The Simple Way Hilary Farr Adds Interest & Elegance To A Small Bathroom

If you have a small bathroom, you may be more concerned with space-saving solutions than decorating. While there isn't a lot of room for personal touches when you're dealing with a tiny washroom, HGTV star and interior designer extraordinaire, Hilary Farr, has a simple yet effective solution for adding a touch of elegance — wainscoting. A decorative paneling that covers the lower portion of the wall, wainscoting will make your small bathroom seem bigger, and will do so without taking up much room.

On an episode of "Love It or List It," Farr transformed Kathy and John's once small storage closet into a chic half bath complete with wainscoting. "The wainscoting is a way of giving it interest and is very elegant," Farr explained to the couple (via HGTV). The best part? You don't necessarily need to hire a professional for installation, even if you are a novice at home improvement projects. Better yet, there are a number of different wainscoting options to choose from so you can turn your small bathroom into a chic and elegant space that fits your personal style.

You can purchase wainscoting made of different materials, including PVC, plywood, and MDF or medium-density fiberboard. Because bathrooms can get excessively humid, you may want to consider using a moisture-resistant material like PVC. In addition to a variety of materials, there are also different styles you can choose from. Wall-panel wainscoting involves cutting thin strips of molding in your material of choice and then affixing them to your wall to create squares or rectangles. Beadboard wainscoting uses individual strips of wood placed next to each other to create thin, vertical panels.

There is also board and batten wainscoting, which typically involves boards separated with planks of wood to create long rectangular panels. This is the style that Hilary Farr opted for when creating a small bathroom for Kathy and John.

After you decide on what material and style you'd like, you can go one of two ways — building your wainscoting wall yourself, or opting for premade panels. While you can certainly create your own wainscoting by measuring and cutting out molding, for true beginners or those who want to make quicker work of this project, premade panels are available in the style of your choosing from Lowe's, The Home Depot, Wayfair or even Amazon.