The Powder Room

Some people say Barcelona is the prettiest city in the world. Yes, people go for the Iberico ham tours, Flamenco dancing, and Tapas-Paella. However, Gaudi tops them all even topping Picasso and Miro.

Park Güell is the number one or number two attraction in Barcelona according to every top ten travel guide. People come from all over the world to see this incredible park. Gaudi originally built a model home, then another for the corporation to work out of, and then all the surrounding amenities. One Buyer bought a home and then it became a park. So, I asked the tour guide, “you mean the development basically was a frigging flop?” She replied, “ Uh, I never thought of it that way, but yes, it didn’t sell.” There were lots of reasons for this including location and price but for resale purposes, going all out and being unique isn’t always the safest thing to do. Even his masterpiece house, Casa Mila, angered the home buyer who had contracted him for it so much that Gaudi was sued by them over it. Six years to build (the kids’ room wasn’t for kids anymore as they grew up), overbudget, and giving the homeowner no color when they wanted color perhaps had something to do with it.

If you want to have a creative burst, let loose in the powder room (did I just write that?!?) Powder rooms got their name in the 18^th century when ladies went to apply makeup and powder to their face. (I wonder if all the women went there together in the 18^th century?) Some people call it the guest bath. Loo. Comfort station. In Chicago lingo we call it the washroom.

Powder rooms are usually small and most come with just a sink and toilet. Although in some homes, the powder room has a shower and can do double-duty (pun intended) if connecting to another room. *Note, below is the real Gaudi Powder Room. The one in the opening email blast with the Tiger Toilet was an AI Fake – more Gaudy than Gaudi!

Powder rooms are where you can have fun. Let the Picasso, Dali, and Miro shine through. We have Venetian plaster in ours and it’s deep red black in color. Even though I don’t like wallpaper in homes for resale because it peels and costs so much to take down, I love it in a powder room. Funky tiles. Metallic paper. Wild chandeliers. Any type of design works. Go for it.

The reason that you can get your inner Gaudi out in the powder room, is because it’s easy to change. The space is small and if the Buyer doesn’t like it and wants a project, it won’t break the bank. Most Buyers want something to do to make their home theirs. In a weird way, it’s a selling feature if they don’t like it. It also makes the financial partner of the transaction happy. It’s a lot more expensive to redo the kitchen then the powder room. It’s comforting to know you won’t be flushing too many dollars down the toilet.

More Gaudi Pics from our Barcelona trip below!