Having a small space does not mean you have to curb your desire for grandeur.
This quaint little powder room, photo courtesy of CIL Paints, is a perfect testament to that fact.
Many would tackle the task of decorating this small bathroom with the usual square vanity, square frameless mirror and diminutive artwork -- which is fine if you want a nice space. If you're desirous of a little glam, however, adding large-scale, more opulent touches will take your "nice" room into the realm of understated opulence.
This room has high ceilings, so painting the lower third of the walls in a focal colour helps the lovely vanity take centre stage. The bottom third is CIL's colour called Magical Twightlight and the upper wall colour is called Buffy. The horizontal line created by this paint technique makes the space feel wider, which helps balance the tall, narrow layout.
The charming, round vanity is the focal item in this room. Because it's the first thing you see when entering the room, using a unique vanity is a good way to make a design statement. Because the door it quite close to the vanity, it's a better fit, in this instance, to have a rounded cabinet rather than the standard square vanity, as it helps with the traffic movement in these tight quarters. The oversize sink and high-end faucets add luxurious touches.
The oversize, porthole-style mirror over the sink adds a punch of visual impact by way of its large frame, shape and colour. If you imagine a small, frameless mirror in its place, it just wouldn't have as much visual oomph. The round mirror mimics the round shape of the vanity, which is a nice touch.
The vintage chandelier is a great option over, say, recessed lights or a single, flush ceiling fixture (no pun intended). A little glam and sparkle in a small space can go a long way to making it feel opulent.
Use what you have
The Rococo-style vanity, modernist mirror and a gilt-framed watercolour painting are definitely an eclectic mix. Even the door and door frame have their own cottage style, but it all comes together in a pleasing way. This style of decorating gives inspiration to those who are worried that their items don't match or don't belong together. Mixing things up and using what you have can work. You may have to do some MacGyvering of said items, but that's part of the fun of decorating.
It's easy to say "just use what you have," but if you don't know how to successfully put the items together, it can cause frustration. Sometimes it's hit and miss, but if you stick to the basics of what you're after, you'll keep on track.
Let's say, for instance, you're decorating a similar style of powder room. You don't have a round vanity or round mirror, but still want a similar feel and an update. Because your current vanity will stay, consider painting it a fresh, new colour.
Paint is a decorator's best friend. If you want the look of a dark, rich espresso cabinet, then by all means paint your dated cabinets that colour. You can paint just about any surface these days as long as you get the right paint and primer. Perhaps you could remove the vanity doors and replace them with a curtain in a great fabric. Maybe just change the cabinet knobs, or again, paint them in a new colour. Add decorative tassels to plain knobs to spice things up a bit. Add trim to the cabinet doors to make them more decorative, and so on.
Round mirrors are hard to find and expensive if you do happen to find one or need to have one custom-made. Look around the house for something round and the right size to put on top of a plain, square mirror. You might have an old clock you can use the frame from, a round or oval picture frame or round vent covers from a building project, and so on. If you can't find something suitable, just enhance your plain mirror by trimming it with decorative items such as crystals, mirror pieces, glass beads, sea shells or what-have-you to add some glitz to the room.
You can also create the illusion of a round mirror when attaching these adornments. You might consider using a frosted-glass product to create a round border on a square mirror.
Speaking of glitz, if you don't want to switch your current lighting to a chandelier, you can still add some sparkle using crystal or glass beads as accent items. Place them in a decorative, clear vase, create a mobile to hang on the wall or from the ceiling light fixture or, as mentioned above, decorate a plain mirror by trimming it with the crystals or beads.
You could also hang a found chandelier for purely decorative purposes without actually hooking it up to a power source. Find candles that will fit into the light-bulb sockets for added effect. (Don't light the candles -- just use them purely as decoration.) You'll still have a chandelier in the bathroom, which may give the effect you desire. In this case, you can use an old light fixture from a thrift store or garage sale, paint it your desired colour and adorn it with decorative items to your liking. Do ensure it's mounted securely, especially if it's a heavy fixture.
I hope I have given you a few ideas and a little inspiration to see what's possible. Let me know how it's going.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
