Designers Weigh In on These Game-Changing Half-Bathroom Ideas

Written by

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Jamie Birdwell-Branson
Jamie Birdwell-BransonSEO Home Strategist
I've covered home improvement, real estate, and lifestyle for more than a decade. Before Apartment Therapy, I was the Senior Home Improvement Editor for Hunker.com and a freelancer with clips in Elle Decor and Zillow. In 2022, I was nominated for a Webby for my “Homebuyer’s Helper” newsletter I curated for Hunker.com.
Cullen Ormond
Cullen OrmondAssociate Home Editor
I write about house tours (but I love a good kitchen and kids' room article). My work can be found across AT Media, including The Kitchn and Cubby. I’ve been writing about home-related topics for nearly five years and love seeing how people make their homes unique.
updated 3 days ago
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Palm motif wallpaper in bathroom of shared home.

The half bathroom might be a humble space, but it’s also the perfect spot for design fun and taking gorgeous decor risks. Sometimes called a powder room, this tiny space is simply a bathroom without the bath (think: shower and tub) part — it typically only has a toilet and sink. While this bathroom is usually small, it makes a great addition to your home and is a place to communicate your design style to guests. 

“A half bath is such a fun way to incorporate wallpaper, artwork, and more exciting fixtures. I love thinking about a powder room as the ultimate guest experience and somewhat of an entry point into your design aesthetic for the guest,” Alex Bass, founder and CEO of Art Advisory & Interior Design Studio Salon 21, explains. “I also like making a small space pack a punch. I love a graphic wallpaper, a really cool vintage light fixture, and colorful marble.”

Because this is often a space that’s tucked away, it’s ideal for getting creative and trying out fun half-bathroom ideas like wild designs you’ve always dreamed of playing with. Maybe it’s bold paint, removable wallpaper, or funky decor; regardless, there are tons of ideas to consider. 

“Don’t be afraid to go bold with your design choices, even though it is a small space,” says Carissa Henderson, owner of A Bold New Hue. “If you are afraid of going too far, start with one to two statement pieces that are spread around the room, for example — a bold floor tile with a bold ceiling feature or simply just a bold wallpaper covering the walls!” 

If you’re looking to update your powder room, keep reading to get half-bathroom ideas from 27 real homes.

1. Consider Going Bold in an Unexpected Spot 

Half bathrooms are known to be a gorgeous spot to go bold with wallpaper or wall paint. An unexpected place to splash vivid shades is the wainscotting like in Yvonne Langen and Michael Rizk’s half bathroom in their colorful Ottawa home. “Funky wallpaper, art, and a pendant light — winning combination,” Bass explains. 

See how the couple used bold colorful throughout their home in the full House Tour

2. Mixed Textures Makes the Bathroom Feel Warm 

Plant stylist Ella Moore knows a thing or two about mixing different textures in her eclectic, maximalist U.K. home — especially in the half bathroom. “This is a great example of the importance of mixing textures as well as balancing out the ‘bold’ features in a design,” Henderson explains. “Keeping the dark color on the upper half of the room while still bringing in some warmth and texture in the vanity hanging on the white background was a great way to incorporate dark, bold textures without overwhelming the space or feeling too dark.”

Visit the full House Tour to see how Ella incorporates greenery into her space. 

3. Try Out a Monochrome Look

The powder room in Morgan and Faye Hurley’s differs from the rest of the rooms in their ultra-maximalist home. This space stands out because instead of combining several patterns like in other spaces, they’ve drenched the room in one bold color (Benjamin Moore’s San Antonio Rose 027). 

Check out the rest of their vibrant home in the full House Tour

4. Lean Into Industrial Details

“I love the juxtaposition of the cold and clean industrial elements in the pipes and subway tile with the ornate features in the mirror and accessory details,” Henderson says of the half bathroom in this restored Buenos Aires home. “Creating juxtaposition and contrast in your space (mixing straight lines with curved, clean with ornate, hard with soft, etc.) is the key to creating well-designed spaces.”

Visit the full House Tour to see how Martin and Lucas refreshed their space. 

5. Mix Color and Pattern

It’s no surprise that almost every room in photographer and stylist Marcella DiLonardo’s Scandinavian-inspired home is picture-perfect — especially the half bathroom, which is colored with Farrow & Ball’s Bamboozle (No. 304) on the wainscotting and wallpaper from Trustworth Studios. “I think a small room like a powder room is the perfect place to go bold,” Dilonardo said at the time of the tour. Bass agrees, noting that it’s a perfect display of personality, and admires the Rejuvenation brass hardware, too. 

