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Powder Room Ideas: Elegant Powder Room Makeover on a Budget

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powder room makeover
powder room makeover

In this post: Are you looking to update your powder room without spending a fortune? These simple powder room ideas will show you how to transform your room on a budget.⇒

powder room ideas with powder room wallpaper

Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and move on.

Have you ever made a decorating mistake that you knew was an error from the start? But you invested money and it couldn’t be returned, so you just lived with it. And hated it every time you walked into the room.

This is exactly the mistake I made in our old family room with a couch I knew was wrong from the day it was delivered. But it was custom upholstered and I was stuck with it. For 15 years I lived with that sofa. I decorated the room to go with it. Then I camouflaged it. Then I tried to ignore it. Eventually I covered it as best I could, but the room was never right.

I finally got rid of it when we moved to our current house and I vowed never to make that mistake again.

powder room ideas for sink and mirror

Fast forward to today, when I decided it was ok to makeover a room I decorated only 4 years ago. That room is our current powder room and I am so happy I opted to make this change!

It all started when we moved into our relatively new, more or less modern townhouse and I got to work transitioning it into a French Country retreat. I lightened walls, added antiques and used a lot of what I had in our old house.

When it came to the powder room, I couldn’t wait to cover the deep brown walls and I figured this would be the one room in the house where I’d use wallpaper. I planned to use a monotone toile, but when I started searching I found a pattern I loved that had lots of soft color. It was very French. And very beautiful. So I ordered it. And had it hung.

You can see the powder room with the toile paper HERE.

powder room floral

I knew right away it was a mistake. That gorgeous pattern with the pale cream background read as yellow in our windowless powder room. It was too busy in the small space and anything I added to the room made it look even busier. But I had spent money on the paper and even more to have it hung. How could I just replace it?

powder room ideas for sink faucet

The second problem with the room was the pedestal sink, which came with the house, had nowhere to put a soap dish. I hung one on the wall, but that just fought with the wallpaper, as did a towel bar with shelf I hung over the commode, as another option for holding the soap.

powder room wallpaper and teacup prints

For the last few years I wrestled with how to fix this room. I really wanted to remove the paper and install board and batten or wainscoting. But that would take an expensive mistake and make it many times more costly. So I waited. And ultimately a solution presented itself.

I realized that 4 years was long enough to live with the  mistake. I had a white pedestal sink and simple commode in the room that were easy to work around. If I just cut my losses and replaced the wallpaper, I could easily transform the room without doing much else. 

I’m not sure I would have come to this realization had I not been contacted by an amazing sponsor at just this time. The company is called Mineheart and they sell elegant home decor with an edgy spin. It’s unique and special and very much worth a look. They have awesome wallpapers and I was able to find one that would give our powder just the look I wanted: updated and fresh, yet elegant and refined. And it satisfied my quest for a paneled look without the price!

As it turns out, hanging wallpaper in a tiny room does not cost a fortune.

powder room hand soap and moisturizer

I solved the soap dish problem in a very simple way by adding a plant stand between the sink and commode. It goes well with the gold trim in the room and kept the walls simplified and clean. 

It also allowed me to remove the towel bar and shelf above the commode to further streamline the look. I kept the existing towel bar next to the sink and got a matching toilet paper holder to limit the number of different shades of gold in the tiny space. Changing the faucet to gold was another small change that made a huge difference, as I now like my sink so much better.

powder room towels

I kept the little antique table that sits in the corner with vintage vanity pieces gathered on top. I never minded mixing metals so I’m fine with the silver and gold, but I very much prefer them separated this way for a more intentional effect.

powder room ideas for storage with small table

I also used this opportunity to change an antique chandelier that I bought a while ago and recently had re-wired. It would have gotten lost in the room with the busy toile wallpaper and is so much easier to appreciate now in the updated room.

powder room chandelier

The mirror and sconce below stayed as is, but like the chandy above, are so much easier to appreciate in the cleaned up space.

