THE BEST LITTLE

The best little powder room

It may be the smallest room in the house, but potentially, it’s the one with the most impact. This is the place to indulge any decorating fantasies you may secretly harbour

It’s been decades since women used to “go powder their noses”, which was a polite way of saying they needed to use the toilet, but these days a powder room is a hot ticket item and the majority of new builds feature one. Home decorators love them because it’s a low-risk place to go wild experimenting with wallpaper, high-viz colour and OTT touches because if you have a change of heart, it can be repainted by lunchtime.

Paint it

Resene marketing manager Karen Warman says one of the challenges powder rooms have is lighting.

“Many powder rooms are not blessed with good lighting, so consider choosing an uplifting paint colour, then check and adjust your lighting to bring out the best in your room,” she explains.

Because the room is a wet space, opt for a paint specifically for kitchens and bathrooms such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom for walls if it’s a white or off-white. Otherwise, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is suggested for deeper colours.

If you’re getting a paint that is not specifically for kitchens or bathrooms, ask to have Resene MoulDefender added in as defence against mould.

Style tip If your powder room doesn’t have a lot of natural light, embrace a darker, edgier atmosphere, with a touch of greenery.

RESENE Hammerhead

RESENE Lola

RESENE Glorious

BLOCK STARS A small space can easily look cluttered so keep things simple. This contemporary powder room makes clever use of geometric shapes as shown in the abovecounter basin, towel hook and mirror.

Try an urban street scene with a hit of floral on your powder room for size with Resene Kent Wallpaper Collection DGKEN301. Give the powder room a jungle look with Resene Amiata Wallpaper Collection 296012.

“Rules about having a vivid pattern over all the walls go out the window here. And while feature walls are all very polite, we say cover every wall.”

To get painting, start from the top and work down, starting with the ceiling, walls and the floor last.

“That way if you drip any paint when you’re doing the ceiling it won’t affect areas that are already finished.”

Wallpaper it

If you’ve lusted after some expensive hand-painted wallpaper but can’t justify the cost, the powder room could be the place to indulge given there’s not a lot of wall to have to cover.

Also, rules about having a vivid pattern over all the walls go out the window here. And while feature walls are all very polite, we say cover every wall.

Take a look through the Resene Wallpaper Collection for thousands of options.

Before you attempt to paper, preparation is vital and this means stripping any existing wallpaper. Metylan Wallpaper Remover helps soften the paper. Paint the ceiling and trims ahead of painting to avoid paint splatters on your precious paper.

Measure the distance from skirting board to the ceiling and add 5cm to the top and bottom for trimming. Use this as a template and use a plumbline to hang your first length to ensure it is perfectly straight. Ensure you use a sharp, straight-edged knife to trim the excess.

CONTRAST PATTERNS This bold, blossomy wallpaper might be too overwhelming in a larger room but it looks just right when teamed with sophisticated modern tiling.

ON THE TILES Make your smallest bathroom stand out with a cool tile part-way up the walls with the top half painted – and if you really, really love the eff ect try it on the floor too.

RESENE Blackout

RESENE Black White

RESENE Aviator

Anything goes

While themed rooms should, for the most part, be avoided you can get away with it in your powder room. It could be your take on Versailles, a Turkish bathhouse or menagerie of wild animals.

If you are going to be bold with the walls, it would pay to keep the fl oor simple. Likewise, a stunning herringbone multi-coloured design on the fl oor means you may want to exercise some restraint on the walls.

Tiles work particularly well in a powder room given they can be used on the fl oor, the walls or a combination of both. Bold graphic patterns are a briliant way to jazz up your half bathroom. Alternatively, you could choose a netural coloured tile and experiment with a bold red grout.

Finishing touches

Good lighting is essential as there may not be a window in this room. As well as overhead lighting, a sconce situated by the mirror is ideal for those who actually want to powder their noses. A mirror positioned over the hand basin is also non-negotiable. Nice soaps or liquid soaps are always welcome.

Feeling inspired? We’d love to see what you do. On that note, please show us your handiwork by entering it into our Powder Room Awards 2021.

POWDER ROOM AWARDS 2021

SHOW US YOUR POWDER ROOM AND BE IN TO WIN $1000

We’d love to see what you’ve done to your powder room. If you’ve been bold and gone all out decorating yours, entries are now open. You could win $1000.

We’re looking for any or all of the following: • Fearless use of colour and/or pattern • Exciting use of wallpaper • Imaginative decoration and finishing

Get your entry in by July 1, 2021 and you could be one of our fi rst fi nalists.

HOW TO ENTER

Email photos and a 100-plus word description of your space to yhg@aremedia.co.nz with your last name and ‘Power Powder Rooms’ in the subject line. Please include your full name, home address, email address, daytime phone number, the names of Resene wallpaper, paint colours and/or products used and details of when you decorated. The five finalists will each appear in Your Home and Garden and receive a $250 Resene ColorShop voucher, starting from our August issue. Entries close October 22. The winner will win $1000 cash.

TERMS & CONDITIONS Instructions on how to enter are part of the conditions of entry. This competition is open to New Zealand residents, except employees of Are Media, Resene and their immediate families and agencies. The five finalists and overall winner will be notified by telephone and/or email. All entries are eligible for consideration for the Resene website.

And so to bed Common wisdom decrees that bedrooms are supposed to be a sea of tranquility, but this picture gallery in lieu of a headboard, a dramatic throw, pink walls and mismatched lamps is just dreamy. Turn the page for more inspo.

MAKEOVER

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In the bedroom Boudoir update.

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DIY project Homage to the Hay Bonbon light shade.

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On The Block Meet Teams Purple, Orange, Blue and Yellow.