

Dead stock tile? Is this an eBay find? Or a certain shop? I’m assuming it means only a certain. Amount available, maybe share resources at some point? (After you buy what you were eyeing of course!)

Shannon
3 years ago
Reply to  Kat R

Yes! Resources pretty please 🙏🏻🤞🏻

Stefanie
3 years ago

I live in Oregon and was excited to find out where in Oregon the Anvil Hotel is…….it’s in Wyoming. Jackson Hole, WY to be exact. 😆

Stefanie
3 years ago
Reply to  Stefanie

Oops, my turn for a typo! It’s Jackson, WY. Not Jackson Hole!

Rusty
3 years ago

I love the quirkiness yet practicality is essential when you’re goingto have loads of people there for gatherings, Christmas, etc.
I like how you pointed out many details tgat could’ve been lost.
I noticed two different tiles in the blue and ehite tile photo….and it’s clever, because they meld seamlessly and are quite differrnt, at the same time. Quirky-cool!

Cynthia
3 years ago

Ok, glad I’m not the only one so deeply grossed out by the skirted sink. It feels unhygienic to me too for some reason. My grandmother had one in the only bathroom in her house growing up because the door to her cabinet had fallen off and she couldn’t afford to fix it. Whenever I see a skirted sink, I’ve never thought that it could be an intentional design element.

Gwoman
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Actually think the powder room is the worst place for a skirted sink since, at least in my house, it is the most used bathroom. Since your plan calls for it to next to your family (kid) space, it will be in your house also. Don’t imagine your kids and their friends are going to run upstairs every time they need to go. It’s also bathroom closest to your backyard, so will get dirty feet, hands and clothes traffic. Another thought which may or may not be an issue is when you have an adult party with adult beverages, it might end up looking and smelling pretty bad by the end of the evening. Because, accidental spraying can happen. 😉😉😉

suzanne
3 years ago
Reply to  Gwoman

Just Beware- kids will likely use the skirt as a towel! My sister in law had one in her powder room and changed to a regular vanity after figurine out that her kids and friends used the skirt as a towel!

MKK
3 years ago

I love the skirt idea maybe for a butlers pantry or bar, but in a heavily used downstairs powder room- Eek! I can imagine all those young boys and their inability to aim. I think Brian should win on this one.
For hygiene sake, I keep a lucite rectangular box full of disposable guest napkins for drying hands in my downstairs guest bathroom then out they go to the compost.

priscilla
3 years ago

I love these little gems so much, thank you for posting them.
A word about skirts under sinks. I know you are enamored of the idea, and I love the way they look, but I have a big “but” (haha, i have a big but!). I had a fab farmhouse sink with a (red and whskirt in my kitchen. Then I met my husband

priscilla
3 years ago
Reply to  priscilla

ahem, I’ll start again. When I bought my house the kitchen had a big old white enameled farm sink with a red and white gingham skirt underneath, which was one of the things that made me fall in love with the house. 

When I met my future husband, that was the end of the skirt. Every single time I walked into the kitchen, that skirt was half on the floor. He liked to cook and didn’t mind the cleaning up. What he couldn’t seem to do was go under the sink without pulling that skirt off kilter.

I tried velcro, I tried a curtain rod. I tried to glue the think of, but none of that could survive serious man hands. That is my warning. Do you really want to spend half your day arranging the sink’s skirt?

Alex
3 years ago

Emily – I would like to gently push back on your “less functional needs” for a powder room, especially with respect to the lack of storage space. Our downstairs powder room is the most frequently used bathroom in our entire house. For that reason, it’s always out of toilet paper. With a stream of small children using it, the counter (and all the hand towels?) are always wet, and there is routinely pee on the floor from boys who are still learning to aim. A step stool lives permanently in front of the sink, and we have my son’s toothbrush down there for his before-school brushing. After learning a lesson the hard way, our first aid kit lives there too, so when my son comes in bleeding from the backyard we don’t have to carry him through the whole house to find it. I love having cleaning supplies under the sink, so when guests come over I can quickly wipe everything down and grab a clean hand towel from the drawer. All of this to say, do something fun design-wise (but not that curtain, good god), but don’t totally write off the functionality of the room. 🙂

Ashley
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex

Alex – I totally agree with you. Our guest bathroom is the most used bathroom in the house. And honestly, it’s hard to keep it looking great for guests and functioning for us. This post is about what works for Emily’s house and family and what she’s inspired by — and I don’t have the layout of this new space memorized so maybe there are other bathrooms close by that can be used by the family. But I’d love some advice on how to make a more functional guest bath space.

