How to Redo a Powder Room

With bright colors, a small powder room can be cheery.

If your home's powder room is dingy, outdated and in need of a current look, you don't necessarily have to go to considerable expense or hire a team of contractors. If you have some basic household skills, you can easily redo your powder room. Redoing your powder room depends on the look you wish to achieve, and whether you want to make the room fit in with the home's surrounding rooms or stand on its own.

Instructions

1. Paint the walls a new color to give the powder room an updated look. If the walls are covered in wallpaper, strip it off and prime and paint the room. Pick a color that is bright and vibrant. If you have muted, earth tones throughout your home, a colorful powder room will add lots of life to your living space.

2. Give the powder room a new floor that matches or works well with the wall color. If you are on a budget, vinyl flooring comes in a variety of looks and is easy to install yourself. If you have a little more money to spend, ceramic tile adds class to the room. Homeowners in cold climates can consider installing radiant floor heating under the tile to give the bathroom a warm, cozy feel.

3. Replace the toilet if its color doesn't suit your new vision, if it's stained or if you want a more energy-efficient model. Though not a focal point of the room, the toilet does take up considerable space in any powder room. If it's an eyesore, replace it with a clean, white toilet.

4. Mount a new bathroom vanity and sink to give the room a new, eye-catching focal point. Instead of getting a traditional sink, choose a glass bowl-style sink that sits above the vanity. New faucets, either in polished stainless steel or brushed steel, will give the room a modern look. The vanity itself can be any material, but make sure it matches well with the color of your walls and floor.

5. Install new overhead and vanity lighting in the powder room. Changing the look of a light will give the room an instant visual overhaul. Adding bright, halogen lights will increase the usefulness of the room. Depending on your vanity, you can add halogen lights to it, install wall sconces on either side of the mirror or halogen pot lights in the ceiling.

References

• Kohler: Planning the Perfect Powder Room
• Houzz: Latest in Powder Room Home Design Photos
• Home Wyse; Renovate Powder Room; February 2011
• Style at Home; Top 10 Bathroom Renovation Tips; Karen Cole Banack and Melody Duron

Resources

• The Home Depot: Bathroom Renovation Services