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A kaleidoscope of color: Cowles’ 810 Pink wallpaper enlivens a powder room designed by Robin Gahan. (Photo by Mindie Ballard)
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Susan Jamieson went bold with Philip Gorrivan's hand-printed Desert Storm wallpaper in Cadet. (Photo by Gordon Gregory)
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Lee Harmon Waters specified York Wallcoverings' El Morocco Palm paper in Teal/Green to create a lush yet calm vibe. (Photo by Gordon Gregory)
Entering a beautiful powder room is like stepping into a canvas. The walls envelop you in art. As poet and playwright Oscar Wilde observed, “Mere color … can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.”
While wallpaper has graced homes since the 16th century, powder rooms emerged in the 18th century when powdered wigs were de rigueur. Small closets were appointed with a chair and mirror to provide guests with a place to refresh their wigs. Practical and aesthetic, powder rooms represented refinement.
A century later, wigs were passe, but noses still needed powdering. A rising middle class born of the Industrial Revolution adopted powder rooms as a symbol of affluence. Printing advances of the day also made wallpaper considerably more accessible. Papered powder rooms remained sensible even after the introduction of plumbing because, in the absence of bathing fixtures, the humidity isn’t an issue.
Today, powder rooms invite bold designs. Diminutive, tucked away, yet visited by friends and family alike, they are the perfect place to add personality. And what better way than with wallpaper? Wallpaper is an artistic accessory that takes up no square footage, and a little goes a long way in a small space.
Richmond artist Lindsay Cowles transforms her abstract paintings into patterns for wallcoverings and textiles. Robin Gahan of Marble Moon Interiors selected Cowles’ 810 Pink because “blues and golds add drama, while pinks and purples pop without feeling overly feminine.” Gahan suggests people should “choose colors based on how they make you feel. Lean into what you like in flowers, clothes, accessories and art.”
In an open floor plan, it’s harder to introduce the unexpected because there are no clear boundaries for patterns or colors. In such settings, powder rooms are “perfect jewel boxes,” says Susan Jamieson of Bridget Beari Designs. You can close the door so they don’t have to be in lockstep with the primary spaces, but Jamieson recommends pulling a bold accent color from adjoining rooms to use as a jumping-off point.
Wallpaper can also tell a story, such as the jungle motif Lee Harmon Waters of Lee Waters Design selected for a busy family in a wild phase of life. “Don't worry about overwhelming the space with patterns,” she says. “Bold wallpaper makes small rooms feel larger because layers of color create depth.”
Once you select the pattern, hold up a paint deck to see what sings. “If it looks good on samples, it will work on walls,” Waters explains, adding that you should always get samples, as images can’t capture the true colors. Her advice? “Like art or relationships, don’t go with the safe choice. If there’s nothing new to discover, you’ll get bored. Go for what’s interesting!”
What says Oscar Wilde? In his final days, he quipped, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us must go.” The wallpaper won. Choose wisely, choose boldly and choose what you love.