I hate the skirt too. It’s very design-y, but it honestly, already looks dated to me.

Rupali
3 years ago

I couldn’t live with any of these bathrooms. They fit in an old European villa with crumbling plaster walls or a Haussman-era Parisian apartment, but would look ridiculous in any post 1800s American home. Context is everything.

If the powder room is the only bathroom downstairs, it will see more traffic (and gross liquids) than any other bathroom in the house. All of those skirts will be marinating in pee in a week.

Rusty
3 years ago
Reply to  Rupali

Bahahaha🤣😂🤣
I think, as gross as it is, you speak the truth!

Harriet
3 years ago

Personally I love the skirted look but agree the hygiene factor might not work. What about a nod to the look – I’ve seen cabinets and wardrobes with cutouts in the doors that are lined with fabric. Maybe with glass over. So you get the fabric pattern and detail, and the vintagey goodness, but it’s wipe-clean.

Rachel S
3 years ago
Reply to  Harriet

The is a great idea!

Rusty
3 years ago
Reply to  Harriet

GREAT IDEA!😍

Pamela Bartholomew
3 years ago

I think these comments are hilarious, do men really pee willy nilly over everything?!

Rupali
3 years ago

Little boys don’t have the best “aim”, and sometimes they’re in a hurry or get distracted 🙂
And lets not even bring up kid-projectile-throwup

Rachel S
3 years ago

I have two little boys. They try their hardest but yup, it’s everywhere. Luckily we live in a warm climate and I encourage them to see outside on a tree…

Jasmine Lim
3 years ago

yes! I have two boys and we are constantly drilling about aiming and I SEE them, really really trying! But it’s inevitable. The other day, he was getting ready to pee, but then started coughing, and projectile vomited half his dinner all over the floor. and then stress-peed. Of course, he turned away from the toilet and the sink and vomited the chewed-up nori and chicken all over the tiles. Scrubbing grout at 8pm, not fun. I encourage them to “water the trees” as much as possible when we are outside.

kk
3 years ago
Reply to  Jasmine Lim

haha ha ha that’s an amazing description that made me LOL. I just had my3 year old nephew to stay for 4 days – guess I better DEEP clean the bathroom!

Lisa
3 years ago
Reply to  kk

This whole thread absolutely has me laughing out loud. I mean, “willy-nilly,” get it?

Rusty
3 years ago

Y.e.s.
They’re a different species, even when they try hard.🙃

3 years ago

My personal experience is that if you live with a man and clean toilets, it is evident that their aim is not perfect lol

Merry
3 years ago

Unpopular opinion: everyone should sit down to pee. That way, we can have skirted sinks without them getting sprayed with pee (gross)! I personally love the skirted sink look but not sure if I would do it in my own home. I currently rent so I have no choices yet 🙂

Kara
3 years ago
Reply to  Merry

My young boys sit down to pee and unfortunately it doesn’t solve the pee spraying issue 😆 (see space between toilet seat and bowl)

Merry
3 years ago
Reply to  Kara

Oh dear, that’s good to know! Hopefully sitting down at least cuts down on the pee spraying?

Rachel S
3 years ago
Reply to  Kara

I was devastated when my son realised he could pee standing up!

Amanda
3 years ago
Reply to  Kara

Haha, I have a 5 month old son and I’m starting to see what’s in store for me 😂

Rusty
3 years ago
Reply to  Merry

Have you ever vhecked under the toilet seat after sit-down-male-peeing?!😳

Gg
3 years ago

I don’t understand everyone complaining about the separation of hot and cold tap water in sinks. I have never lived anywhere that DIDN’T have a hot and ca cold knob for the sinks, and I’ve lived in circa 1900 rowhomes, mid-century two-story, and apartments and homes built between 1990-2005. I actually find one knob/handle to be annoying.

