What is more conventional than a Windsor chair? Not much … except when the seat gets a makeover which gives it a fresh, new attitude. Contemporary interpretations of the centuries-old icon retain the distinctive spindles, splayed legs and graceful lines of their cousins — but that’s where the similarities end. New profiles, hot paint colours and modern materials carry Windsor design right up to the present.

Each version of the Windsor chair in these spaces stays true to the soul of the first, but all are uniquely suited to their surroundings. What do you believe about these updates? Tell us in the Comments section.

CITYDESKSTUDIO, Inc..

This stripped-down space reflects a contemporary take on rustic lodge style. The wood-burning stove and Windsor-inspired chairs infuse the space with a hint of countryside soul, while the neutral palette and minimalist surfaces communicate urban cool.

Terrat Elms Interior Design

With sharp, smooth planes and light paint, these chairs have a Scandinavian sensibility. They’d look perfect in a midcentury modern interior, refreshing in a candy cottage and ultrasleek in a conventional setting.

Jeanette Lunde

With exaggerated tapering along with a coat of quite pink paint, a set of Windsors adds a light touch to an eclectic collection of artwork and artwork.

Neiman Taber Architects

Paint does wonders to teach these chairs tricks. Dressing every person in a different pastel hue gave them a joyous and accumulated air and offset their conventional form.

KKC Fine Homes

These barrel-back Windsor chairs have to be extra comfy — I imagine the curved profile feels like a gentle hug.

Windsor Chair – $625

Extra-long legs, sexy bright colours and a minimum of spindles put a contemporary twist with this new-generation Windsor layout.

Modern Windsor Accent Chair – $399

This low-slung version, which is just right for an Asian-inspired space, takes a casual approach.

Hand-Painted Windsor Chair – GBP 225

Together, they’re like the most adorable paint deck you can imagine. Mix and match colours or pick a single unexpected shade to jolt a staid dining room.

Folklore

Dip Chair – GBP 395

It has two trends in one. This long-legged beauty combines an updated form using a dip-dye paint therapy.

More: On Trend: 10 Ways to Dip Dye

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It’s true that you have a dining table large enough to seat your family. But when guests come, do you end up squeezed in so tight you devote the meal together with Uncle Bob’s elbow in your ribs? If your cut-off age for who gets stuck at the kids’ table is 35, then you may want a dining table that develops with all the guest list.

An expandable dining table is available in every style, so there’s one just right for you. Before you go shopping, think about these design elements that will assist you opt for the most suitable one.

Brownstone Furniture

Sienna Dining Table

I’ve always loved round dining tables best since they make it simple for everyone to see and speak with one another. Most of the time, as soon as a round table contains leaves, it becomes oblong, which gives you those horizontal sides. But this one …

Brownstone Furniture

Sienna Dining Table

… turns to a larger table. Brownstone’s Sienna Table goes from a 56-inch diameter, which seats four to six individuals, up to a 72-inch diameter, which seats 10. The style is so straightforward and timeless it’ll work with conventional or transitional decor. Individual soft felt bags are provided to protect the extensions from scrapes while stored.

Astrolab Dining Table

Is modern more your preference? Roche Bobois is known for its sleek styling. Its Astrolab glass expansion table has integrated leaves and an exposed system of gears that could earn a Swiss watch proud. Operated by a battery-run motor with remote controller, you just push a button to expand this table. The remote performance is so cool, you might have the ability to entice the sport enthusiasts in their death-grip on the TV remote and football watching long enough to come eat dinner.

The Hickory Chair Furniture Co..

Newport Dining Table Top

Do you regularly throw big dinner parties? Hickory Chair’s Newport Dining Table is available in lots of sizes, such as a behemoth that begins at 10 feet long and expands up to 18 ft, which will seat 20 people. It utilizes three pedestals rather than the two you see here. Casters on the pedestals make it a lot easier to maneuver it into another position if you want to expand to the complete size — a nice feature on this a long table. I’m sure I’m not the only person who expands my dining table in the dining room to the living room once I want to seat more people.

Urbanspace Interiors

Were you aware there are no legs on the edges of this table for in the way of the seats? Selecting a table with a pedestal base keeps your knees bruise-free. Click on this photo and adhere to the green tags for resource information.

