Small Powder Room Reveal
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our policy for details.
Do you have a small, older house with only one bathroom and don’t have the funds, or space, for a 2nd bathroom addition? That was the issue in our 1946 stone cottage. We really wanted a 2nd bath but didn’t want to build an addition so we found a bedroom closet to convert into a powder ourselves.
Let’s take a quick look at where we started… in our guest bedroom closet, which is not original to the house.
We’ve talked about adding a powder room to our cottage since we moved in and this closet seemed like a good spot.
It’s actually our largest closet and is right next to the only bathroom, the perfect spot to tie in the plumbing.
It took us time to plan everything but once we felt comfortable with our plans, we quickly got to work framing it out and wiring it.
Check out the whole process of starting the powder room and building the custom bathroom vanity.
We added DIY shiplap to the walls and built a custom vanity.
Most of the surfaces in this space were painted in my fave paint, Benjamin Moore White Dove, Advance, Satin, including the DIY shiplap, ceiling and barn door.
Best. paint. ever!
Once the shiplap was up and painted, we had to build the bathroom vanity in place.
Uneven floors, plus a tight space, meant we had to do it this way.
After the new powder room vanity was complete (and our new Moen faucet was installed), our work came to a standstill.
We needed to replace our 80 year old plumbing so that we could hook up the new toilet.
We’d never tackled a project like that before so it took some time and a bit of research.
Once we tackled the plumbing though, we picked out a toilet and continued with the build.
Picking the toilet for the new powder room was a job in itself.
It had to be a certain size so it would fit in the space, and actually allow you to sit on it without smacking your head on the vanity.
Woohoo!
I never thought I’d be so excited to see a toilet.
There isn’t a whole lot of space but it’s just enough….just.
Our daughter came for a visit right after we completed it.
She gave it 2 thumb’s up and said she had more than enough room. She still had to use our main bath to take a shower but that was it.
It feels like a real luxury having this extra space, even though it’s narrow and small.
I’m really loving our brand new space but can we talk about our new powder room door?
I’ve been waiting 3 years to use this beautiful door. I’m so glad that I was able to use it here.
I found this door on it’s way to the curb when Roger and I were taking a walk in our Illinois neighborhood. To say I was excited is an understatement, I may have even squealed.
After making sure that it was actually going out to the trash (it was), I ran home to get my car so we could haul it home.
Roger had the job of standing on the sidewalk, with his hand firmly grasping it, in case any door snatchers decided they wanted it.
I’m happy to say that we got it home safely. It even made the trip to North Carolina, where it’s been waiting for its reincarnation.
Let’s talk about using a door with a window in it for a bathroom.
I really wanted to use a door that had a window in it so you didn’t feel like you were in a small, dark box when the door was closed.
Roger made it a point to keep reminding me that a window wasn’t a great idea when you need privacy.
Clearly, I didn’t listen.
I thought it would be ok since this space is in a bedroom so it’s a little more private. Plus there’s no traffic walking by while you’re using it.
To add a sense of more privacy, and to make him happy, I used frosted glass spray paint.
You can see the video I made when I was doing this project, here.
I think the door with a glass window was definitely the right call. I’m loving the way it turned out.
Thanks so much for coming along on this journey.
All the work we put into our new tiny powder room, and the bedroom closet, was well worth it.
I never expected it to look this good.
Now we are on to the rest of the guest bedroom makeover.
I love this transformation and hoping to do something similar. Can you please share what faucet you used? I’m thinking about skipping the vanity part to have more leg room. Do you think that would work? Because my coat closet length is smaller but the width is the same.
It’s the Hamden model from Moen. Hope that helps!
I’m wondering how far you had to go to hook into your existing sewer pipe. I have a place I’d like to make a powder room but it’s diagonally opposite the existing sewer in a 26’ square house.
This is such a great idea. I would like to know the length and breadth of your powder room. My friend suggested doing something similar in my 3bd 1ba house and am trying to visualize. Your post is inspirational.
Thanks Kaytiee! The dimensions are 70×30. Narrow and tight but a welcome addition to our small home.
Kristi, just came across your post transforming closet to powder room. I love it. I’m working on something similar. Can you tell me the actual dimensions of the powder room? Thanks, Michelle
I love it!! I am doing a remodel now and want to add a ‘tiny’ powder room. Would you be so kind to share the dimensions of your amazing little powder room? Thanks.
You are an inspiration! I want to do this in our home! What are the dimensions of your gorgeous powder room and how tall is the ceiling? Did you have to install a fan? Did you have to reinforce the floor? Thank you so much!
Kathy
That’s so nice. Thanks so much, Kathy! The powder room is 30×70. It’s the same size as the original closet. The ceiling is about 9 feet tall, and we have not installed a fan (although we do have wiring in place for it). We also did not need to reinforce the floor, all we did was add a toilet so no need for reinforcement. Hope this helps.