Kelly
3 years ago
Reply to  Gg

I think people are complaining about having two separate *faucets* not just two handles. There is no mixing of hot and cold water on those and it’s hard to get a comfortable temperature without filling the sink to mix the extreme hot and cold.

Mariele
3 years ago
Reply to  Kelly

This makes so much more sense, as I was like Gg, and had only ever had two knobs in the places I’ve lived… it was always the one knob that I ended up scalding myself with, since it was harder to fine tune, lol.

Trudy
3 years ago

The “vessel sink” in the seventh photo down actually is a marble mortar. It is fabulous, but I would rather have it in my kitchen as a mortar!

Skirted sinks – when I see them my first thought is, “these people don’t have cats or dogs.” My cats would be under the skirt in a flash, leaving a fringe of cat hair on the bottom of the skirt and cat hair on whatever is stored under the sink. But maybe that spot would work for a litter box?

Amanda
3 years ago
Reply to  Trudy

You are so right about the veil of cat hair on any type of curtain/skirt type thing. It will never come off either.

Rupali
3 years ago

All these bathrooms are so “performative” vs actually livable. I’m sure there is a privileged elite (i.e anyone who can afford Beata Heuman) that doesn’t have to worry about cleaning or practicality and change out their entire homes every few years anyway. And they can put these bathrooms in settings worthy of them – like a Cotswold manor house. Its like clothes worn to the Met Gala – performance pieces but would look utterly ridiculous on my pudgy body on a Trader Joes trip. The problem with this blog is that Emily is aspiring to high design while shilling to the Target crowd 🙂

Mariele
3 years ago
Reply to  Rupali

Winner winner chicken dinner comment

Amanda
3 years ago
Reply to  Rupali

I mean, I think she’s pretty clear that these are inspiration photos. I personally appreciate how Emily provides a mix of higher end inspiration and affordable design ideas on this site. To each their own!

Virginia
3 years ago
Reply to  Rupali

why are you here? why do you visit a blog you so clearly hate? what is it exactly about tile, a custom wood vanity, and marble stone top that is performative? Those are the the three items that make up almost every single bathroom in this post and every bathroom being remodeled. Is the use of tile? Paint? Sconces? Or just the fact that they don’t look generic? With your logic anything not utilitarian and generic would be performative. Why does anyone need to wear anything but sweats to Trader Joes, or honestly anywhere. You should ask yourself why visiting this site just so you can leave these kind of comments gives you joy.

Rupali
3 years ago
Reply to  Virginia

There’s a continuum between sweats and Bjork’s swan dress. Where on that spectrum does this blog want to land?

Emma
3 years ago
Reply to  Rupali

Are you new here? It really seems like you are unfamiliar with the effort this site makes to provide both inspirational eye candy and practical/affordable design. Not everything needs to fit one budget or design ideal. That would make for a much more boring blog. I also don’t agree that we can’t take aspects of “expensive” or “fancy” homes and integrate them tastefully into more modest homes. Sometimes it just takes a little creative thinking.

Elaine
3 years ago
Reply to  Rupali

Perhaps the question you should ask yourself is where on that spectrum do you land and whether that is aligned with this blog?

T
3 years ago

Have you thought about going to Round Top in October? Not sure if that will be a good time frame for you, but it seems to be the place to go for antiques these days.

RachieT
3 years ago

Oooo- what about doing the skirt/curtain idea in the master closet? It’s a place where you can enjoy it every time you get dressed every day and you don’t have to worry about others knocking it down, kids wiping their hands on it, etc. Would be so unexpected! Or do your bathroom however you want and ignore the input 😉

Pam
3 years ago
Reply to  RachieT

No one has mentioned the wood counter top. Every one I’ve ever seen ends up with peeled paint or worn out finishes from water dribbled on the top. Not practical for your most used bathroom for kids and guests.

Felicity
3 years ago

We had a cabinet maker problem 20 years ago, and skirted the vanity in the kids bath in our ski house. It’s been fine. We used a nice waffle shower curtain for our fabric, very washable, but really not an issue. No, I would not put it in the gentlemen’s splash zone….

Pearl
3 years ago

We got pregnant in college, got married and rented a dump. We had a kitchen sink and a bathroom sink with skirts. I thought it was all adorable, we were deliriously happy. My mom came to see us and cried all the way home. Now, I see why she had that reaction. Although the fabric of the first, under the stairs, powder room is gorgeous. These rooms are the reason I can’t stand bed and breakfast places, too precious to relax.

