I grew up in a creaky Victorian house in New England with a tiny half bath (what used to aptly be called a "water closet") slotted under the stairs; maybe that's why I'm drawn to the idea of the minuscule, no-nonsense guest bath (you can always fancy it up with a bar of nice soap and a few sprigs of greenery when the visitors arrive).
Above: A glamorous mirrored powder room in Australia by TFAD.
Above: A powder room in a 375-square-foot apartment by Parisian designers Maison Hand; via 79 Ideas.
Above: An Alape Enameled Bucket Sink at Orchard Keepers in Australia works as a small washbasin; photo by Sharyn Cairns via Est.
Above: A niche for books in the powder room of Danish artist Tenka Gammelgaard.
Above: A tiny powder room with rectangular white tiles installed vertically for visual interest; see the whole project at Rehab Diary: A Hardworking Brooklyn Kitchen by Annabelle Selldorf. Photo by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
Above: A tiny bathroom with recessed sink in a Brazilian apartment by Paris AR.
Above: A tiled powder room with glass shelves in the Byronview Cottage in Australia.
Above: A tiny powder room with a view in Steven Harris's Kinderhook Retreat.
Above: Portland, OR-based designer Jessica Helgerson created a tiny powder room in her island home; to see the whole project, go to A Scandinavian Cottage—in Portlandia.
Above: A clever washbasin with paper towel roll holder via A2BC Architects.
Above: A tiny half bath in a Scandinavian house; see more at Swedish Guest Bathroom Under the Stairs.
Pulling together your own bathroom? See Expert Advice: Essential Tips for Designing a Bathroom. And for inspiration, go to our Bathrooms photo gallery.