Vanguard Furniture

Vanguard Dining Table

Vanguard’s base dining table is the essence of contemporary style that is warm. The slim base guarantees that nobody might need to sit straddling a table leg.

Calligaris

Airport Extra-Long Extending Table

Many tables with legs at the corners have extensions that add on to the ends while the legs stay put. I really don’t enjoy those since it means someone gets stuck with a leg pressing sideways into a leg ; or worse, they all have to sit with a table between their knees. Calligaris was more intelligent than that if it designed the Airport Extra Long Extending Table. The legs stay at the corners when the table is pulled to its full length, an impressive 102 inches seating 10 people.

A couple of different things I love about this table are the self-storing extension leaves, which eliminate the need to locate somewhere to keep part of your table the remainder of the year. I also love that one person can open or close this table, thanks to its telescoping mechanism. A movie on Calligaris’ site shows how simple it’s to use. Another real plus is that this table compacts to 51 inches. That will fit in the smallest dining areas leaving you with plenty of space when the guests go home.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

This dining table designed by yours truly also keeps its legs at the corners when extensions are inserted into the center.

How large should your table be?

A great rule of thumb would be to allow 24 inches per person, but it doesn’t always work. See that the seats round this table are all armchairs. To keep individuals from getting their seats banging into every other’s, I allowed more distance.

The side of this table is 6 ft long, and you may observe that only two people may sit on a side because of the larger armchairs. With armless seats, three individuals could sit on every side. Also keep in mind who is coming to dinner. If you’ve invited your local football team, then they will require space for those broad shoulders. If children are found, then you can sit two in an end using a bench or banquette.

Brownstone Furniture

Monterey Table

Tables with expansion leaves are not the only way to handle business for holiday meals. What if you bought two fitting square tables with a level edge similar to that one from Brownstone that could sit side by side?

Brownstone Furniture

Monterery Table

You can use one as your routine vanity, and the next one may normally serve as a match table in the family room. Although I wouldn’t suggest this solution to someone who has dinner guests often, it might be an ideal solution for people who have a dinner party once or twice annually.

Elad Gonen

If everything else fails, the magic of a floor-length tablecloth will allow you to combine pretty much any tables to create one table for your whole party.

I really don’t understand what is under this tablecloth, and that’s the genius of it. It might be a rather high-end table or it might be six folding card tables end to end.

Here is my most important tip on enlarging your table for a successful dinner party: locate a means to seat everyone collectively comfortably — even if that means folding tables or placing your table at the living room briefly — and let everyone know how glad you are they arrived. Pour on the wine and unwind!

Tell us Have you come up with an innovative means to seat a large group at once? As always, I love to hear about your options and see your pictures.

Read more expansion tables at the Products section

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Look at those legs! Every table that has been catching my eye this fall sports tilted legs and architectural metal details. As if I didn’t long for a weekend in Paris now, today all I could think about is the wide-legged stance of a popular cultural icon: the Eiffel Tower.

The arched, leggy appearance of the tables helps them seem especially sturdy — as though they could weather any mealtime maelstrom. Surprisingly, the angles and generally thin legs additionally keep things looking light in the dining room. Forget square or round; these tables mimic the Eiffel Tower’s own geometric footprint. And the angled legs give your personal legs extra room to stretch after that eight-course meal, when you’re all set to enjoy your second glass of wine.

2Modern

Magis Baguette Table – $1,979

This dining table oozes sleekness and minimalism, with legs so skinny they might disappear completely once it is surrounded with your favorite upholstered dining seats — that’s a good thing!

Room & Board

Ventura Dining Table – $1,799

The subtle arch along the bottom of the Ventura table reinforces that Eiffel vibe. But the piece feels beautifully contemporary.

Restoration Hardware

Flatiron Bar Table – $695

This table appears like it was pulled out of an artist’s garret with its own views of the Eiffel Tower. Longing to get a major loft room, it could anchor bright colours and modern objects with its industrial lines.

IKEA

Ikea PS 2012 Dining Table – $179

This cheap yet weatherproof Ikea dining table is among the best options out there. Clean and modern but still quite homeowner favorable, it is going to share space with you in the kitchen without alienating anyone.

