Why interior designers say yes to wallpaper in powder rooms

Abbey Eilermann, the owner of Daily Disco, chose white paint as a base for her charming home on The Hill and then "added a bunch of color," she says, in a Sep-Oct 2020 story. Those pops of color are visible throughout the house, including inside the powder room, papered in Clare V. for Anthropologie Merci Flag.

"I love to make powder rooms a microcosm of design, a space where you can take more design risk," says interior designer Amie Corley, of Amie Corley Interiors, in a Jul-Aug 2018 story. Here, Corley mixes whimsical elements, such as Mr. Blow wallpaper by Abnormals Anonymous, brass-and-marble sconces by Kelly Wearstler, and a wall-mounted faucet by Waterworks. "I love the juxtaposition of the wild wallpaper with the modern sconces," says Corley. "The tension between these elements is such a surprise."

Interior designer Liz Basler, of Castle Design, chose a floral wallpaper from Thibaut to create a playful yet sophisticated powder room design. The wallpaper's oversized design compliments the room's large-scale mirror, the existing vanity—which was painted and raised to a new height—and the layered hardware.

This powder room's wallpaper, Bloomen by Schumacher, reminds interior designer Lexie Otto Morrison of Midcentury prints created by Austrian-born, Swedish architect and designer, Josef Frank. "The stylized leaves and flowers felt playful and modern with a timeless appeal," she says. The simple black-and-white colorway highlights a medley of imaginative yet relatable botanical imagery. "It felt like a breath of fresh air," she says.

“It’s timeless and classic,” says interior designer Suzanne Tullock of the wallpaper that covers her home's powder room. “Chinoiserie will never go out of style.” By choosing Schumacher’s Chinois Palais pattern, inspired by an antique Chinese silk panel and emblazoned with cherry blossoms and birds, she imparts an elegant look to the small room. The ceiling’s black-and-white bamboo lattice paper adds another layer to the aesthetic, she says in a Mar-Apr 2020 story.

Interior designer Laurie LeBoeuf worked her magic inside a client's powder room by making the wallpaper the star of the room. "It's a really fun wallpaper," says LeBoeuf, in a Jul-Aug 2018 story. Contarini's Celeste from Designers Guild features many of the colors seen throughout the house, including blue and gray tones, as well as a yellow-lime color, pink, and green.