Photography: Andrew McKinney
Design ideas for a traditional powder room in San Francisco with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets.

Tudor Renovation

The Fox Group

Design ideas for a traditional powder room in Salt Lake City with light wood cabinets, blue walls, light hardwood floors, a console sink, brown floor and white benchtops.

Balwyn Great in Green

Simply Bathroom Solutions

Installing under counter sinks into a quartz bench top is easy to clean. Constructing a nib wall behind the vanity provides a break-in the otherwise flat wall. Dimensional layering provides added interest to the vanity area.

Bathroom Remodel

Construction Development Inc.

Large traditional powder room in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, mirror tile, beige walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops and beige floor.

Surrey Powder Room

Claire Elizabeth Lifestyle

This cloakroom had an awkward vaulted ceiling and there was not a lot of room. I knew I wanted to give my client a wow factor but retaining the traditional look she desired. I designed the wall cladding to come higher as I dearly wanted to wallpaper the ceiling to give the vaulted ceiling structure. The taupe grey tones sit well with the warm brass tones and the rock basin added a subtle wow factor

Kessler Park Spanish-Colonial Renovation

Nicole Arnold Interiors

A historic Spanish colonial residence (circa 1929) in Kessler Park’s conservation district was completely revitalized with design that honored its original era as well as embraced modern conveniences. The small kitchen was extended into the built-in banquette in the living area to give these amateur chefs plenty of countertop workspace in the kitchen as well as a casual dining experience while they enjoy the amazing backyard view. The quartzite countertops adorn the kitchen and living room built-ins and are inspired by the beautiful tree line seen out the back windows of the home in a blooming spring & summer in Dallas. Each season truly takes on its own personality in this yard. The primary bath features a modern take on a timeless “plaid” pattern with mosaic glass and gold trim. The reeded front cabinets and slimline hardware maintain a minimalist presentation that allows the shower tile to remain the focal point. The guest bath’s jewel toned marble accent tile in a fun geometric pattern pops off the black marble background and adds lighthearted sophistication to this space. Original wood beams, cement walls and terracotta tile flooring and fireplace tile remain in the great room to pay homage to stay true to its original state. This project proves new materials can be masterfully incorporated into existing architecture and yield a timeless result!

Modern Victorian Gem

Copper Leaf Interior Design Studio

Rick Lee Photo
This is an example of a large traditional powder room in Other with furniture-like cabinets, light wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, mirror tile, yellow walls, porcelain floors, a vessel sink, marble benchtops, black floor and black benchtops.

Example of Using Cambria As Furniture: New Quay

Winston Interiors

We are a CAMBRIA premier dealer, call us to see the full collection.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional powder room in Dallas with light wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, grey walls, an undermount sink and granite benchtops.

Cape Cod Classic

Laplante Construction Inc.

Vartanian custom designed and built free standing vanity – Craftsman beach style LG Hausys Quartz “Viatera®” counter top with rectangular bowl undermount sink Nautical style fixture Porcelain tile floor Kohler fixtures

Interior Design

Lawler Design Studio, Inc.

Interior Design and photo from Lawler Design Studio, Hattiesburg, MS and Winter Park, FL; Suzanna Lawler-Boney, ASID, NCIDQ.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional powder room in Tampa with an undermount sink, furniture-like cabinets, light wood cabinets, brown walls, granite benchtops and beige benchtops.

Reservoir Hill Residence

MANDARINA STUDIO interior design

Summary of Scope: gut renovation/reconfiguration of kitchen, coffee bar, mudroom, powder room, 2 kids baths, guest bath, master bath and dressing room, kids study and playroom, study/office, laundry room, restoration of windows, adding wallpapers and window treatments Background/description: The house was built in 1908, my clients are only the 3rd owners of the house. The prior owner lived there from 1940s until she died at age of 98! The old home had loads of character and charm but was in pretty bad condition and desperately needed updates. The clients purchased the home a few years ago and did some work before they moved in (roof, HVAC, electrical) but decided to live in the house for a 6 months or so before embarking on the next renovation phase. I had worked with the clients previously on the wife's office space and a few projects in a previous home including the nursery design for their first child so they reached out when they were ready to start thinking about the interior renovations. The goal was to respect and enhance the historic architecture of the home but make the spaces more functional for this couple with two small kids. Clients were open to color and some more bold/unexpected design choices. The design style is updated traditional with some eclectic elements. An early design decision was to incorporate a dark colored french range which would be the focal point of the kitchen and to do dark high gloss lacquered cabinets in the adjacent coffee bar, and we ultimately went with dark green.

Westchester Traditional

Chango

Architecture, Interior Design, Custom Furniture Design & Art Curation by Chango & Co.
Mid-sized traditional powder room in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, grey walls, light hardwood floors, an integrated sink, marble benchtops, brown floor and white benchtops.

Eclectic In Elmhurst

Designing Interiors Inc

Picture Perfect Marina Storm
Mid-sized traditional powder room in Chicago with furniture-like cabinets, light wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, medium hardwood floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey walls, brown floor and white benchtops.

River Rock Haven

Tyner Construction Co Inc

David DIetrich
Inspiration for a traditional powder room in Other with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors and a wall-mount sink.

Yarralumla Residence

Studio Black Interiors

For this knock down rebuild, in the established Canberra suburb of Yarralumla, the client's brief was modern Hampton style. The main finishes include Hardwood American Oak floors, shaker style joinery, patterned tiles and wall panelling, to create a classic, elegant and relaxed feel for this family home. Built by CJC Constructions. Photography by Hcreations.

Deephaven Remodel

LORI HANDBERG / Studio M Interiors, Plymouth, MN.

Design ideas for a small traditional powder room in Minneapolis with beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white benchtops, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

Shotgun Style

Brian Gille Architects, Ltd.

Inspiration for a small traditional powder room in New Orleans with mosaic tile floors, an undermount sink, furniture-like cabinets, light wood cabinets, beige tile, gray tile, white tile, marble benchtops and beige benchtops.

Diverse Dwelling

Morgante Wilson Architects

Design ideas for a traditional powder room in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, blue walls, mosaic tile floors, an undermount sink, black floor and black benchtops.

Naples Florida

Theo and Isabella Design Group

Photos by Lori Hamilton
Traditional powder room in Boston with a drop-in sink, furniture-like cabinets, beige tile, beige walls and light wood cabinets.

Middle Harbour Project

Nimmo Nielsen Collective

Benito Martin
Traditional powder room in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured tile, mosaic tile, white walls, porcelain floors, an integrated sink and solid surface benchtops.

Traditional Powder Room Design Ideas with Light Wood Cabinets

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!