Little details can make a big impression…. “powder room” seems antiquated, but it’s even older than you think. (it was originally a military term for a room where gunpowder was stored.) In the 1920s, women started using it as a graceful term for a place where a woman could — very politely— powder her nose. Ladies would actually have beautiful compacts of powder in their handbags and use them to even out their makeup.

In an echo of this today, a powder room is the most intimate space in a home yet, in reality a very public space. So, when I say intimate, I guess I mean personal. And even though a powder room is usually the smallest space in a home, it can have the most personality.

Color and wallpaper are a must but also a place to hang a small, treasured piece of art or a beautiful, antiqued mirror. This is a place to use unique finishes, different from your own bathroom or kitchen. If your sink doesn’t have space to place things around it, make sure to add a small table that can hold a candle, room spray and an object of sorts. Also make room for flowers. It can even be a bud vase. Adding a little life into that small space will make it come alive. And try to make an effort with the candle, lotion and soap. Scents add to our experiences. My favorite hand soaps are from Beautycounter and Bastide.  My favorite candle is from Trudon. But I like to discover new scents too. A friend just bought me this from Diptyque and I love it…the soft smell and pretty glass container you can buy refills for! 

For ourselves and our guests, the powder room is a sacred space and those few minutes we are in there are moments of uninterrupted thought and reflection. So why not make an impression!