No half measures in half-bath design

Who ever thought fractions would come into a home’s bathroom configurations? But here we are with half baths.

Most single-family homes these days feature two-and-a-half or three-and-a-half bathrooms, some townhomes also have a half-bath and even apartment condos include this popular feature.

The half bath, or powder room, has become such an important part of today’s lifestyle that it would be just as important to give it a style – a look that will make your guests say “oh my!” instead of “oh, meh.”

We turn to one of Calgary’s most trusted interior decorator, Aly Velji, to give us a few pointers on how to achieve this goal.

“Half baths are my favourite areas to design. It is a great place to have some fun, be a little whimsical, and take risks. Also, these are bathrooms that most of your guests will be using, so put some thought into it and make it a surprise,” Aly says.

For more than a decade, Aly has brought an energetic flavour to the Canadian design scene. Through his Aly Velji Design studio, his commercial and residential work has been a consistent award-winner that goes beyond current trends.

An explanation first. A bathroom is considered a full bath when it has four essential fixtures: a sink, a toilet, a tub and a shower (or a tub/shower combo). A half bath has just two of the four main fixtures, usually just the toilet and a sink.

It is used mainly for the comfort of house guests and is usually on the main floor of the home, hence its importance in establishing a style for the home.

It occupies so little space yet having some of the biggest aesthetic impact in the home, the powder room is definitely a favourite for the design imagination. With a bit of thought, inspiration and attention to detail, this space that your guests tend to see the most has plenty of potential to wow.

Aly is very much in favour of wall treatments in the half bath, as they are a wonderful way to add interest and express taste. Tile, wallpaper, accent paint, wainscoting, wall paneling and moulding are all fantastic ways to add an extra layer of pattern, colour and texture.

“One big essential for me in a half-bath is wallpaper!” Aly tells Calgary New home + Condo Guide. “It’s a great way to add some drama to the space. Be bold with your choices.”

The plumbing hardware is of course the starting point in bathroom design (see sidebar), but the fixtures in the half bath can be treated separately from the rest of the bathrooms. Aly says he is all for consistency, but the half bath is far removed enough from the rest of the house that it can carry its own style.

Next up is the washstand which brings a glamour statement to the half bath. “I love the look of a washstand in a half bath, it feels a little more elegant and you can really have fun with what you do for the base.”

There are lots of toilets to choose from these days. Low-flow, heated even automated with bidets, you can go wild with the selection.
Although pedestal sinks remain great choices for smaller areas and come in a wide range of traditional to modern pieces. A word of caution on pedestal sinks: though they are sleek and stylish, they don’t offer storage space, so you will need accompanying pieces like baskets and bins to provide the functionality.

Floating vanities with or without storage have been popular lately. They make a space light, airy and are simply cool-looking and impressive.

Lighting is also an important facet in the design of the half bath. There are many beautiful vanity lights to choose from. But, if you want to bold and have high enough ceiling for it, go for a chandelier in the middle of the room. Also trending are wall sconces, drop one or two pendants over your sink area or add LED strip lighting behind a floating mirror and under a vanity, an instant ambience changer. Use multi-colour LED strips to instantly change the hue of your room. When planning for lighting, ensure proper wiring is roughed-in.

Add finishing touches like towels and vases and soap dispensers that can match the look of the room. Invest in a solid good quality towel bar and toilet paper holder. Just like everything else, there are lots of styles and finishes to select from. Change up your decor every now and then for a fresh look.

The half bath can really create a huge first impression in a home, and the wonderful thing is it doesn’t have to match the design of the other bathrooms in the home.

“Half baths are smaller rooms so you can really have some fun in these spaces. Think about lighting, plumbing fixtures, interesting counter tops and perhaps a patterned floor. Of course, I am a huge advocate for consistency in a home, but those rules are thrown out the window when it comes to half baths,” Aly says.

2021 Trends in bathroom designs

For the last 11 years Alykhan Velji’s boutique design firm has brought an energetic flavour to the Canadian design scene. Serving both residential and commercial clients, Aly is also a familiar face in the Canadian television industry, appearing on shows including “Designer Superstar Challenge,” “The Style Dept,” “My RONA Home” and is a resident design expert on “The Marilyn Denis Show.” Here are his thoughts on bathroom design trends.

Is there a current theme for bathroom design that you would recommend?

Bathrooms are really becoming areas of the home that are becoming a lot more design forward. When it comes to tile, plumbing, millwork and lighting, the possibility of creating an oasis in the home has never been stronger. Whether you want a bold and punchy look or something soft and spa like, there is a look for you.

Is gold still a trending colour for bathrooms?

Brass is a great finish to incorporate into a bathroom because of its decorative quality. I find it is a lot a warmer in its look and provides a gorgeous contrast against simple finishes. There are so many finishes of brass that you can incorporate into a space and modern fixtures are now coming in this finish as everybody wants it.

I also love using matte black hardware for pluming in bathrooms. It also provides a more sharper contrast and adds a bit of an edge.

How would you approach designing a smaller bathroom compared to a larger one?

When it comes to smaller bathrooms, storage is key. The vanity plays a key component when it comes to smaller spaces so you have to be creative. I also love to be bold in my choices for smaller bathrooms to have a little more fun, especially in secondary bathrooms like a kids bath. Lighting is also very important and you want to make sure you have ample lighting especially if you don’t have a lot of natural light.

Stand-alone tubs? Is this still a thing?

We are still incorporating a lot of stand alone tubs in principal bathrooms. They are sculptural and beautiful, with so many different styles available, they are a great addition especially if you love your baths. We are going towards the more organic and softer shapes of tubs in our designs as I feel these lend themselves to a more spa-like aesthetic.

Talk about shower stalls.

Showers are becoming larger and more of a focal point in bathrooms. We are also seeing tubs being removed from secondary bathrooms and putting in showers instead. These areas are great spaces to add in feature tiles and unique plumbing elements that can really make the bathroom look fabulous.

Niches in showers are also a must as they provide a great place for storage and also a great area to install a feature tile.