Crate&Barrel

Taverna Dining Table – $1,499

The strong lines and sturdy angles of this Taverna dining table make it ideal for a traditional dining area. Insert a modern dose of vivid colors with attachments to brighten up things.

Pottery Barn

Hendrix Big Smart Technology Desk – $1,199

This desk has a strength that provides power to the individual sitting behind it. Sturdy and weighty, it has lighter wood tones and a rough-hewn complete that keep it casual enough for any home office, low or high.

West Elm

Mix + Match Table – $799

Mix and match your tabletops and legs with this modern piece. Straddling your dining room easily, it can hold up to the curvy modern dining chairs you have had your eyes.

CB2

Shanghai Dining Table – $699

The Shanghai table handles to station both the Paris and China in exactly the same time. Would you see the sloping angles of a conventional temple in these legs?

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Some of my favourite designs are coming out of Australia. Whether it’s stunning contemporary architecture, just the right quantity of collected/eclectic within an inside, a verdant landscape or charismatic bloggers full of creative ideas, the ideas coming from Down Under are inspiring and unique. Get inspired by these five houses which include all of the above and more.

More Australian design: Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane

Sam Crawford Architects

1. A improvement in Sydney. This house’s new wing was created by Sam Crawford Architects. This open, light-filled space serves several functions, including living room, art gallery, library and dining area.

Sam Crawford Architects

1 stunning design detail in the space is that this laser-cut timber panel. The design was swiped in the customers’ collection of Scandinavian hand-painted ceramic tiles.

Sam Crawford Architects

Using natural light and opening to the outdoors drove the design, which carefully considers all of the relationships between inside and out. As you can see here, doors completely open up the space to the courtyard, and the border between the two serves as a bench.

See the rest of the home

Jennie Hunt

2. An eco-friendly retreat in the bushland. Traveling to another side of this island, this lovely home is located in the bushland, on the northern outskirts of Perth. The construction is rammed ground and has been designed for maximum energy efficiency.

Jennie Hunt

The living area’s chalkboard wall is constantly shifting, depending on who is visiting.

Jennie Hunt

Sited close to the Indian Ocean, sets of natural objects picked up on shore strolls decorate the home.

See the rest of the home

Atypical Type A

3. A couple’s brilliant townhouse in Adelaide, South Australia. Intelligent blogger Atypical Type A’s home is full of midcentury modern locates and smart DIY projects. In the master bedroom, then the wavy lamp on the right came , then she found the bedding which coordinated with it.

Atypical Type A

Instead of registering for a ton of cut vases, salad tongs and platters as wedding presents, the couple’s guests produced a pool of cash for them to commission a work of art from an artist that they loved (Danish artist Pabi).

Atypical Type A

An inviting patio provides a secluded spot for dining. It is quite a transformation; when the couple moved , the spot was”devoid of anything living.” They included the planters and bamboo screening, the mirror-backed iron candle sconce holder along with the outside dining furniture, which includes curvaceous Panton chairs.

See the rest of the home

Secret Gardens

4. A stunning landscape style in Sydney. This website presented spectacular views and a series of challenges to landscape design firm The Secret Gardens of Sydney.

Secret Gardens

Connections between the terraces as well as opinions from inside to out were considered in the design of this landscape.

Secret Gardens

The website contains a series of outdoor rooms at several degrees, surrounded by lush plantings and comfortable outdoor furniture like the Orbit from Dedon. This round lounge even has a canopy you can pull up to provide shade and solitude.

A Beach Cottage

5. A shore cabin makeover in Sydney. Among our very first Tours has been with Sarah, the blogger behind A Beach Cottage. While her home (and our interview arrangement ) has evolved since this meeting posted, I love perusing her easy-breezy beach style.

A Beach Cottage

Painting a vintage trunk and suitcase white and stacking them created a unique and functional nightstand.

Utilizing a simple neutral palette of white and tan allows a variety of interesting textures to stand out.

