When we purchased our home, I had a list of priorities and initially the powder room off of our mudroom {near the garage} did not make the top of the list. There is also a powder room off of the foyer, just as you enter the home that we assumed guests would use more frequently. As we started to live in our home and have friends over, we realized that it was this powder room that was used more frequently. It’s not far from the breakfast room and since it’s just off of the garage, it’s the room that the girls’ friends often enter as well. While it can be easier to renovate before you move in, there are some reward to waiting and living in a home. The mudroom and powder room became priorities and set the tone for the house. They immediately made the home feel fresh. First let’s take a look at the before photos – before 1, before 2
The powder room is small, measuring about 4 feet by 4 feet. I appreciated the intention of the original utility sink given that this spare powder room is near the garage, but it consumed too much of the space. Using a pedestal sink not only gives the room height, but the illusion of more space since it consumes a smaller footprint and allows the eye to see to the wall.
Another way I made the room feel larger was by incorporating a tall, narrow brass mirror to draw the eye toward the ceiling. The narrow width leaves more of the wall exposed as well.
You know how fashion stylists say that wearing thick stripes will make you look bigger/heavier? A lot of the same concepts used in fashion also applies to your home and this rule is no exception. I used horizontal tongue and groove cedar to make the room appear bigger. Of course painting it in a rich cream never hurts either!
We replaced the linoleum with timeless and durable brick floors. I selected a brick that is close in color to our existing fireplace in the nearby living room. I love how brick doesn’t really show dirt, but embraces it. They easily vacuum and add a lot of character to the powder room.
To add interest, I mixed textures – brick floors and the wood stool adds contrast to the cream walls.
In small spaces, it’s all about the details because you can’t incorporate a lot of decor. I had traditional two panel shaker doors made to replace the original dark paneled doors and adorned them with crystal door knobs. A brass bridge faucet accentuates the sink and I used light switch and outlet plates that neither highlight nor detract from the overall room.
Shop this room:
Brick Floors | Crystal Door Knobs | Brass Faucet | Light Fixture | Mirror | Pedestal Sink | Toilet | Cedar Walls
SHOP:
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You can see our home {in progress} here. Thanks to Lowe’s for partnering with me on this project. As always, all ideas and opinions are my own.
Just beautiful!!
Thanks, Emily!
Very pretty powder room! Love everything about it! What cream paint did you use?
Thank you, it’s Navajo White.
It’s beautiful! I love the classic sink style and brass fixtures combined with the shiplap and brick floor. You totally nailed rustic elegance in here!
Thank you, Kate!
Congratulations! I saw you on those those!
You did everything perfectly! I have always loved brick floors, but it seems like a difficult undertaking!
It wasn’t bad at all, Cherie! Thank you so much and have a gorgeous weekend!
Absolutely beautiful little powder room, Julie. Very tasteful. I think the wood door with the crystal knob is the best part. I love your blog and your lovely photos. The pop-up ads seem to be worse today than ever, and are a distraction.
Sorry to hear that, Judith, thanks for letting me know. I shouldn’t have pop up ads and will report to my ad manager. Thanks for your kind words and following along!
Simply sensational as always. Your blog and photos are such a source of inspiration, and in two of my favorite magazines! Congratulations, wishing you much continued success!!
Thank you, Karrie! You’ve made my day. Happy Friday!
Really lovely! I have recently subscribed to your blog and enjoy it so much. I would love to know where you found your brown pump bottle of hand soap shown in these photos of your new powder room. Thank you!
Thank you, Home Goods! They’re usually $5-7/bottle and always have the best scents.
This is really pretty. I am a decorator and I recently redid my powder room and it is full of detail. I would love to get it in a magazine. Any suggestions’
I’ll send you an email, Connie. Check your inbox 😉
Julie—What a transformation! Elegant! Which Restoration Hardware mirror is this and is it in antique brass? I am redoing our master bathroom and the mirror is just what I need. Thank you for the inspiration. Nancy
Thank you, Nancy! It is antique brass. I just updated the link for your convenience. I love that it looks like something you could have found in a home 100 years ago.
Just popped over from Thistlewood Farms. I’ve been tossing the idea around of a brick floor in my bathroom as well but almost had myself talked out of it until I saw your pictures. It’s awesome. Can I ask if you used whole bricks or pavers? I had considered pavers because they’re more the thickness of floor tile and we wouldn’t have to mess with the subfloor or making a slight step up into the bath but wasn’t sure if they would be durable for foot traffic. Also, was wondering about the ease of sweeping. I shed like a sheepdog so maybe a sweeper would work best. What do you use? Thanks for sharing your charming and home-y bathroom.
I just adore KariAnne’s impeccable taste and sense of humor, don’t you? Thanks for visiting, Christine! I LOVE our brick floors. While I just recently shared this, they were installed last summer, so they have endured a lot of wear and tear in our mudroom, even throughout winter and look just as beautiful! Since the floors were used in the mudroom and mudroom powder room, I thought it would be better to embrace the dirt, rather than fight it, so we just vacuum {works like a charm} and mop it on rare occasion. I just updated to the direct link of the brick that we used. I don’t think you’d be disappointed!
Wow it’s so beautiful. The details are like beautiful jewelry, from the door knob to the light fixture its just gorgeous!
Thank you, Karen! Have a beautiful weekend!
Beautiful! Did you seal the floors? They appear to have a sheen. I’m not a fan of grout as it tends to discolor in the high traffic area. Everything is perfect! I too found your site from a Thistlewood Farm link. Love your work!
Thanks for visiting, I hope to see you again soon! Yes, we did seal the floors. We selected a “dirty” grout color, so it doesn’t really show a lot of variation with dirt.
What was the color and brand of paint used in your powder room? Its perfectly cream! Love it! Thanks!
Navajo White. Thanks!
Glass door knobs and brick floors…. What’s not to love???? WOW … 🙂
Thank you, Terri!
So beautiful! We have a guest bathroom that I have been plugging away at decorating and this gives me some inspiration! Can I ask where you got your hand towel? It’s exactly what I have been looking for….it’s the little things right?!
Thank you, Rachel! Of course, HomeGoods in the kitchen section…I’m not sure why they’re there, because they’re soft and plush, but I love them.
Thank you!
Julie—Keep looking at your beautiful powder room because all of the details are so perfect! Is your mirror the 18 x 24 or the 24 x 30? Thanks.
It’s 18″x36″. Thank you, Nancy!
Beautiful room! For the brick floors, did you use grout or mortar?
I love love love the charm of your bathroom/mudroom. May I ask, did you use mortar or grout for the brick floors?
Thank you 🙂
Great question, grout!
Benjamin Moore Navajo white???? It’s gorgeous!! Every bit of it!! ❤️
Hi Julie! The brick floors! The doorknob! The little stool! Your eye for detail is super. And of course I love the Schoolhouse Electric light! Is that the only light you have in the room? Our master half bath is the same size as your powder room, and I’m thinking of using that exact light fixture for ours.
It is and it’s plenty bright. I love that fixture. Thank you, Amanda! Have a great weekend!
Hi Julie,
I love what you’ve done to your powder room! It’s beautiful! Where did you get the pretty glass and brass doorknobs? I love them! 🙂
You can find them here
Hi, Julie. How much space is between the edge of the sink and the toilet tank? My bathroom is about 4′ 3″, and I’m trying to decide if it will accommodate this sink (24.5″ wide) or to go with a smaller one.
Just an inch, but because the toilet is lower than the sink basin, it appears to be more spacious. I hope that helps!