Powder rooms by definition are short on space, but that doesn’t mean they have to be bland little boxes. Lately, they’re bursting with personality.

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  photograph by Michael J. Lee

  DARK DRAMA: Sally Wilson, of Wilson Kelsey Design in Salem, went right for black, mixing croc-embossed leather tiles from EcoModern Design with a custom white Carrara marble counter and elegant nickel accents that she likens to jewelry. A beveled mirror is framed in a simple silver leaf and sized exactly to the room — proportion is especially important in such a small space to keep things in balance.
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  photograph by Russ Mezikofsky

  CHEERY MOD: Rather than going for the predictable nautical theme, Wellesley-based designers Avery True and Andra Birkerts, both of Andra Birkerts Design, went retro in this Rockport powder room with an ocean view. The hexagon-shaped concrete tiles by Popham Design from Ann Sacks are Moroccan but have a ’60s-mod sensibility. True had the faucet and vanity mounted on the wall, freeing up both counter and floor space and making the room feel larger than it is. They painted the ceiling and trim chartreuse and added a resin countertop in the same quirky color.
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  photograph by Russ Mezikofsky

  BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: The sink is special, too, decorated with little birds and scrollwork.
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  photograph by Russ Mezikofsky

  UNFUSSY FLORAL: Playing off the client’s love of the color raspberry, which was used in the family and living rooms of this conservatively decorated Winchester residence, designer Kristine Mullaney proposed wallpaper for the powder room that matched in hue but was considerably bolder in pattern. While “too much of this paper might give you a headache,” says Boston-based Mullaney, she knew that the Clarence House “Flower Quince” covering would provide just the right touch in a tiny room. Especially when she paired it with a rich cherry cabinet topped with marble, brass sconces, and a ceiling cloaked in silk grass cloth.
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  photograph by Michael Stavaridis

  GILDED GLAM: In a newly built Newton home where understated elegance reigns, John Stefanon of Boston-based JFS Design Studio created an over-the-top powder room where his client could show off her more flamboyant side. The jumping-off point is the shimmering Donghia mother-of-pearl wall covering. From there, he added the client’s grandmother’s antique crystal chandelier and a swirling French Regency-style gilt mirror. Stefanon chose equally grandiose gold-plated hardware from Sherle Wagner, antiqued iron sconces with crystal drops and antique silk shades, and a basin with a hand-painted gold laurel vine. The white Calcutta marble counter, onyx floor and wall tile, and linen window shade help balance the bling.