“Small space, big dreams,” as every design enthusiast said at one time or another. 

And that couldn’t be truer for half baths! These compact rooms have the potential to be bursting with personality. 

Today, we’ll explore how to achieve that with the perfect combination of wallpaper, lighting, and mirrors. So do your creativity cap, and get ready to start dreaming of the transformation of your half bath into a space you love!

For the One Room Challenge, I recently embarked on a mission to conquer the sad, grey monster that had taken over our daughter’s main floor powder room.  

Be sure to jump over to the ORC website and check out the other challenge-takers this season! There are some great projects coming right along.

​In case you just dropped in, here’s a recap of how we got to this point:

The first three weeks, I shared the three basic, but critical steps I always take when preparing for a room makeover.

Designing and Planning

First Step – Wk 1 – Determining your goals for your makeover — starting with functionality and then adding style including general color palette 

Next Step  – Wk 2 – Refining and finalizing design choices — from flooring to wallpaper, to furniture pieces and specific paint colors

Third Step – Wk 3 — Planning and scheduling before installation — Planning aids for total project management to streamline the process, saving time, energy and money.

These are foundational steps, the core of good project management. Do NOT skip them. 

Installation

Wk 4 — Easy Way to Make Custom Stacked Wood Molding — Streamlined, modern wall molding is just a jig away.

Wk 5 — DIY Guide to Chair Rail and Picture Frame Molding — Step by Step how to

So now that the lower walls are conquered. It’s time for the upper walls here at Week 6.

​Let’s face it, half baths can feel a bit, well, half-hearted. But let’s fix that!

As we discussed in Week 2’s post, How to Best Choose Design Elements For a Cohesive Room Remodel, the order in which you decide on your design elements is important! 

If you have a statement piece, a non-negotiable item, an heirloom that you want everything to revolve around, than that’s your starting point. 

But without that, you should start with the element that has the most visual weight. In most cases, that will be the wallpaper.

Focal Point Power: Let’s face it, half bath spaces can be a bit…well, small. 

But what they lack in square footage, they can make up for in statement-making style. 

And the key to achieving that? Wallpaper! It’s the undeniable star of the show in a half bath, instantly grabbing attention and setting the tone for the entire space.

There are several reasons why wallpaper is a fantastic choice for your small powder room:

•  Smaller Spaces, Bigger Impact: Because they’re a compact space, half baths offer a perfect canvas for bold or playful wallpaper patterns. Unlike a larger room where a busy wallpaper might feel overwhelming, a half bath can rock it with confidence
• More Than Just Paint: Wallpaper elevates your guest bathroom beyond basic walls. It injects personalityand reflects your unique style, creating a space that feels special and intentional.
• Budget-Friendly Statement: Compared to other design elements like tile or stone, wallpaper can be a more affordable way to create a dramatic visual impact.

There are several options for adding wallpaper to your bathroom walls. Which you choose, can impact your wallpaper pattern choice. OR, once your choose the perfect pattern, then you’ll decide the walls. It’s rather like the chicken to the egg.  to set the tone, let’s explore where to hang it for maximum impact in your half bath:

• Full Monty: This is the classic approach, covering all four walls, and optionally the ceiling, in your wallpaper of choice. It’s a great way to create a truly immersive experience and allows the pattern to be the star of the show.
• Accent Wall: For a more subtle approach, consider using wallpaper on a single accent wall. This can draw the eye and add a pop of personality without overwhelming the space. Choose a wall that’s the focal point when you enter the room, perhaps behind the sink.
• Half Wall Magic: A fun option and popular look is to wallpaper only the top half and paint the bottom half of the wall. This creates a unique visual interest and can add a touch of whimsy. 

One of the hidden superpowers of wallpaper in a little space like a downstairs half bath is its ability to create the illusion of a different size or shape. Here’s how to use it to your advantage:

• Vertical Stripes: If your half bath has a low ceiling, consider using wallpaper with vertical stripes. The elongated lines can create the illusion of a taller space, making it feel more airy and open.
• Horizontal Drama: For a narrow half bath, horizontal stripes or a wallpaper pattern with a strong horizontal flow can trick the eye into perceiving a wider space. Using the wallpaper on half the wall with a high contrast wood wall treatment below will also break a too tall wall and widen a too narrow room.
• Play with Scale: Remember the tip about avoiding large motifs in a small space? However, a tiny bathroom is a great place to turn that long standing “design rule” on its head. A statement-making wallpaper can give the room presence, making it feel larger.
• Play with Color: Keep in mind, dark colors tend to recede, so dark-colored wallpapers can give the sense of more space. I know it seems rather counter-intuitive. It works because the corners of the walls that define the size, tend to disappear with dark paper or paint, so it feels larger.

Can we pause a moment for me to ask if you are finding this post helpful. There is so much more still to come. Please consider subscribing so you don’t miss a thing — and have access to all the exclusive content I share with my subscribers only.

Thanks so very much! Now, back to our half bath walls:

​Another super cool feature of our wallpaper from Love Vs. Design. It came in panels, printed to our length. And the panels are numbered. Our pattern had two panels before it repeats.

The panels were clearly marked 1 or 2. I hung a number one, then a number two, then back to number one. So the pattern repeat is 48-inches across. It gives the feeling of almost a custom mural, not a small repetitive pattern. I love this!

​I know, everyone is gaga over peel & stick wallpaper. 

But I much prefer traditional wallpaper! Oh don’t get me wrong, there are a few spaces I will use peel & stick, like rentals and small areas where I want seasonal changes. 

The new traditional wallpapers (I know, quite the oxymoron) are such a breeze to hang.

