Photo by Christopher Stark.
Transitional powder room in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white walls, medium hardwood floors, an undermount sink, brown floor and white benchtops.

Photography by Micheal J. Lee
Photo of a small transitional powder room in Boston with open cabinets, a one-piece toilet, grey walls, mosaic tile floors, a vessel sink, marble benchtops and grey floor.

This is an example of a transitional powder room in New York with white cabinets, black and white tile, black walls, porcelain floors, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, white benchtops, a freestanding vanity, coffered and wallpaper.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

This home was a complete gut, so it got a major face-lift in each room. In the powder and hall baths, we decided to try to make a huge impact in these smaller spaces, and so guests get a sense of "wow" when they need to wash up! Powder Bath: The freestanding sink basin is from Stone Forest, Harbor Basin with Carrara Marble and the console base is Palmer Industries Jamestown in satin brass with a glass shelf. The faucet is from Newport Brass and is their wall mount Jacobean in satin brass. With the small space, we installed the Toto Eco Supreme One-Piece round bowl, which was a huge floor space saver. Accessories are from the Newport Brass Aylesbury collection. Hall Bath: The vanity and floating shelves are from WW Woods Shiloh Cabinetry, Poplar wood with their Cadet stain which is a gorgeous blue-hued gray. Plumbing products - the faucet and shower fixtures - are from the Brizo Rook collection in chrome, with accessories to match. The commode is a Toto Drake II 2-piece. Toto was also used for the sink, which sits in a Caesarstone Pure White quartz countertop.

Design ideas for a small transitional powder room in London with blue walls, a console sink and brown floor.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional powder room in Chicago with furniture-like cabinets, black cabinets, multi-coloured walls, an undermount sink, a one-piece toilet, engineered quartz benchtops and grey benchtops.

Photo of a transitional powder room in Minneapolis.

1980's split level receives much needed makeover with modern farmhouse touches throughout
Small transitional powder room in Philadelphia with a two-piece toilet, beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a pedestal sink, brown floor, a freestanding vanity and wallpaper.

Photo of a transitional powder room in Philadelphia with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, grey walls, dark hardwood floors, an undermount sink, brown floor, white benchtops, a built-in vanity and wallpaper.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional powder room in Charlotte with beaded inset cabinets, black cabinets, white floor, white benchtops, multi-coloured walls and marble benchtops.

Photographer: Jeffrey Kilmer
Photo of a small transitional powder room in New York with an undermount sink and marble benchtops.

Our clients had already remodeled their master bath into a luxurious master suite, so they wanted their powder bath to have the same updated look! We turned their once dark, traditional bathroom into a sleek bright transitional powder bath! We replaced the pedestal sink with a chrome Signature Hardware “Cierra” console vanity sink, which really gives this bathroom an updated yet classic look. The floor tile is a Carrara Thassos cube marble mosaic tile that creates a really cool effect on the floor. We added tile wainscotting on the walls, using a bright white ice beveled ceramic subway tile with Innovations “Chennai Grass” silver leaf wall covering above the tile. To top it all off, we installed a sleek Restoration Hardware Wilshire Triple sconce vanity wall light above the sink. Our clients are so pleased with their beautiful new powder bathroom! Design/Remodel by Hatfield Builders & Remodelers | Photography by Versatile Imaging

Small transitional powder room in Charleston with an undermount sink, furniture-like cabinets, blue cabinets, multi-coloured walls, marble benchtops and white benchtops.

This is an example of a transitional powder room in San Diego with open cabinets, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, light wood cabinets and beige walls.

Mid-sized transitional powder room in Portland with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a console sink and brown floor.

Joe Burull
Small transitional powder room in San Francisco with blue cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white tile, multi-coloured walls, a drop-in sink, solid surface benchtops, beaded inset cabinets and white benchtops.

Rick Brazil
Photo of a transitional powder room in Phoenix.

Powder Room remodeled in gray and white tile. Silver gray grasscloth wallpaper gives it texture. Floating cabinet with white marble countertop keeps it light and bright. Gray and white stone tile backsplash gives it drama. Vessel sink keeps in contemporary as does the long polished nickel towels bars. Tom Marks Photography