Photo: Denison Lourenco
Design ideas for a traditional powder room in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, a one-piece toilet and grey benchtops.

Merchant's House, Highbury, London

Nine Lives

Concealed shower in guest WC of Georgian townhouse
Inspiration for a traditional powder room in London with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, green tile, green walls, porcelain floors, a console sink, brown floor, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

Isle of Wight Holiday Home

Imperfect Interiors

We added tongue & groove panelling, wallpaper, a bespoke mirror and painted vanity with marble worktop to the downstairs loo of the Isle of Wight project

Sophisticated colors in an Alamo Heights home

Paper Moon Painting

The design team at Bel Atelier selected lovely, sophisticated colors throughout the spaces in this elegant Alamo Heights home. Wallpapered powder bath with vanity painted in Farrow and Ball's "De Nimes"

Egypt Valley Traditional Residence

Jennifer Butler Design

Who doesn’t love a jewel box powder room? The beautifully appointed space features wainscot, a custom metallic ceiling, and custom vanity with marble floors. Wallpaper by Nina Campbell for Osborne & Little.

Blue and White Mediterranean powder room in Alexandria, VA

Design Studio International

Dramatic transformation of a builder's powder room into an elegant and unique space inspired by faraway lands and times. The intense cobalt blue color complements the intricate stone work and creates a luxurious and exotic ambiance. Bob Narod, Photographer

Sophisticated Glamour

RLH Studio

Spacecrafting Photography
Traditional powder room in Minneapolis with furniture-like cabinets, black cabinets, grey walls, medium hardwood floors, an undermount sink, brown floor, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

Family Traditions

Best Builders ltd

Provoke Studios
Small traditional powder room in Vancouver with blue cabinets, multi-coloured walls, an undermount sink, white floor, white benchtops, beaded inset cabinets, a one-piece toilet, ceramic floors and engineered quartz benchtops.

Vibrant Classic Bungalow

User

Capped with white marble countertops, a rich blue vanity with faux bamboo detailing is the centerpiece of this bejeweled powder room. Gold detailing abounds from the hand painted ceiling to the gleaming faucet and cabinet hardware. Continuing the gold theme, a pair of antiqued brass sconces flank an elegant Venetian mirror. A glass beaded light fixture sparkles from above, illuminating the shimmering metallics of the aqua tree patterned wallpaper while a rug in shades of deep teal covers the walnut stained floor. Carter Tippins Photography

Libbit

JJP Construction

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional powder room in Los Angeles with furniture-like cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, black tile, porcelain tile, white walls, cement tiles, an undermount sink, tile benchtops, white floor and white benchtops.

Lytton Blvd Toronto

Emily Griffin Design

Virginia Macdonald
Mid-sized traditional powder room in Toronto with shaker cabinets, black cabinets and marble benchtops.

Sophisticated Warmth

Vine Street Design

Kaskel Photo
Design ideas for a traditional powder room in Chicago with furniture-like cabinets, beige cabinets, multi-coloured walls, dark hardwood floors, an undermount sink, brown floor and beige benchtops.

Garden Walk - Charleston

Ritchie Building Company

Mid-sized traditional powder room in Wichita with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige tile, mosaic tile, blue walls, dark hardwood floors, a vessel sink, granite benchtops, brown floor and grey benchtops.

The Sigurd Center

Callaway Construction Co

Mid-sized traditional powder room in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, blue walls, dark hardwood floors, an integrated sink, engineered quartz benchtops, brown floor and white benchtops.

2015 Massey Home

Homesmith Construction, Inc.

Mid-sized traditional powder room in Richmond with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, blue walls, dark hardwood floors, a vessel sink, granite benchtops and brown floor.

Beechwood & Llewellyn

ML Interior Designs

VANITY & MIRROR DESIGN - HEIDI PIRON DESIGN ML INTERIOR DESIGNS - WALLPAPER, LIGHTING , ACCESSORIES
This is an example of a traditional powder room in New York with furniture-like cabinets, medium wood cabinets, multi-coloured walls, a vessel sink, wood benchtops and brown benchtops.

Twin Creeks Traditional

Girl Meets Lake

This is an example of a traditional powder room in Dallas with furniture-like cabinets, distressed cabinets, a two-piece toilet, multi-coloured walls, an undermount sink, grey floor and white benchtops.

Garden Lane Powder Room

Johnston Home Interior Design

Guest Bath and Powder Room. Vintage dresser from the client's family re-purposed as the vanity with a modern marble sink. photo: David Duncan Livingston

Goodall Traditional Home

Summit Ridge Design LLC

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional powder room in Portland with furniture-like cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white walls, dark hardwood floors, a vessel sink, engineered quartz benchtops, a one-piece toilet and brown floor.

Rumson, New Jersey

Bacarella Interiors

Zoffany Wallpaper, Gold faucet, Black and white marble floor, Friedman Brothers French Mirror, Crystal Knobs, Elegant Powder Bathroom, Green Silk Balloon Drape, Sheer RTB, Corinthian Columns, Rosa Verona Marble, Key Tassel,

All Cabinet Styles Traditional Powder Room Design Ideas

Think of your powder room as a small bathroom that’s always on display. Likely to be frequented by guests or used as a second bathroom by family members, it should always look its best. Consisting of little more than a vanity, toilet and sink, you could be mistaken that traditional powder room designs are easy to execute, but the tight space can be tricky to get right. As you plan your bathroom renovation, consider the following.

What’s the best way to collate small bathroom ideas?

Browse the photos on Houzz for small bathroom designs, and get acquainted with the specialist behind your favourite picks. You can bookmark and share your favourite photos with everyone involved in your renovation, and click through to Related Photos to broaden your scope. For even more traditional powder room and small bathroom ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

How do I plan the layout of my powder room?

If you're building from scratch, an architect may be the best person to ask. There are three main objects to consider when planning the layout of your traditional powder room: the door, toilet and sink. Pocket, sliding or folding doors will give you more options for toilet and sink placement, while wall-mounted toilets will help save you a few inches of floor space, and make the room feel more spacious. To ensure ease of use, make sure the toilet has at least 38 centimetres of unobstructed space on either side, and 61 centimetres at the front. Powder rooms are primarily a place to use the toilet and quickly wash your hands, so unless you have the square meterage, you don’t need a full-blown vanity. Look for compact options, like a pedestal or wall-mounted sink instead.

What materials should I use in my powder room?

There’s not much space to work with when designing a traditional powder room, so keep your design fairly simple. Otherwise, too many different patterns and textures will quickly overwhelm the space. To avoid a disjointed design, opt for one statement piece or element, such as a fun splashback, benchtop or vanity, and choose subtle materials like stone, marble or granite for everything else. If you fear you haven’t created enough visual interest, fill the void with bathroom accessories such as hand towels and soap dispensers. High-quality bathroom fixtures – including everything from your toilet roll holder to faucet – with matching lines and style, will make a big difference in a such a small space, so if you have the budget, splurge a little!