16 Memorable Powder Room Wallpaper Ideas, Including One That Takes Over the Door

We’re always here for a bit of whimsical, eye-catching wallpaper. And every designer knows it’s one of the easiest ways to transform a space. Because wallpaper tends to be more expensive than paint, you want to ensure you’re splurging in the right rooms. Smaller ones, like powder rooms, are perfect for such a bold application (covering less wall space keeps the cost down). And it’s easy to find a sleek white vanity and brass faucet to complement the look—even with an eccentric pink flamingo print.

Psst: When thinking about taking on a powder room wallpaper project, source as many swatches as possible. There are so many options on the market, and you want to make sure that you are choosing the right one. Tape them onto your walls and live with them for a little while before narrowing down the selection. Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite powder rooms that pack a punch.

Social Butterfly

It’s spring every day of the year in Washington, D.C.–based designer Nicole Lanteri’s powder room. Going with this playful Queen’s Flight print, designed by artist Anne Lemanski and sold through Schumacher, was a fitting addition to the already charming 1938 Colonial Revival architecture. 

Flight Risk

After Sam Donnelly landed on the flying ducks wallpaper for her powder room, she and her architect, Ryan Perella, turned to Urban Electric to create a custom-colored sconce that matches the birds’ heads perfectly.

Closed Door Policy

It’s no surprise that this was the room entrepreneur and yogi Cheryl Mainland says made everyone in her family the happiest during lockdown. Her approach of applying the Pierre Frey print everywhere—door included—is what her son, Cobalt, likes to call “floor-to-ceiling amazingness.”

Secret Garden

Designer Merve Kahraman’s goal with swathing her client’s powder room in a peacock chinoiserie wallpaper was to evoke the mystery of a late-night bar. “I wanted the two-tone glass of the mirror to frame the birds perfectly, so you see them in the center when washing your hands,” she says.

Cottagecore Combo

Holly Vaughan of Vaughan Design & Development didn’t limit herself to only wallpaper or just tile in this Surrey, England, home. Instead she combined a tulip print by Ottoline and pink zellige tile from Mosaic Factory, resulting in a sharp contrast of delicate florals and rugged squares. 

In the Red

Swathed in Apex Grand wallpaper by Cole & Son, Glenn Lawson considers his powder room one of his best party tricks. Compared to the rest of the home’s laid-back SoCal aesthetic, this unexpected splash of red and black surprises guests every time. 

Floral Fete

Jennifer Crystal Foley and her husband, Mike, had to sell their interior designer, Liza Reyes, on coating their powder room in this Timorous Beasties print at first. But Reyes came around to the whimsical design the more she got to know her clients. “Jenny was like, that’s me,” says Reyes. 

Tropical Paradise 

When the Bay Area fog gets to be too much, the members of designer Lisa le Duc’s family can retreat to the powder room, where colorful birds sit on branches adorned with small pink flowers. 

Written in the Stars

Garza Interiors took many cues from its client, professional astrologer Britten LaRue, while designing LaRue’s home—the wallpaper in the powder room was directly inspired by her hand-marbled workbook covers. 

Knock on Wood

The chocolaty brown backdrop of the Paola Suhonen–designed wallpaper plays nicely with this rural Minnesota home’s dark wood paneled walls and rose marble mosaic tile floors. 

Snack Time

Even though the Orange Harvest wallpaper hanging in Latham Thomas’s space is peel-and-stick, it’s not getting removed anytime soon. It is cheerful bolts of color like this that she’s constantly in pursuit of. “It’s an extension of my personality,” says Thomas. “I forget that some people just want neutrals.”

Textured Illusion

Inspired by traditional embroidered textiles and folk art, ethereal-looking birds and other creatures pop against the deep navy background of this Hygge and West paper that lines the powder room of a colorful Manhattan home.

Be a Square

This modernized block print is an easy pattern to incorporate for even the most wallpaper adverse. The repetitive pattern is enough to stand out but won’t compete with other classic bathroom accessories.

Going for the Gold

Is there such a thing as too much gold? Don’t worry about overdoing it when the wallpaper is this good. Really drive home the look with gold accents because, after all, this style isn’t for the faint of heart.

Hopping Around

We are all for something fun on our walls, and there are some seriously dramatic animal creations out there. This Hunt Slonem one is a bit tamer, so you can include it in your powder room without much risk.

Old-World Art

Inspired by a vintage paper pattern found in a curiosity shop, Calico gave this hypnotic print a modern update. The wallpaper is a beautiful marriage between traditional marbling techniques and modernist design, and it certainly makes for a showstopping statement.

This story was originally published in November 2016. It has since been updated.