See the rest of the home

More:
Interview: Vivian’s Delightful Sydney Home
The Outdoor Comes Inside Down Under
Interiors for Easy living in Australia
5 Inspiring Homes in the Chilly North

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If you’re furnishing a tiny room, chances are your instinct is to maintain the furniture small also. But that strategy can translate into a space which feels cluttered and precious, as though it belongs in a dollhouse. It might sound counterintuitive, but try the other tack: Overscale furnishings, art or fixtures can actually make a room feel bigger instead of smaller, and they evoke an air of warmth and relaxation. Use these approaches to pull the look off.

Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

Utilize the mirror effect. If there’s a trustworthy suggestion for opening up a tiny room, it’s adding a massive mirror. This one is massive, but the manifestation makes it feel transparent, therefore it does not seem like it hulks within the space. In fact, it provides enough visual expansion to permit for an overscale table as well.

Bosworth Hoedemaker

Keep the footprint small. This is one of the great secrets of supplying a pint-size space: Bring in large-scale pieces which have a shallow footprint. This way, you are going to find the presence and gravitas of overscale furniture without consuming too much floor area.

Juxtapose bigger furnishings with spacious vistas. Were this tall secretary tucked from two solid walls, it may have loomed too large for the space. Nevertheless, the adjoining window allows the eye to travel to the exterior perspective, which helps to make the impression of more space and to produce the secretary feel suitable in scale.

Andre Rothblatt Architecture

Proceed vertical. Small rooms often have more space on the walls than on the floors. In this Lilliputian kitchen, an oversized range hood, a full wall of shelving and hanging pot racks free up sufficient room underfoot to put in a good-size butcher block island.

Jennifer – Rambling Renovators

Pick curved bits. Rounded tables, corners and other components occupy less visual space than furnishings with sharp corners. This dining room would feel a whole lot more cramped with a rectangular dining table.

Lauren Gries

Be creative with placement. In a perfect world, you would not be required to block a window or obstruct a pathway with all furniture. But in tiny rooms, sometimes you want to break the rules. These homeowners managed to squeeze a full size bed into this narrow bedroom by backing it against the window. By keeping the headboard light and open, they have allowed as much sunlight to penetrate as you can.

Garret Cord Werner Architects & Interior Designers

Channel your inner minimalist. This built in credenza dominates the small bedroom, but it works because its size removes the need for additional case merchandise.

usona

Keep the palette . What makes this towering headboard, oversize folding display and grand bed work? A coordinated color scheme of grey, white and black, which prevents any single component from quitting the eye. High-contrast colours would have created more visual separation and made the room feel fuller.

More:
8 Great Neutral Color Palettes for the Bedroom
Remake a Room With One Big Piece

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Damping-off disease dampens a gardener’s mood quickly. You’re going to get a sinking feeling yourself when you see rows of seedlings keeling over. You can often forestall the issue — caused by fungi in the soil — from sowing your seeds on top of sterile seed-starting mixture, covering them with milled sphagnum moss, sand, or chicken grit, and watering them from the bottom. When it’s too late for this, you might be able to save seedlings that haven’t succumbed yet with the assistance of homemade fungicides.

The Spice of Life

Because cinnamon is just a natural antioxidant, it can stop or halt damping-off disease in your seedlings. Since powdered charcoal has also been recommended for this purpose, you might choose to concoct a double-strength fungi-fighting formula by combining 1 part cinnamon with 1 part charcoal. Sprinkle a light dusting of the powder above the surface of the ground or seed-starting mixture and leave it there until the seedlings are big enough for transplanting.

A Bottle of Bubbly

Hydrogen peroxide, the bubbly liquid you use to clean wounds and scrapes, also relaxes the clocks of the fungi that cause damping-off disease. To implement it, mix 1 tbsp of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide — the kind usually sold in drug stores — with 1 gallon of water. Spray the surface of the soil or seed-starting mixture with the solution or set the seedling container at about 1 inch of that solution, until it’s drawn up through the drainage holes and also lightly dampens the surface.

Only One’s Cup of Tea

A cup of tea is going to have a bracing effect on your seedlings if you create it using a antioxidant herb or herbs. Because you want the tea to be more powerful than what you drink, use extra bags or steep the tea for a longer time than you normally would. For instance, steep three chamomile tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water for 20 minutes, or steep two bags in that cup for many hours. Nettle or clove teas also kill fungi. Again, either mist your soil or seed-starting mix with the water or tea the seedlings’ container from the bottom with it.

