If you have a small powder room in your home and you’re looking to give it a makeover–or you’re starting one from scratch–the great news is that it’s a great place to go wild with color, pattern and lighting. That’s because of the very nature of the powder room.
It’s hidden, cloistered away from the other rooms in the house, a little surprise for you and your guests to enjoy. Since it’s not meant to be your home’s primary bathroom, you can worry less about functionality and more about, well, plain old fun. (A lot of these powder rooms explicitly, and knowingly, break the rules for good bathroom lighting.) You can also use materials that might be too expensive to use in larger areas or fixtures that wouldn’t make a lot of sense in other rooms. A powder room is a place to decorate however you want!
Let’s take a look at 19 spaces that showcase eye-catching powder room lighting. We’ll also tell you how you can get these lighting looks in your home!
This wall rocks. (Sorry. Had to.) In this powder room, mini pendants are used to provide the lighting around the vanity mirror.
Here’s another use of pendants in a powder room. Two are collected and staggered on one side of the mirror–it’s unclear if there’s another pair on the other side because this Houzz ideabook doesn’t include another angle of the powder room. These lights remind me of the Arteriors Arianna!
I love how the damask wallpaper shines in this space. The candlestick motif of the sconce is a classic, but it has a lovely ornate arm that echoes the mirrors both on the wall and the vanity. You can get a similar look with the Hudson Valley Beekman.
This looks like the extremely cool bathroom in the back of an extremely cool restaurant that the internet has been buzzing about for months and you finally got to visit. Again, a pendant takes on vanity lighting in this space (it looks like a matching pendant is just out of frame) and the dramatic shape adds to the coolness. Contemporary pendants help you get a look like this!
Ooh, love the penny tile. It goes perfectly with the dramatic wood vanity and the little orb-shaped pendants. The pendants are definitely contemporary, adding an edge to the rustic style of the room.
This photo is incredible from top to bottom. Start with the dramatically textured stone wall. Add the backlighting from the mirror (try it with LED tape lighting!) and the surreal orange glow of the pendants with the Edison bulbs. Now bring in a floating vanity made of blue limestone and fitted with an unusually-shaped sink. For a final touch, include wallpaper that shimmers and catches the backlighting.
The soft blue and white color scheme here makes me think of the clouds. It’s dreamy! Love the ornate mirror and the elegant sconces–they don’t detract from the pattern of the paper. Get a similar look with Hudson Valley Quincy.
This cool gray and white powder room is illuminated by a crystal linear light. The Access Magari gives you a similar style!
Wanna try a big dramatic wallpaper, but feeling gun-shy about putting it up in other rooms? The powder room is calling your name. Oh-so-slender sconces like our bestselling Savoy House Monroe keep you focused on the branches and leaves.
Even the slenderest powder room space can look super stylish! A light hue makes you not feel panicky from claustrophobia. The stained glass window brings in light, but no prying eyes. Plus, the pendant with its simple glass orb–get a similar look with Sonneman Bubbles–keeps things light and airy too.
This coastal powder room is totally perfect for the home it is in, a periwinkle blue Cape Cod in Manhattan Beach, California. Pearlescent blue subway tile is highlighted by the super glam crystal orb pendant. Use a light like the Maxim Glimmer to get a similar look!
Surprise! A stunning vanity hides behind this plain white door. Beautiful and multi-hued mosaic tiles go well with the glassy vessel sink. The slender space is delineated with the long sconces, which are reminiscent of Star Wars lightsabers. George Kovacs has sconces fit for a Jedi, like the aptly-named Saber.
Wait, does this room go on forever? No, it’s just the trick of the mirror and the extremely well-positioned boards of wood. But how many bare bulb pendants (like the Hinkley Denton) are in here? I see 3 canopies, yet the reflection in the mirror multiplies them. Very cool.
This powder room also plays with perception in the mirror for that goes-on-forever feel. This spot would risk looking too drab if not for the colorful infusion from the pendant light. Try the Access Champagne pendant for a similar look.
I’m seeing table lamps in some intriguing new places lately, but this may be one of the first ones I’ve ever seen in a bathroom. Its shade plays well with the shade on the sconce! Try a lamp like the House of Troy Scatchard for this look.
Super goth but super glam. Black-on-black damask wallpaper, a bright ceiling to keep it from feeling like a cave, sconces with ornately-cut crystal arms and that stunner of a crystal ceiling mount (try the Quoizel Bordeaux) combine beautifully.
Lantern style lights such as the Savoy House Ellijay are a great way to light a powder room in a farmhouse!
It’s a chandelette! This little chandelier adds a great dose of crystal and sparkle to the neutral tones in the mosaic tile and floor tile. I like how the slender rectangular mosaic tiles are mounted vertically instead of horizontally. Try this pretty 5-light Minka Lavery mini chandelier for the same look.
Last but most certainly not least…
This is just a total stunner. It would be perfect for a classy night club’s ladies room. These are apparently LED light panels and a custom wall treatment that makes me think of glittering jewels or sparkling stars in the sky. Whatever it is, it’s a jawdropper.
Looking to complete your own wild powder room lighting? Shop our sconces, bath lights, pendants, chandeliers and more!
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Photos from Houzz. Photo credits in the alt tags.