Add a little Design Drama to your Space

Who said you can’t do a dark colour in a small space? I’ve always loved to break the design rules, and I am delighted with the small bathroom makeover I just did. Current design trends are leaning toward dark wall colours, so I tested it out. A piece of advice: if you are intimidated by, or leery of a design trend, try applying it to a smaller area to ensure you love it prior to working on a larger space.  Case in point - I took on this once blah bathroom and transformed it into a moody, conversational design heaven.

 

First thing first, the wall colour. Yes, it is black! I went with a matt finish for a bit of drama and to be a little different all at once.  Black cabinets and walls are on the top trend list this year, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about …. now I get it! I love the drama it adds! 

 Then I found this great white gloss Canadian made vanity from Cutler Kitchen and Bath. The single drawer offers more storage than the old vanity with two doors, since the back portion of the vanity can now be accessed. I love that its floating application exposes more of the floor – always a great trick to making a small space seem larger.

 My DIY project was spray painting the handle that came with the vanity to have a vintage brass finish to keep with the room’s colour scheme. If you can’t find the exact piece or finish, don’t be afraid to alter something to make it perfect for your design concept.

 

The crème de la crème in this space is the stunning Delta Champagne faucet with the matching wall towel rack. It truly is the jewelry of the bathroom, and it was the perfect starting point to introducing brass and gold as the accent colours within this small bathroom. I tied in more of that brassy gold colour in the moody vanity wall light and my Etsy find vintage brass wall-art birds. Other bonus finds were the vintage pieces on the glass shelf above the toilet, which tied perfectly into my colour scheme.

 The round mirror added a different dimension and twist to the hard lines that the room had. I always like to add round elements to a space for character and interest, plus it softens the harshness.

 

Beyond the colour, art work is a conversation starter. Here I used my own photograph of a swan, printed through Poster Jack online, to add a personal touch and uniqueness to the space. Artwork is the ideal way to tie in your own interests and add a very personal element to any space. This image also connected to the birds on the wall – tying all the elements into a single cohesive design.

 

Changing out the curtain rod to a dark brass finish and adding a white shower curtain from Bed Bath and Beyond balanced off the white vanity and toilet on the opposite wall; again, making all individual elements into one consistent and interconnected look.

 

Overall, the contrast of white and black makes the room seem bigger and adds interest to this small space. Who knew such a boring space could be so dramatically changed by the use of colour? The bathrooms footprint stayed the same; however, it looks like an entirely different room and the best part is, it didn’t break the bank!