The Garlic Cure

Like vampires, fungi too can be repelled with garlic. Chop or sterilize a clove of the herb, then drop the resulting slivers into 1 gallon of water, and let them soak overnight. The morning after, strain the garlic pulp from the water and use the water to mist or even bottom-water your seedling flat.

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Linen, muslin, fall fabric and duck cloth are all inexpensive and versatile options that can help you revamp a room. Since these materials are usually neutral in color, are durable and can be located at many cloth, craft and hardware stores, they are fantastic for DIY jobs. Maintain several yards of your favorite cosmetics cloth on hand, and you will always be prepared when an idea presents itself.

Linen

Most utility cloths have a rougher texture, which is great for decorators and designers that are looking to add textural interest to a room. This rough linen bedding has a French-countryside feel.

Rough Linen

Linen delivers a lovely way to add a timeless touch to jobs and crafts. Fine linen can be pricey, but you can also find less expensive linen that works well for many home jobs. It’s very durable and ready to wick moisture, but it is also a material that readily wrinkles.

Try linen on your mattress for a gentle and inviting duvet cover. Its natural fibers make it a healthy and comfortable fabric choice.

Yvonne McFadden LLC

Upholster a headboard or pay part of a wall with linen to revamp a bedroom with an elegant focal point. A upholstery brads refines the appearance.

Jenn Hannotte / Hannotte Interiors

Muslin

Fashion designers usually cut their garments from muslin for a test drive before they sew their final pieces. Muslin is affordable and frequently gets lost. However, there’s beauty in this inexpensive cloth — the natural color gives it a vintage quality without the vintage price. It dyes well and is soft and comfy, lightweight, simple to sew and exceptionally versatile.

As seen with this ruffled shower curtain, muslin is excellent for all sorts of home DIY jobs. It’s a neutral base that can be enhanced with paint, dye, stitched details or rubberized.

Whimages

Fall Fabric

Drop fabric is similar in color and texture to muslin and is also very inexpensive. Muslin can be discovered at any fabric shop, while fall cloth can be purchased at a home improvement or paint shop. It’s a lot thicker and stiffer than muslin, therefore it is not the best choice for jobs with little details. Nonetheless, it’s water resistant, and its durability is a shield against rips and tears. Use it outside for backyard and patio DIY jobs, like this draped color on a gazebo .

Lauren Liess Interiors

Much like muslin, drop fabric is neutral and easy. You may choose to add depth or color to integrate it better with your decor. This talented DIYer stamped a pattern onto a big sheet of fall cloth and draped it on the infant’s crib. Initially an inexpensive utility cloth, it’s now transformed into a glamorous textile.

Mustard Seed Interiors

This is another creative use for fall cloth: upholstering furniture. Many times, conventional upholstery fabric is very expensive, so this could be an affordable and durable option. If the thought of white furniture is daunting, dye the cloth a darker color first.

decordemon

Duck Fabric

Duck cloth, that is made from cotton fibers, is also known as canvas. Like drop fabric, it is very durable, thick and stiff, making it a choice for outdoor jobs.

Although it’s not as soft as muslin, it is still simple to dye and sew. Cotton duck are available at fabric stores, and it is usually available in basic colors. The natural structure of duck cloth makes it work well as a decorative lampshade, like in this undertaking.

Tobi Fairley Interior Design

Duck cloth is water resistant, so it is ideal for a DIY shower curtain. With a curtain linertreated or treated with a waterproofing spray, then it works well anywhere in the restroom.

More:
Ecofriendly Fabrics Make the Cut

Decorate With Burlap

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If you want to create a smooth, uninterrupted aesthetic to your space, you might be missing one element that could really complete your look: the blended door. The blended door (not a technical term) is essentially a door that blends directly into the wall application. Visual interruption is prevented by this sense of unity in the aesthetic.

Check out these photos for inspiration. Blink and you might miss these sneaky blended doors.