Explore more of this eclectic space in the full House Tour.

6. Let Color Pop in Unexpected Places

Even though the half bathroom in Beth and Tomi Oladipo’s contemporary home is mostly white, there’s still color in surprising places. “I love the unexpected color pops in such a modern and objectively ‘stale’ space,” Henderson says. “The addition of art and unique hardware features is such an easy way to add playfulness and color to an all-white or neutral space.”

Take a closer look at this colorful space in the full House Tour.

Credit: Viv Yapp

7. Give Your Guests Something to Read

Providing reading materials for guests to browse while doing their business is a common practice. However, having the words displayed on the walls is a new take. Alex Lucas hung comic strips on the half-bathroom walls in her Bristol home, which is both eye-catching and entertaining.

Check out the full House Tour to see more of this wonderful space.

8. Grab Guests’ Attention with Bold Wallpaper

“I can never hate a bold and pink wallpaper, especially in a small space,” Henderson says of the half bathroom in Alex and Michelle Gage’s eclectic home. “The rest of the features in the room are pretty basic, but the wallpaper alone draws you in and immediately makes the space feel 10 times more memorable and luxe!”

Explore more of this vintage-filled home in the full House Tour.

Credit: Lauren Kolyn

9. Fill Your Half Bathroom with Greenery

Even though Alexandra Gater’s half bathroom in her Toronto rental apartment is primarily white, there are a few eye-catching details that don’t come from paint or peel-and-stick wallpaper. Instead, they come from plants. The greenery adds texture and depth to the otherwise flat space. 

See the full House Tour to learn more about this bohemian apartment.

Credit: Minette Hand

10. Consider a Dark, Moody Aesthetic for the Half Bathroom 

The half bathroom in Adam and Catherine Olejarczyk’s coastal home in Charleston proves that you should definitely go bold in these spaces — especially if they’re on the smaller side. “Dark walls contrasted with gold features can actually bring an elegant coziness to a space rather than making it feel small like people tend to believe,” Henderson says. 

Visit the full House Tour to see how the rest of this coastal home is decorated.

Credit: Claire Bock

Octopus-patterned wallpaper and a jellyfish-like mirror line the half-bathroom walls in Steve and Heather Sacks’s bohemian San Francisco home. This room is unique because they committed to the nautical theme, not only in wallpaper but also in decor. 

Check out the full House Tour to see more of this gorgeous home.

Patterns that might be too busy in larger rooms can fit perfectly in a small half bath, like the black-and-white graphic wallpaper in interior designer Beth Brown’s Atlanta house. “The choice of a unique, graphic black-and-white wallpaper was a brilliant way to bring artistic and memorable detail to a design without the use of any color,” Henderson shares. 

Explore more of this wonderful Atlanta space in the full House Tour.

13. Consider Slightly Contrasting Colors

Doug and Hilary remodeled a historic home in Detroit, including gorgeously refreshing their half bathroom. “[A] winning combination of wallpaper (Gucci’s Floral Print wallpaper) and dusty pink accents,” Bass says. “I also love the green tile floor that picks up on the wallpaper yet contrasts with it slightly. This feels whimsical and luxurious.” 

See how this couple made a historic home feel fresh in the full House Tour.

Credit: Liz Calka

Meg Hoburg is a Washington, D.C.-based interior designer with Southern roots. Her design style is immediately evident in the half bathroom in her traditional townhouse. A regal pedestal sink pairs wonderfully with black-and-white tiles and patterned wallpaper. 

Visit the full House Tour to see more of this traditional home.

Rich honey oak wood shelving and cabinetry give Matt Gourley and Amanda Lund’s California craftsman powder room a vintage feel. The red rotary dial phone and the woodsy wallpaper add to the sense of whimsy.

Explore the rest of this California home in the full House Tour.

16. Catch People’s Attention with a Bold Faucet

It’s safe to say no one could forget this cobalt blue faucet, which gives Ruthie Schulder’s half bathroom in her Brooklyn home a fun and unexpected use of color. It just goes to show you that you don’t always have to rely on bold paint colors to bring the vibrancy and visual excitement. 

Check out the full House Tour to see more of Ruthie’s supercool space.

