JEWEL BOX

Powder rooms might be small but when decorated with a luxe and colourful palette they can be the crowning glory of your home

- BRITTANY SMITH

Stand alone

Sometimes small stature is a strength, not a shortcoming. Such is the case for powder rooms, where a restrictive size gives homeowners the opportunity to splurge on luxe inclusions and make bold decorative decisions. While colour is often introduced to rooms in soft furnishings, this powder room (opposite), proves that fixtures can be centrepieces, too. Lauren Mahoney, creative director of Studio Trio, chose The Water Monopoly ‘Rockwell’ basin in Willow Green from The English Tapware Company for its pastel hue. This is paired with Lee Jofa’s ‘Inisfree’ wallpaper in Inlet, sourced through Elliott Clarke. “It’s stylised, fresh and brings green, yellows and pale ice blues,” she says. Brass accents in the basin stand, tapware and the Hudson Valley Lighting wall light perfect the palette.

Pure and simple

Colour and pattern don't need to envelop to make an impact. Even a restrained palette can create a showstopping effect. Here, Dulux Lexicon Quarter coats the walls and cabinetry for a fresh and neutral base that makes the powder room feel expansive. This understated style allowed Kate Bath, interior designer at Blue Tea Kitchens & Bathrooms, to let the natural vibrancy of the Styled In Stone Calacatta Viola marble shine. The dramatic lashings of burgundy and plum in this material elevate the scheme alongside the X-Bond Microcement splashback from Alternative Surfaces. As Kate explains, “I kept it quite simple, with a focus on the vanity area and a few key decorative elements, which gives the small space some personality and intrigue.”

Ginger snap