Sophie Azouaou

Not merely is this bedroom soothing in soft blues and neutrals, but also the blended door prevents any distractions from this tranquil space. Notice the way the designer attained the look by continuing the architectural detailing the door and painting it the same shade as the walls.

LLC, Huestis Tucker Architects

Look very carefully at the corner to the right of the fireplace. Can you make out the door that is blended? Again, since the architectural detailing is continuing over the door, you hardly see the door in any way.

LASC Studio

Slanted walls may make a room feel constricted; the very best way to counterbalance that is using a clean aesthetic that won’t confuse the attention. Here, a fresh door is cut directly from the wooden wall. With no noticeable handle, you might walk clean past it.

A fast glance at this space and you may think, “Oh, what beautiful paneling surrounding the fireplace …”

Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc..

… only to be amazed that one of these panels is really a door. Creating the same panel layout on each side of the fireplace accounts the space, regardless of whether the left side opens as a door or not.

Birdseye Design

After the timber paneling used for your door is transported across the space, the eye reads it as a layout element versus a door.

Schwartz and Architecture

Another way to help the door blend in is by extending the material past the door itself. Here, the wood paneling is continuing between the two doors and past their borders.

Narofsky Architecture + ways2design

The track probably gives away this door, but nonetheless, a sliding door in precisely the same material as the wall provides a coordinated appeal.

Farinelli Construction, Inc..

You can disguise your pantry door using a chalkboard in addition to mimic cabinetry on the floor. Visitors will be amazed when they visit compose a note and the door falls open to an additional room.

Amy Jesaitis

Really want to trick your customers? Wallpaper directly over the door. Friends and family will be delighted by your smart design.

More:
Hidden Nooks and Secret Passageways

The First Impression: Cool Doors

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Your powder area is a great area to express your imagination and pleasure your customers, particularly at holiday time. As it is likely to be modest, you’ll get more bang for your bathroom design buck here than anywhere else in your residence. By way of example, you just need one fantastic sink and faucet and no expensive tub or shower fittings. Take the opportunity to luxe out! Paint it a vibrant color. Add a decorative lighting fixture and drape it with holiday greenery. Below are a few sensible style tips for creating your powder room fun and functional this season.

Webber + Studio, Architects

If you’re contemplating freshening up your powder room this season, consider painting it at a holiday bright color like red or green. You will add a strong punch to your area that will carry you well into the new year.

Bed Bath & Beyond

Winthrop Guest Towel Holder – Bed Bath & Beyond – $19.99

Be sure your powder room has a guest towel holder. There’s definitely one available on your style and complete! This is a superb time of year to fill them with guest towels in holiday colours for a fun accent.

Linens ‘n Things

Christmas Central Pack of 6 Red Flameless LED Wax Christmas Battery Operated Pil – $91.99

I love candles, but just where I will continue to keep a close eye on these. Together with the traffic your powder room is likely to see during holiday season, I recommend flameless candles as a milder choice. They don’t all give you odor, but they won’t set your house on fire .

Faiella Design

Consider replacing regular flowers with seasonal selections and adding seasonal guest towels and accessories to set the tone for the holiday entertaining.

Contemporary Bathroom Faucets – $348

I like sensor taps for spaces. They decrease the spread of germs and decrease water waste. The important thing is finding one in a style and finish that works with your powder room’s overall aesthetics. Right now, there is still more option in the modern end of this spectrum, but that’s slowly changing.

Elad Gonen

Do not make your holiday guests wonder where the extra bathroom tissue are available. Add appealing lidded baskets in accessible space, like below this spacious console sink, with rolls of additional paper. If you’re so inclined, you can probably find some on your beloved holiday-themed color.

Restoration Hardware

Campaign Hook | Restoration Hardware – $36

Though your holiday guests probably won’t be disrobing on your powder room, a hook that may hold a handbag or jacket would be appreciated. Choose one in a style and finish that matches your space. If you’re tight on space, hang on the rear of a non-pocket doorway.

Pottery Barn

Kensington Pivot Mirror – $199

I like pivot mirrors for powder rooms, as they let guests of all heights have complete visibility. There are so many styles, sizes and finishes available today you’ll probably have no trouble finding one that works to your area.

More: Powder Rooms That Perform

Read photos of powder room designs

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