Design Direction

May 26, 2010 · Posted in Bathroom design ideas, Design Direction

Do you have a challenging space or need some design guidance? Design Direction is a chance for you to submit photos or videos of your design challenge(s) and a Vastu interior designer will provide you with some help. Every Wednesday we will feature one reader’s submission.

“I really like the idea of wallpaper in a bathroom, but I’m a little nervous about wallpapering my own half bath. I wanted it to be nice since it’s the bath the guests will use, but it’s a little on the small side… I was hoping you could help me with whether to go for a bold printed wallpaper or a textured one? Cover all four walls or just the one behind the vanity? Or the one behind the toilet? Help!”

Jamie says…

The half bath is an area of the home where most residents spend very little time, and the decor does tend to be more for the enjoyment of your guests. With that, I’m all for using wallcovering in a bathroom. Regarding whether to cover all four bathroom walls or just one, I’d suggest covering all four walls if you find a solid, textured wallcovering or a wallpaper with a small pattern you like. It’s also fine to use a more bold and interesting wallpaper in the half bath. But, if you go with a larger pattern, I’d recommend doing only one wall. Large prints and patterns can become very busy in a small space. You want a wow factor, you don’t want to make your guests dizzy. I first instinct is to suggest you wallpaper behind the vanity, but whether you do one wall behind the vanity or toilet is really a personal aesthetic choice. One other thing to consider, going with a more solid, textured wallpaper gives you the opportunity to do more with other decor elements, such as including art or photos, an interesting mirror, etc. If you go with the more bold print, you want that to stand out, so you’ll want to keep other items in the half bath simple as not to compete with the wallpaper. Hope that helps!