The first floor powder room is one of my favorite rooms in the house. I know, I know, how could I? The kitchen is clearly more exciting and the powder room’s big sister, The Master Bath, so much sexier. But, the powder room or half bath intrigues me. It’s the one room in a house where a guest goes and closes the door and is completely alone while in your house.

That’s huge! Anyone who visits your house could end up there behind a closed door totally on their own for any amount of time doing whatever they want (ok- we don’t need to go there). When I worked for Ethel Kennedy as the Director of Events for her non-profit organization, The RFK Memorial, I would spend a few months in the summer living in Hyannisport. I was there to organize the celebrity golf tournament at the local golf club and needed to work closely with Mrs. Kennedy on all the details. She has a first floor powder room in her home and the walls are covered with lots and lots of black and white family photos. As you can imagine, the photos are pretty amazing- JFK, RFK, senators, congressman, a governor (her daughter), all those kids. It was a neat experience to go in there and just look at all those photos.

So give your guests some sort of experience. Some sort of moment where they smile and get a glimpse of who you are.

Gone are the days of just ordering an additional kitchen cabinet to throw in the half bath down the hall. I tell my clients to use that room to decorate with something they’ve always loved but are too scared to do.Like maybe some animal print wallpaper? Maybe a gorgeous, luxurious floor tile whose expense isn’t felt so much because the room only needs 20 square feet? Add color, texture and sparkle. Go crazy- maybe do a vessel bowl made out of bamboo or copper or go with a vanity painted a custom color. Or perhaps there’s a piece of marble at the stone yard that is so funky and cool and would be too busy in a kitchen but will knock your socks off every time you glance into your powder room. Make it something that gives you a charge when a guest says, “May I use your bathroom?”

-Posted by Marlene