I’ve struggled with two feet firmly planted on the ground, just getting a 3 x 6-INCH screen cover to line up squarely with no bubbles. A 2 x 9-FOOT piece of “screen cover” while teetering on a ladder is not a fun walk in the park!

My biggest anxiety about the entire powder room makeover was how I would hang this wallpaper in such a tiny spot with a really awkward ladder situation. 

My anxiety was totally for not. The wallpaper is incredible quality making the installation the easiest EVER!. The ladder, not so easy! But I got her done!

The last time I hung pre-pasted wallpaper, it was when you had to use a trough or bathtub to dunk the roll and then book fold it to let the glue activate — and then sometimes the paper would shrink a bit and sometimes if you overworked it, it would stretch.

I know, I just aged myself!!! But if you are from my era, you remember those days. 

Pre-pasted wallpaper is new–again! (At least this paper from Love vs. Design is).

It is sooo improved. I can’t wait to paper another room — even a ceiling! 

When I opened the box from Love Vs. Design (which arrived almost a week early b-t-w), they had included the niftiest little, soft squeegee that worked like a dream and you just use a spray bottle of water. Other than that, I just needed a box cutter and straight edge.

Let’s talk about the standard bathroom light fixture: the dreaded overhead bar fixture.

While it might seem like a practical choice, don’t do it!!! Can you tell they are my pet peeve!

You can change the shades, you can change the finish. But you’re just putting lipstick on a pig.

No matter the shade, no matter the finish, they are still overhead bar lights, that just do not work when it comes to creating a truly inviting and flattering space. Here’s why:

• Shadow Play: Nobody’s Friend: Those harsh overhead lights cast unflattering shadows on your face, making even the most basic tasks feel like an uninspired audition for a horror movie. Not exactly the vibe we’re going for in our half baths, right?
• Beyond the Essentials: Even though half baths aren’t necessarily makeup havens, good lighting is still essential. It helps you see clearly, truly elevates the room, creates a more spa-like atmosphere, and sets the mood for the whole bathroom.

When it comes to achieving a more flattering and functional light source in your half bath, wall sconces and hanging pendants are the clear winners. Here’s why:

• Side-by-Side Brilliance: By placing a sconce or pendant light on either side of a mirror, closer to face height, you create a soft, diffused light that washes away those harsh shadows. This makes getting ready a more pleasant experience, even if it’s just a quick refresh.
• Ambiance on Point: Wall sconces and pendants offer a warm and inviting glow that elevates your half bath from a utilitarian space to a mini oasis. 
• Space Savings (Especially in Narrow Half Baths): In a narrow half bath, a central overhead light can feel bulky and visually constricting. Wall sconces and pendants, on the other hand, free up space and can actually make the room feel wider by drawing the eye outwards.

PRO TIP: Double Up for Double the Impact! In a narrow half bath, don’t be afraid to install two sconces or pendants, one on either side of the mirror. This creates a more balanced and symmetrical look, further enhancing the feeling of spaciousness.

​When it comes to mirrors in your half bath, there’s more to consider than just reflection. The shape of your mirror can play a big role in the overall feel of the space, especially in a compact half bath.

Let’s say goodbye to the stark lines of a traditional rectangular mirror and embrace the softer touch of ovals and arches!

While rectangular mirrors are perfectly functional, they can sometimes feel a bit boxy and overwhelming in a small half bath. The sharp corners tend to emphasize the angular lines of the room, making it feel even more confined.

Oval mirrors offer a gentler alternative. The soft, curved shape creates a more relaxed and inviting atmosphere. They visually elongate the space, making the ceiling appear higher and the room feel more open. This is particularly beneficial in a half bath where square footage might be limited.

Arched mirrors add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your half bath. The curved top softens the lines of the room, similar to an oval mirror, but with a touch of classic flair. They’re also perfect for maximizing space utilization, as the arch allows for sconces to be mounted flanking the mirror up high without compromising its functionality.

PRO TIP: If you like the clean-lined modern look, and want to look beyond a framed mirror. A frameless mirror can be a great option, just be sure to go with a bevel edge, otherwise it screams cheap, builder grade.

In a full bathroom where teeth brushing and flossing is a primary function, the mirror and frame will be cleaned frequently. Keep that in mind when choosing frame.

This is why I went with frameless, but elegantly arched, beveled wall mirrors behind our sinks in our primary bath.

PRO TIP: If you have or fall in love with a more delicate framed mirror, consider giving the frame a couple of coats of sealer to protect its finish from the workout it will get.

In our last house, because our boys’ bathroom was also the hall bath that guests would be using. I went with a framed mirror with a more elegant metal leaf finish. I gave the frame a couple of coats of sealer and it held up beautifully — for 15 years.

When selecting your oval or arched mirror, keep the scale of your half bath in mind. An oversized mirror can overwhelm the space, while one that’s too small might get lost.

Choose a mirror that’s proportionally balanced with the size of your vanity and walls. Scale of any frame mirror also applies to the visual weight of the frame itself. 

By opting for an oval or arched mirror, you’re not just achieving a softer aesthetic; you’re also creating the perfect canvas for flattering wall sconces. The space above the curved edge allows for sconces to be placed at eye level, bathing your face in soft, diffused light. This eliminates those pesky shadows cast by overhead fixtures and makes getting ready a more pleasant experience.

So, ditch the boxy look and embrace the magic of ovals and arches! They’ll add a touch of softness, create the illusion of more space, and allow for functional and flattering sconces, all while contributing to the overall style of your half bath.

Within the categories of oval and arched, there are loads of options. You can certainly still have a little fun with a funky mirror in a bold color, if that’s on your wish list.

In bathrooms, particularly half baths, the walls are proportionally more significant to the rest of the room, so it is definitely worth any extra effort to add style and personality to the walls.