powder room mirror and light fixture

The one thing I would have loved to change is the tile floor, which to be honest I absolutely hate, but it connects to our long entry hall and will be a big job to remove, so that’s a project for another day. The white marble floor I envision will have to wait and in the meantime I added a pretty little rug to deflect from the tile.

powder room rug

If there’s a simple, inexpensive solution to a room that saps away your joy, it’s ok to cut your losses and go for the update. You’d be amazed at what a difference things like paint and wallpaper can make, completely transforming a room without spending a fortune. Why live with something you can change if you hate it?

powder room ideas with powder room wallpaper

Powder Room Ideas Resource List

To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. 

(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)

powder room ideas with powder room wallpaper

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5 Secrets to Updating Your Style Without Spending a Fortune!
If your lifestyle has changed but your home style hasn't followed, maybe now is the time?
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36 Comments Filed Under: Evergreen Decor, Homestyle   Tagged With: powder room ideas

« Home Style Saturdays 153 | A Place for Inspiration for Styling Your Home
French Country Fridays 82: Savoring the Charm of French Inspired Decor »

Comments

  1. Margo says

    Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 7:49 am

    Your floral wallpaper reminds me of my “mistake floral carpet” in my last house. It was beautiful (on the sample board) but that small piece didn’t show that there was a larger overall pattern. The carpeting was in my bedroom, the hall, and the stairway all the way down to the living room. Expensive doesn’t cover it. It was quality and would not wear out! Wouldn’t pill, lose it’s color, nothing! Looked like the day we bought it when we locked the doors behind us and moved here!
    It’s so hard to get it right sometimes. Especially when our taste runs to something other than the everyday run of the mill that you see everywhere. It’s comforting to know that you as a designer sometimes hit the the same snag as we do and end up living with a mistake.
    Your powder room is exquisite. I’m so glad to see the gold finish back on trend. Now, if you could only come help me finish my master do over……..

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 11:37 am

      Haha, thank you so much for the kind words and I laughed about your floral carpet because I so understand… 🙂

      Reply
  2. Katie says

    Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 8:16 am

    Where did you get the beautiful towels and soap you have pictured in your bathroom makeover?
    your bathroom looks gorgeous.

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 11:41 am

      I believe the towels are form Pottery Barn and I think I linked them in the sources at the bottom. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that soap, too! It smells heavenly!!

      Towels – https://rstyle.me/+YljCsgW0ly0Q2_8qFaTOvw
      Soap – https://rstyle.me/+oWE4hdYVEssNO-1cy93Tjg

      Reply
  3. Sharon says

    Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 11:11 am

    This is gorgeous! Did not guess that the walls were wallpaper. Love the elegance, love the chandelier & sconce, love it all!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 11:41 am

      Thank you so much!!

      Reply
  4. Jeanne says

    Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 12:01 pm

    The room is beautiful!! Everything you did is stunning!!!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:50 am

      Thanks for the kind words!

      Reply
  5. Ann says

    Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    This is flat out AMAZING!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:50 am

      Thank you, Ann!!

      Reply
  6. Barbara C. says

    Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    I love the new look. And that tiny wood table with drawers is precious!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:49 am

      Thank you, Barbara!

      Reply
  7. Debbie says

    Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 9:45 am

    I had to read the comments first because I thought I misunderstood. That really is wallpaper!!! I can’t believe a wallpaper can look so good! Believe me , I stared at that wallpaper for the longest time thinking it can’t be. That’s so amazing and I’m going to check it out. Your bathroom is amazing!!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:49 am

      Thank you!! And so glad people were “fooled”… 😉

      Reply
  8. Debra R. Gibboney says

    Friday, August 30, 2019 at 9:48 am

    VERY smart move! The combo of the greys and gold are strikingly beautiful. I actually like the “goldish” floor. It seems to ground the use of gold elsewhere, keep that in mind when you put in new flooring. Thanks for sharing, it’s quite inspiring.