L
3 years ago

Seems like I remember you saying you were planning to use the pedestal sink from upstairs
in this bathroom…why the change of heart?

Kristy
3 years ago

Hi Emily! Come up to Ventura to check out pieces for your vanity. Best day is Weds, when we have the swapmeet at the fairgrounds. Same sellers as Rose Bowl and others, but a fraction of the price (which I know because while I was shopping today, the vendors told me they raise prices in LA, LB, and Palm Springs). Then head over to Laguna Vintage on Main Street. I saw a piece in there that might be good for repurposing! Have fun in my town (only 20 min south of Ojai).

Ever
3 years ago

I am so on board with the vintage sink idea as they are ALWAYS cool/effortless looking! But…does anyone else but me experience a gagging/yuck feeling when they see shell lighting (or shell shaped things that AREN’T shells) in design?!! To me it is Florida 80’s design and not in a good or cool way! I mean I love the Golden Girls (LOVE THEM), but…I just can’t. Anyone else? LOL Just to be clear, I am not hating on those that do though, I know it has become popular lately. 🙂 I DO love so much of the 80’s design that has resurfaced lately (I was in my teens in the 80’s so it’s nostalgia for me too!) I also can’t get into fabric skirts on sinks…even in my antiquing/Shabby Chic design period, I just have never liked the look. Am I alone is this too? Okay semi-rant over. However, I DO love that pink vintage sink/pink bathroom too Emily!!! And those marble sink/bowl ones are GORGEOUS too (and I too usually wouldn’t pick an above mounted sink )! I love the plan for a farmhouse vintage feel with some bolder risks due to it being a small space and excited… Read more »

Alexandra Laney Rose
3 years ago

I might be the only one who loves a skirted sink! I live with males aged 43 and 4 (yes, he pees standing up) and I have never had to wipe down the front of the vanity due to some kind of crazy animal house pee free-for-all. Yikes.

Lindsay
3 years ago

We just moved to a house with a powder room! My first ever! I had no idea how to decorate it, so, much like you did in your kitchen, I thought–what will it actually be used for and by whom? I agree with the other readers who say it is one of the most hardworking rooms in the house if you and your kids host a lot. Sooo, it needs to be functional, practical, and provide for your guests in their discreet “moments of need” 🙂 The list I came up with for powder room (really guest bath) needs is: –sink needs to have room to lay your cell phone beside it while you wash hands –fresh hand towels available, and a place to stash the dirty ones for guests, so they don’t sheepishly leave it crumpled on the sink edge –for guests in a pinch, subtle storage of tampons and pads, antacids, headache meds, etc.–in a cabinet or under sink. Maybe a stack of combs or mouthwash semi-hidden as well. –obviously, kleenex, extra TP, plunger, room spray, cuz ya know, it’s a bathroom, and the next guest might be waiting to use it. –lastly, some fun stylish elements to… Read more »

Rae
3 years ago

I totally agree with the powder bath being the crazy cousin! It’s definitely the place to go bold. We redid our powder bath last year, and I must say that it makes me smile every single time I get to spend a few minutes in there. Here’s mine: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLHK_ZdpTvO/
I can’t wait to see what you do at the farmhouse!

Dd tiz
3 years ago

My grandmother’s home’s guest/half bath was my favorite. It had black wallpaper with a big floral pattern with gold details. It had bright red towels and small soap shaped like ducks that you weren’t supposed to use and always smelled so good from the popurri (sp?!). It was so extravagant even compared to the rest of the well decorated/curated home.

3 years ago

Here’s a small powder room I designed a few years ago that is posted on my IG that is very farmhouse. I repurposed a great piece of furniture for the vanity. It’s open at the bottom, which you can’t see in this photo, but then we placed a wicker basket on the open shelf to cover the plumbing like in one of your pics and it holds extra toilet paper rolls and hand towels.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP1A5hCJfYe/

Lisa
3 years ago

I like the utilitarian non skirt options. The blue and white tile gets me- love the idea of doing it up to backsplash height then woodwork above. The powder bath is a great spot for some art.