Always on Trend: 20 Powder Rooms in Black and White

A bold splash of color in the powder room has become something of a trend in recent times, with homeowners willing to add audacious wallpaper and bright hues to give this small space a huge personality. Much like the other ‘hot trends’, this love for vivacious color might not last forever, but one color scheme that never goes out of trend is the classic duo of black and white. If you have ever stepped into a black and white bathroom, you will easily understand the timeless elegance of this combination and why it is perfect for your fashionable powder room as well.

Wallpaper in black and white adds elegance to the powder room [From: Kallista Plumbing / Jay Greene Photography]

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There are plenty of advantages to embracing a black and white color scheme, and they range from simplicity and design flexibility to having a backdrop that need not be altered frequently just to fit in with the changing trends. Giving even the tiniest of powder rooms a spacious and charming vibe, we delve today into the beautiful world of black and white powder rooms at their mesmerizing best.

Turn to Wallpaper

The perception that wallpaper in the powder room is only useful when you want to usher in bold pattern and bright colors is pretty far off from reality. Even those wanting a stylish and sophisticated black and white backdrop for the powder room can use wallpaper that brings plenty of pattern and personality to the limited space without actually disturbing the color scheme. Whether it is simple stripes or playful patterns inspired by the sights and sounds of nature, wallpaper in black and white is as much of a showstopper as those in striking shades.

Blackbird wallpaper for the black and white powder room [Design: Carolyn Reyes]

Linnaeus Noir wallpaper in the traditional powder room [Design: Wilson Kelsey Design]

If wallpaper is not your thing, then custom wall decals and murals can also make a big impact in the black and white powder room, as the background itself is so very neutral in nature. It is best to use the wallpaper for all the exposed wall surfaces in really tiny powder rooms to cut down on visual fragmentation of space, while an accent wall in wallpaper makes sense in larger spaces.

Modern powder room with geo style wallpaper [Design: Diane Bishop Interiors / Jay Greene Photography]

Corner sink frees up space in the rest of the powder room [From: Catherine Gurari Interior Design]

Pompadour Wallpapers Du Barry From Osborne and Little for the contemporary powder room [Design: Lisa Vail Design]

Lighting It Right

How smart is it to give an already ‘limited’ room a color scheme anchored in black and white? The answer to that question would be ‘very smart’, if you can get the balance between the two hues right and the lighting spot on. No matter what color you use in the powder room, poor lighting can give this small space a dark and dreary look. This could very well start you off on a cycle of constant redecorating and repainting without ever realizing that the real issue at hand is poor lighting. A sparkling chandelier coupled with clever ambient lighting is the ideal way forward in the black and white powder room.

Glamorous powder room in black and white [From: Orange Coast Interior Design]

Beautiful traditional powder room in white with a dash of black [From: Olga Adler]

A beautiful chandelier adds glamour and brings a sense of opulence to the room without altering its color scheme. Styles such as Victorian, Art Deco, Hollywood Regency and even eclectic definitely need this sparkly touch to really give the black and white powder room that unmistakable allure. Add in a couple of chic sconces next to the mirror, and you have a powder room with a ‘high-end’ feel!

Lighting gives the contemporary powder room an airy ambiance [From: Tuggey Interior Design]

Chandelier adds dazzle to the small powder room [Design: Knowles Design]

Graham and Brown Vintage Flock wallpaper for the small powder room [Design: Haddad Hakansson Design Studio]

A Dash of Color

Black and white powder rooms still allow you to add a fair bit of color, and because of the neutral backdrop, every little drop of color makes a big visual impact. Maybe this is one of the biggest reasons for the popularity of the color scheme in bathrooms as well. You can just alter the accent additions (stuff like towels, floor mats and maybe even those flowers on the vanity) with changing seasonal trends to give the powder room a completely different vibe. One color that never seems to fail when coupled with black and white in the powder room is gold! When in doubt, turn to golden-tinted accessories to enliven and enrich the mundane powder room.

Midcentury style powder room with black and white color scheme [From: The Works / Lincoln Barbour Photographer]

Gold coupled with black and white in the lovely powder room

Traditional powder room in black and white with a lovely chandelier [From: Martha O'Hara Interiors / Troy Thies Photography] — Traditional powder room in black and white with a lovely chandelier [From: Martha O’Hara Interiors / Troy Thies Photography]

Mediterranean powder room with black and white beauty [From: Michael Woodall photographer]

Strikingly beautiful wallpaper for the eclectic powder room [Design: Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs]

Many Shades of Gray

Finding a balance between black and white in the powder room can be a tricky affair at the best of times, and a good segue between the two is to use the different shades of gray on offer. Gray is undoubtedly the hot neutral of this decade, and its ‘power’ only seems to grow with each passing season. Giving the powder room a gray tint while embracing the black and white look is a great way to combine both trendy and timeless elements in a seamless fashion.