The transformation of this powder room may be my favorite update to our home so far!  We moved into a brand new builder-grade townhouse this past summer (about 6 months ago) and over the past few months I’ve made updates on my own all over the house.  Our powder room is the most used bathroom in our home and I’ve always dreamed of having a powder room that is a little jewel box of a room, with fun wallpaper and pretty sconces.

It was bare bones when we moved in, with white walls, a pedestal sink, a brushed nickel faucet, a builder-grade light, and no mirror because I had one for the space already.  Today I wanted to share all of the updates I’ve made in stages these past few months (wallpaper and moving the electrical were outsourced)!  Below is what the powder room looked like when we moved in.  (Both images are screenshots from a video I took because I forgot to take photos.)

Powder Room Transformation

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First things first was covering the window so that the world couldn’t see us using the toilet.  I bought bamboo blinds on Amazon through a small business that sells on Amazon and I have been so pleased with them.  I opted for top down bottom up blinds for practically our whole house because we are in a tall townhouse and I wanted the natural light from above but needed the privacy below.  These blinds are perfect!  The color is Rustic Oak and you’re also able to customize the width and length via message on Amazon after you’ve placed your order, if you need something that they don’t offer.

Next was tackling the sink.  This fall I had a fun Instagram Reels collaboration with Lowe’s and as part of the partnership I removed the pedestal sink and installed a vanity.  (This post is not sponsored by them, I’m simply sharing the updates because I love the vanity!)  My children brush their teeth in this bathroom most of the time (much easier than running back up the stairs to do-so before school), so we needed something that was more functional than a pedestal sink.  Installing a vanity for the first time was quite the learning experience- but gosh I’m so proud that I figured it all out.  I learned how to use a multi-tool to remove the shoe molding so that the vanity could fit flush against the wall.  I also learned a lot about plumbing after installing the faucet and drain.  Now I’m well versed in basin wrenches, teflon tape, plumbers putty, and caulk!  Turns out faucets are quite easy to install but the drain is much tricker because all of the connections needs to be water-tight and when you’re shifting things over that changes the angle of the P-trap under the sink.  I used this handy drain kit that has a flexible P-trap that you cut to size and gosh it was such a lifesaver and super easy to install.  At this point, here’s what the powder room looked like.

I also swapped out the severe looking brushed nickel faucet for a gold Delta faucet with two handles.  The Cassidy collection from Delta is pricy but I love the classic look the faucets bring to a bathroom (we have the single lever versions in our guest bathroom (polished nickel) and in our primary bathroom (gold).  I removed the large unnecessary towel bar over the toilet and installed a gold towel ring by the sink and removed the swirly single sided toilet paper holder and installed a gold toilet paper holder on the side of the vanity.  I also swapped out the brushed nickel lever doorknob for a pretty gold and crystal doorknob– it’s wild how much of a difference a knob swap can make!  The rug was found at At Home on clearance.  Not a traditional bathroom rug but it works perfectly.

Next I hung the vintage faux bamboo mirror (thrift store find!) that I painted Farrow and Ball Parma Gray.  The mirror had to be hung too low initially due to the vanity light that was still installed above, but I knew that I’d be swapping out the light for two sconces soon, so even once we got to this point I was so thrilled.  Here’s what it looked like at this point:

Here is what the mirror looked like when I purchased it at Goodwill ($24.99 and originally made to be attached to a dresser- though the dresser is now serving as my nightstand and is painted Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace) and then during the painting process.  I used wax paper over the mirror and taped it off with painters tape while painting.  I use this Wagner paint sprayer for my furniture projects.  Tips on flipping furniture can be found here!

Next I swapped out the hardware on the vanity for something that fit my aesthetic a bit more.  Gold drawer pulls with clean lines was the way to go!

The pièce de résistance is the wallpaper though, which was just installed this past week!  I needed a wallpaper that worked with the blue mirror and I also wanted a wallpaper that had some green in it.  Once I discovered this wallpaper I knew it was the one!  The wallpaper is Anna French (Thibaut) Cairo in Green and White and I purchased it through Oodles of Wallpaper.  Oodles of Wallpaper is an amazing wallpaper (and fabric) store in Vero Beach, Florida and even if you’re far away like I am (in Virginia) they are incredibly helpful and can source practically any wallpaper you’re looking for.  They were so sweet and gave me a discount code for you to use for 10% off of your purchase.  Just call or email them and mention code Katie10 and they’ll give you the discount on your order!  (Disclosure- they did give a discount on my wallpaper purchase in exchange for sharing with y’all- something I was more than happy to do because they helped me so much while making my decision!)

I hired Sam Gaspar of Interior Out to install the wallpaper for me, and this was the second project he’s completed for me.  He is incredibly talented even with tough patterns or tricky rooms.  I highly recommend him if you’re in the DC Area and looking to install wallpaper.  One big thing I’d recommend if you’re planning a wallpaper project- ask them to cover your switch plate!  I love how they blend in once they cover them with wallpaper.

He also removed my old vanity light, patched the hole, ran lines for sconces, and installed them.  The gold sconces were purchased on Amazon and I can’t believe how beautiful they are and the fact that they only cost $62 ($52 with coupon at the time of writing this).  They are truly stunning and I love them so much.

Because it’s December I decided to add some Christmas decorations to the powder room.  I tied velvet ribbon (purchased last year at the Container Store) to the sconces, attached real greenery with twist ties behind the bows, added a Christmas-y towel (a HomeSense find) and swapped out my normal soap dispenser for a pretty white Christmas tree soap dispenser (a HomeGoods find).  This room brings me so much joy now!

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Katie Vail

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