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:48 am

      Great point! Thanks, Debra!!

      Reply
  9. Barbara at Mantel and Table says

    Friday, August 30, 2019 at 12:33 pm

    LOVE that wallpaper and rug Lory – your makeover is stunning! (I have several “mistake” stories of my own – most involve some DIY gone wrong!) Thanks for the reminder fix what you don’t like! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:48 am

      Thanks Barbara! And yes, those mistakes must go, as soon as one is able… 😉

      Reply
  10. Bobbi Duncan says

    Friday, August 30, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    Gorgeous make-over, Lory!!1 The trompe-l’oeil wallpaper looks just like raised panels…I really had to look at it awhile and still thought it was the real thing. Everything about this bathroom is perfect…..love it, love it, love it! Hugs!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:47 am

      Aww thanks so much, Bobbi!!

      Reply
  11. Celia says

    Friday, August 30, 2019 at 10:28 pm

    What a lovely bathroom! I thought the walls were really paneled when I first saw the picture! So pretty with the gold fixtures!! Love it!!
    Celia

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2:47 am

      Thanks so much, Celia!!

      Reply
  12. Vicki says

    Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 11:25 am

    It’s hard to believe that is wallpaper! It is beautiful and now your lovely mirror and other pieces look very much at home. I think the rug is a great solution to the tile floor. In case you want to consider it for the tile floor, there arel tile decals that several bloggers have recently used for phase 1 makeovers. Apparently they are durable and they appear to be quite beautiful. I believer there is one that simulates marble. I know there are some that simulate small white tiles. Just search for tile decals.

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Monday, September 9, 2019 at 4:54 pm

      Wow, thanks! Sounds like a great idea!!

      Reply
  13. Rachel says

    Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 10:22 am

    Oh yes, the dreaded design mistakes that always seem to haunt us even when we try to get it all right the first time. One of my worst was carpeting our whole house with wool carpeting only to discover I was allergic to wool and miserably ill until we had to cut our losses and install new flooring.

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 11:06 am

      Oh no! But that reminds me of another mistake of mine which also involved a wool carpet which was flat and awful from the day we got it… 😳🤣🤣🤣 Long gone now… 🙌

      Reply
  14. Patsy says

    Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 7:22 am

    I researched this wallpaper on mineheart and it only comes in white, your’s looks like it has grey shadowing or is it an allusion? Love your room💓💓💓💓💓

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Sunday, August 16, 2020 at 12:40 am

      Thank you! Yes, mine is the white but it definitely is mostly grey.

      Reply
  15. C. Gresham says

    Monday, November 30, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    Looks stunning! And so much larger. With the nice rug over the tile forget about it and move on sister! You will find many other places in your home more desperate for your talents. I know we all wish we had even an ounce of your decorating skills and vision.

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Monday, November 30, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      Aww that’s sweet… 🙂 Thank you!!

      Reply
  16. Carolyn says

    Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 10:35 am

    So is the white with gray shadows no longer available??? It looks stunning in your powder room! Not sure the all white version would have as much character…

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 12:21 pm

      Thank you! And actually, the one that is linked in the post IS the same one I got. It looks more gray in person, even though they call it white… 🙂

      Reply
  17. Cynthia Dahl says

    Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    Stunning!

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      Thank you, Cynthia!

      Reply
  18. Patsy says

    Monday, December 14, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    Please give me the name of the wallpaper, is it smooth or textured? I love it and looked at Mineheart website.

    Reply
    • Lory at Designthusiasm says

      Monday, December 14, 2020 at 5:21 pm

      The pattern is just called “White Panelling Wallpaper” and it is textured. The link in the post takes you right to it… 🙂

      Reply

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If your lifestyle has changed but your home style hasn't followed, maybe now is the time?
SUBSCRIBE and receive my FREE guide "How to Update Your Style"