Reveal days are my favorite days! I’m so excited about how the powder room redesign turned out and I’m even more excited to share the full room reveal with you today.
How we got here
If you remember, I realized the pedestal sink wasn’t properly secured to the powder room wall, and after calling my plumber, we unfortunately had to remove a patch of drywall, install wood shims and re-plumb the lines. Since the existing wallpaper was out of stock, I was left with no choice but to redesign the entire powder room.
After putting together a handful of moodboards, I ultimately decided on this gorgeous wallpaper by Woodchip & Magnolia. While I loved all three wallpapers, after seeing the samples in real life the decision pretty much made itself. I also feel that based on where the room is located in the house (basically the center of the main floor), this wallpaper will lend itself to easily transition between the surrounding rooms and colorways I have planned for some upcoming renovations. (hello dining room, hello kitchen!)
Trim Decisions: Going Bolder
While the install wasn’t the easiest job, I knew instantly after hanging the first panel that I made the right decision for the powder room redesign. It’s so dreamy and soft, yet still packs a punch for this small space! Another thing that really excited me about this particular wallpaper was the limitless possibilities for the trim, door and ceiling colors. Since painting the trim in the tv room, I’m a bit obsessed with the idea of non-traditional white trim and definitely wanted to try a color out in this space.
Testing 1-2-3
Laying out paint swatches on top of the wallpaper didn’t prove to be as helpful as I had hoped, as I have natural light in every room except the powder room. Because of this, how the paint will look in the actual powder room will be much different than anywhere else in the house I was reviewing swatches. Rather than paint before wallpaper, I opted to install the wallpaper first so I could get a true picture of how the colors would go together. In hindsight, I’m SO glad I did this.
The two colors I narrowed down from paint swatches, were a pretty green (Sage Mountain) and a brown grey (Squirrel Tail). After painting samples on the baseboards and waiting for them to dry, I knew quite quickly that neither color felt like “the one.” I had to sit with this for a while and ask myself why neither of these worked, and after a while, I realized the answer was they both stood out too much. And then the answer hit me: The wallpaper is the leading lady of this room, and I needed a paint color that would play the best supporting actress role.
Pondering what to do, I put on one of my favorite design shows: The Established Home and landed on an episode where Jean paints a butler’s pantry this gorgeous chocolate brown in high gloss. I paused the show, went into the powder room and looked at the wallpaper and knew that was it. After going down a rabbit hole on google, I was able to color match the color to Farrow & Ball’s London Clay. We have one place in Nashville that carries this paint and the next day I was off to the races to buy a high gloss can for the trim and a dead flat for the ceiling. After applying the first coat, I knew: this was the one. It’s just a feeling!
This was my first time using a full gloss paint sheen and I have to say, I’m absolutely hooked! Everything looks like jewelry – it’s so luscious and rich looking. It is such a showstopper, and when I close the bathroom door I love seeing the shiny brown looking back at me.
Supporting Cast: The Light Fixture
Another little speed bump I hit during this design was the light fixture. In the original moodboard I had selected this cute bumble bee sconce, which I thought was a fun play on the floral wallpaper. Unfortunately, when I went to order it I realized this light fixture was out of stock for the next two months. We’ll just say I didn’t love it enough to wait that long for it.
Back to the drawing board
On the hunt again, I was out to find a new sconce and was having a hard time. I decided to try out a large scale sconce from Visual Comfort and was so excited for it to arrive to the house. However upon unboxing it, it was not what I was expecting in the least. I had hoped the “glass” cover was actually glass however it was plastic, which really made everything feel quite dated. We’re trying to get out of the 90’s over here not go back to them! Reluctantly, I returned it and was back on the hunt.
After looking at countless light fixtures, I decided simple would be better for this space and changed up the search to look for something clear. Ultimately I landed on this beautiful double sconce from Rejuvenation and after installing it, I couldn’t be happier. It’s the perfect shade of brass, has two lights (which is sufficient for the small space), and I love how the clear globes allow the wallpaper to shine through.
Final Touches
Moving to the mirror, I was actually able to shop my own house for this! Going back to the moodboard, I wanted a wooden mirror to help break up all the brass. If you don’t order all the fixtures from the same place, it’s usually quite impossible to get an exact match on brass. I had found this cute little mirror at a vintage shop in Nashville a while back and I love how it incorporates both wood and has some gold added in. It’s the perfect size for the space on the wall and I couldn’t be happier with how everything works together.
Lastly, I wanted to swap out the old white switch plates for some brass ones. I’m so happy with this brushed brass outlet plate and double switch plate from Amazon. I had browsed so many different options with a wide range of price points and these compete with the best of them. They look high end and were incredibly affordable. Finally, to round it all out, I found a unique toilet paper holder that adds a fun touch to the space!
Looking Back To Look Ahead…
Looking back, I remember how irritated I was to spend time and money renovating a room that in my mind was “done.” But upon completing the powder room redesign (for the 2nd time) I have to say my perspective has changed. Even though I loved the previous version of the powder room, and it holds a special place in my heart, I couldn’t be more in love with this updated version. My design style has drastically evolved over the past five years and I feel this space is a better representation of my design aesthetic today. As I pass by this space multiple times daily, I love that it will not only be a beautiful space to glance over at but will also serve as a reminder that change isn’t always a bad thing.
Sources: Wallpaper | Toilet Paper Holder (similar) | Brushed Brass Outlet Plate | Brushed Brass Double Light Switch Plate | Faucet (out of stock – similar) | Pedestal Sink | Light Fixture | Mirror is Vintage (oval wooden mirror option)
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!
Remarkable how all the colors combine to make such a beautiful area.