17. Mix Prints to Get That Wow Factor

Ammarah’s half bathroom in her colorful and mid-century modern home is perfectly bold with floral patterned wallpaper and black-and-white floor tiles — there’s also some funky art that dots the walls. The color combination is an unexpected but wonderful mix of shades and patterns that works. 

See more of this colorful home in the full House Tour.

18. Go for Green

Most of the rooms in Megann Thompson’s organic modern home in Dayton, Ohio, are colored with gorgeous green hues — and that includes the half bathroom. While Behr’s Laurel Garland (N390-6) on the cabinets is an eye-catching color, green is also featured in the greenery that dots the space. 

Explore more of this green-colored space in the full House Tour.

19. Upgrade the Mirror

Since powder rooms are pretty limited in the number of elements in the space — there’s likely a toilet, a sink, maybe a mirror, and a hand towel rack — any changes you make to any of those elements will offer a substantial visual impact. Even minor updates, like choosing an elegant, oversized round mirror as seen in Andrea Isabelle Lucas’s classic-rock-inspired home, can completely change the look of your half bath.

Visit the full House Tour to see the rest of the rooms in this rock-inspired home.

Credit: Jessica Rapp

20. Add a Pop of Color Where You’d Least Expect It

Remember, a half bath is a small space, so you don’t need a ton of decor elements to make a big impact. If you want to create a bold look with color, consider adding just one delightful hue in a surprising spot. Copy Leslie Sumner’s powder room in her St. Louis house, which has a bright green mirror.

Learn more design tricks by checking out the full House Tour.

Credit: Cathy Pyle

21. Paint the Walls a Dramatic Navy

Some folks may have said you should avoid dark colors in small spaces, but that’s not true in all cases. In Ruth Matthews’s teeny powder room in her colorful U.K. home, Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue (No. 30) on the walls and the door — as well as in the floor tiles — creates a cozy little hug of a room.

Explore more of this enchanting space in the full House Tour.

22. Splurge on a High-Design Faucet

If you’ve ever had your eyes on a uniquely designed modern faucet, here’s your chance to incorporate one. Even if it is a stretch on your budget, the bold visual statement of one could be the only decor you need in your half bath to make an impressive room. Let Tyler Karu’s sleek modern room in her ocean-inspired Maine home be your inspiration.

See more of this ocean-inspired oasis in the full House Tour.

23. Try Out a DIY Project in Your Half Bath

Have you had a DIY idea kicking around in your head, but you have been too afraid to try? A small half bath is the perfect place to go for it! Use this small room as your canvas, whether it’s a hand-painted mural, an art idea, or something as simple as a polka dot wall pattern like in Kim’s charming, eclectic farmhouse.

Check out the full House Tour to find more home project inspiration.

24. Prioritize Gorgeous Lighting

Choosing a dramatic light fixture can be one of the only things you need to add pizzazz in a room as small as a half bath. The hanging pendant light in this New Orleans house has strong Art Deco vibes, setting the tone for the rest of Emily and Alon Shaya’s space. But you don’t have to focus on just hanging pendant lights; consider plug-in wall sconces or a vanity light upgrade above the mirror.

Visit the full House Tour to see this couple’s charming cottage.

25. Incorporate Unexpected Accessories

While you should embrace a similar design style in most of your rooms to bring a sense of cohesiveness to your home, rules go right out of the window when it comes to a half bath. So conceive of a quirky theme (like vintage tennis racquets as seen in Franz and Patsy Knapp’s eclectic Australia house) and really go for it.

Explore more of this wonderful space in the full House Tour.

26. Consider Oversized Details

While putting small things in a small room makes sense, you don’t always have to stick to that rule. From oversized patterns in wallpaper to oversized fixtures, like the larger-than-it-needs-to-be sink in Cali Gabrielle’s renovated New Orleans house, going intentionally large with a decor element can be a way to add drama to a small room.

Check out the full House Tour to see more of Cali’s historic yet modern home.

Credit: Anna Spaller

27. Keep It Simple and Chic

Lest you think you have to go wild with wallpaper, color, or bold elements in your small powder room, this lovely little half bath in Sarah and Keith’s cute New England house shows that you can create just as beautiful of a guest bathroom experience by keeping it simple with color, pattern, and decor.

See more of the modern details in Sarah and Keith’s space in the full House Tour.