Hi! Love this! What are the dimensions of the bathroom?
Hi Tess! Thanks so much! The dimensions of the bathroom are 30×70. Hope that helps!
Hello! This looks beautiful. What was the size of the closet/bathroom?
Thanks Lily! The dimensions of the bathroom are 30×70. Hope that helps!
Love the what you did with the small closet – powder room. I have been wanting to do this too with my 1928 home. I’d like to know if our closets are the same size. Could you send me the dimensions of the floor space. Appreciate it!
Thanks Judi! We love our tiny but very useful powder room. The dimensions of the space are 30×70. Hope that helps!
Love it. Can you please tell me where did you get the white door with glass window? Thank you!
Thanks so much! All of the info on the door is in the post, near the bottom.
Oops! Found it.
Million thanks!
How did you do the DIY shiplap? We have a teeny half bath that I’ve been trying to figure out the walls for and I think I like your idea best 🙂
If you visit my first post for the powder room (it was linked in the reveal post), you can see what we used and how we did it. Very easy, really, and budget-friendly. Here’s a link in case you can’t find it https://www.chatfieldcourt.com/new-addition-cottage-small-powder-room/
Absolutely LOVE this space! And great call on the “door with a window” idea, can’t imagine being in the space without it. Everything turned out great and you’re truly inspiring. Can you tell me more about the pull you used on the door? I’m trying to find one with a large backplate like that to cover the holes in a repurposed door but am having no luck. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Beth! I’m really thrilled with the way the space turned out, especially with the addition of the door. I found our pulls from a vendor on Etsy. I had some issues with them so I can’t really recommend them but there were others that can make handles and plates like ours. Hope that helps! Good luck with your search.
I love this and am trying to do the same thing in my tiny hone in LA. Can you tell me what the denensions are? I am dealing with 31” x 58”. I think I might have to do a wall mounted toliet.
Thanks,
Jess
Hi Jess! The dimensions of our powder room are roughly 70×30. It was just enough room for the toilet and a tiny vanity. I would say that if you can fit it, a wall mounted toilet may be your best choice. Hope it all works out for you. Thanks!
did you ever mention where you got the toilet? We are looking into doing a small powder room like this and would love to know what toilet you ended up choosing.
Hi Kelly! We ended up getting the toilet from Home Depot. It was just one off the floor. It is one piece and has a low profile so it fit in nicely. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier-Bay-1-piece-1-1-GPF-1-6-GPF-High-Efficiency-Dual-Flush-Elongated-All-in-One-Toilet-in-White-N2420/203076918
That is so unbelievable! Every little thing is just perfect! I honestly would have never thought about turning a closet into a bathroom and am inspired to think outside the box in a much bigger way. I have been griping about how small my bathrooms are but if a closet can work I should be able to make mine a vision of loveliness too! But first, I have to get all the straw embedded in the paint scraped off…why, oh why did someone think that was pretty?
Thanks so much Michelle, I really appreciate it! It’s definitely tiny but it does exactly what we need. There was a time that I could have never imagined having such a tiny space but, desperate times…desperate measures. Or something along those lines. 😉
Straw embedded on a wall? Oh my! Wasn’t that an episode on Trading Spaces? 😉 Good luck with that!
The powder room looks fantastic. We are thinking about doing something similar but we don’t know if we have enough space. What are the inside dimensions of your finished powder room? Thanks.
Thanks Mike! The inside dimensions of the powder room is roughly 70×30. It’s tiny but just enough for us.
Kristi, you guys are so clever, what an amazing space! The frost window door is a great idea, glad you rescued the door!
I’m glad that I rescued that door too, Laura. We are really happy with the way our tiny space turned out.
WOW !
What ambition you have . It looks wonderful and your husband must have a lot of patience. God Bless you both. I love it.
Thanks so much Susan! We love this tiny space and it’s so nice to have that second bathroom space in the cottage.
May I ask where you found that gorgeous mirror?
Hi Rose. I found the mirror at Wayfair and made by House of Hampton. Unfortunately it’s not available right now. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
thank you so much for letting me know!
WOW! WOW! WOW! What an inspiration you are. Your powder room is perfection.
Awww, that’s so sweet. Thanks so much Janis! We are really thrilled with the way our new little powder room turned out. 🙂
Wonderful job and outcome! Saw your feature on A Stroll Thru Life and just had to tell you how great it looks.
Rita C at Panoply
Thanks so much for stopping in Rita, and for your sweet comment. We are really thrilled with the way it turned out
I’m totally in awe of this project. I own a small (750sq.ft) beach cottage and would like to do the same thing. How wide was your space?? I have the length, but am unsure if a commode and vanity would fit in the width. The door application is truly inspired.
