Powder Room Remodels: Small Room, Big Impression

A powder room is the smallest bathroom in the house and often the one guests see most. With no shower or tub, it is also the one room where you can use materials that would not survive steam: wallpaper, plaster, a stone vessel sink, a bold light fixture. The rules still apply, though, and in a room this small every inch of clearance counts.

Layout and clearances

Most powder rooms put the toilet and sink side by side on one wall or opposite each other. Whichever you choose, Washington's plumbing code sets the minimums:

• At least 15 inches from the center of the toilet to any side wall or obstruction, including the edge of a vanity.
• At least 21 inches of clear space in front of the toilet and in front of the sink in a dwelling.
• Grab bars and toilet paper holders do not count as obstructions.

The NKBA's planning guidelines recommend more: 18 inches from the toilet's centerline and 30 inches clear in front of each fixture. They are recommendations, not code, but in a powder room the difference between 21 and 30 inches is the difference between squeezing past the sink and walking in comfortably. The NKBA also suggests the toilet paper holder sit 8 to 12 inches in front of the bowl's edge, about 26 inches above the floor. More layouts are on bathroom layouts, and the full plumbing rules on bathroom plumbing code.

The door is often the hardest part. A door that swings into the room can hit the toilet or eat the clear space in front of it. Options are a door that swings out into the hall where that is safe, a pocket door, or rehanging the door so it opens against a clear wall. The NKBA recommends a clear door opening of at least 32 inches; measure yours, since an existing opening may be narrower.

Vanity choices

A powder room counts as a bathroom under the electrical code because it has a sink and a toilet, so it needs a ground-fault protected receptacle within 3 feet of the sink. Plan where it goes before you choose a vanity with a backsplash or a mirror that covers the wall. See bathroom vanities and bathroom electrical code.

Where to spend: statement finishes

Because a powder room is small, a premium material covers little area. This is the room for:

• Wallpaper or a plaster finish. Without shower steam, these are realistic. Keep them clear of the sink splash, or protect the wall behind the sink with tile or a backsplash.
• Statement tile on one wall. A full-height tiled wall behind the vanity, or a patterned floor, has a large effect for a small quantity of tile.
• A distinctive sink and faucet. A vessel sink or wall-mounted faucet can be the focal point. Washington limits new lavatory faucets to 1.2 gallons per minute, so check the rating of any faucet you fall for.
• Dark or saturated paint. A small room handles a deep color well. Choose a finish made for bathrooms.

New toilets must use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush under Washington's plumbing code, which applies to a powder room toilet as much as any other.

Lighting a small room

A single overhead fixture casts shadows on faces at the mirror. Light at face height on both sides of the mirror, or a fixture above it, is more flattering, and a decorative sconce can be the room's feature. Washington's energy code requires new permanently installed fixtures to use high-efficacy sources such as LED, but it does not require dimmers or sensors in bathrooms. See bathroom lighting.

The ventilation requirement

Owners are often surprised that a powder room needs a fan. Washington's residential code requires local exhaust for bathrooms and toilet rooms, and Washington did not adopt the model code's window alternative. The fan must provide 50 cfm intermittent or 20 cfm continuous, be ducted directly outdoors with a backdraft damper, and have a control in the room. Where the existing fan vents into the attic, or there is no fan, adding one with a proper duct is part of the job. Details are on bathroom ventilation code.

What makes a powder room quick or slow

A powder room is small, but its schedule depends on the scope more than the square footage. Things that keep it simple:

• Toilet and sink stay on their existing drains.
• The existing fan already ducts outdoors.
• Finishes and fixtures are chosen and on hand before work starts.

Things that add time:

• Moving the toilet or sink, or adding a wall-hung toilet with an in-wall frame.
• Rerouting or adding a fan duct.
• Specialty finishes such as plaster or hand-cut tile, and special-order fixtures.
• Permits and inspections, when the work needs them. See do you need a permit.

Budget

JDI's bathroom cost calculator gives these planning ranges for a half or powder bath (toilet and vanity, no shower or tub), before sales tax. They are not quotes.

The ranges include design, permits, demolition, cabinetry, counters, tile, plumbing, electrical, lighting, fixtures and installation; structural repair found inside walls is handled by written change order. More on bathroom remodel cost in Vancouver, WA. Try the bathroom cost calculator for your own range, or start with bathroom remodeling in Vancouver, WA.