Thanks for sharing! Ilene
Thanks so much Ilene! The space is about 32″ wide. You need to consider the toilet size and check with your town’s codes. We were sweating it until the toilet was bolted in place. It’s definitely tight but there’s plenty of room to sit comfortably. Hope you’re able to fit one in your cottage.
You should be very proud of yourselves. It turned out fabulous! Love the doors!
Thanks so much Becky! We love how it all turned out, and that door is one of my fave things. 😉
Just AMAZING! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much Erin, I appreciate it!
It looks great! It’s both pretty and functional in a very small space. Very inspiring!
Thanks so much Lily! We are so happy with the way it turned out. 🙂
I have followed your blog for a long time but have never left a comment. I just love your decorating style. My husband and I relocated to a new area last summer. The house we purchased is in very good shape except for the 1970’s decor. lol We are having a great time updating a room at a time. Your blog has given me a lot of great ideas and I just wanted to thank you.
Hi Renea! Thanks so much for stopping in to say hi and for your sweet comment. I love hearing about my readers home projects so I hope you stop back in and share what you’re working on from time to time. Best of luck with updating your house (it really is fun isn’t it?). Thanks so much for following along. 🙂
Absolutely love it all…..the shiplap, mirror, vanity, sconces, door….it’s perfect!
Thanks so much Sherry! I love it too! It’s turned out to be my own little space. 🙂
What a great project! An excellent use of space. I am looking forward to seeing what you will do with the bedroom. A lot work went into this project and it shows. I love all of your choices and finishes.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Julie! We are thrilled with our new space!
I’ll be glad when I figure out what I want to do with the bedroom. I’m just not sure how I want to use the space yet. 😉
Very excellent job, the design is pretty and the building talents are impressive, as this looks like it was tricky. Someone has amazing patience. I bet you are thrilled to have this finished.
We are thrilled that it’s finished. The bedroom is still a mess so I’ll be happy when it’s all done and looking put together. Thanks so much Jillian. I appreciate you following along. 🙂
What a great job! So pretty! Could you please show us a picture with both doors closed (with the pwd rm light on)?
Thanks so much Rosie, I appreciate it!
I sent you an email with the picture you asked for.
It is the perfect bathroom. So beautiful. I hope you get in a magazine with your idea. It came out so well. I was so excited to finally see it. Take care.
Awww, thanks so much for your sweet comment Tracy! I’m so happy that it’s finally done.
Thanks for following along with us on this project and for checking out the reveal. 🙂
It was a very smart use of space and so very lovely.
Thanks Marlene, I appreciate it! 🙂
Gorgeous! I love it.
Thanks Linda, I appreciate it!
It looks beautiful and you just added a ton of bankable value to your home!
I sure hope so! Thanks so much Kim! 🙂
It turned out great, Kristi! I wish I had a closet to use for a spare bathroom. The only closet that would be available is way too small. I do like the door idea. Your faucet in there is almost the same as my new one. I had to replace it after about 20 years because it was leaking. Thank goodness my son can do all that stuff. He had it and a J pipe that was leaking done in no time!
Can’t wait to see what you do with the spare room!
Thanks so much MJ! We are so happy with the way it turned out. If the previous homeowner hadn’t built that closet we wouldn’t have thought to do it. It just happened to be the right size (bigger would have been better but small, old house=small closets).
Yay for kids! Glad your son was able to fix your plumbing and add a new faucet.
I love what you and your husband have done with this space! The toilet is fine, but your vanity area is as pretty as any in a high end, large bathroom. I don’t have a problem with it – and I understand the logistics – but does your bathroom door have to be open in order to open the closet door? If not, I don’t know how that works. Regardless, it looks perfectly fine to me. Good job. You must walk in there several times just to admire both the closet and the bath. You guys are amazing.
Thanks so much Pat! We’re really thrilled with our new space. I actually do walk in there, slide the doors and just look at it. Probably because it’s still so new. 🙂
The bathroom door does have to be open in order to open the closet. We have it open all the time anyway so it’s not an issue (unless someone is using it). We also put a stop on the bottom of the closet door so it only goes in front of the bathroom opening a little bit. Hope that helps.
It turned out beautiful. I have the chance to move closer to my son and am looking at a retirement park near him. The home I have an eye on has a tiny bathroom like this one. If I decide to buy it I will use your bath as inspiration. Going to watch the video. Have a great week.
Thanks so much Debbie! 🙂
That’s so great that you’ll be near your son. Can’t wait to hear what you decide.
I’ve been following this project from the beginning and have to say “Great Job!” This is wonderful and I’m sure it will get lots of use. That door is super and glad you thought to save it from the rubbish.
Thanks Margaret, and I appreciate you following along. It took a bit longer than we thought it would but I love the new space. 🙂
What was the size of your closet?
The old closet was a bit smaller than 30×70.
I think it turned out beautiful . I really love the door. Great idea.
Thanks so much Deb! We’re really happy with the way it turned out.