Averaging just 4 by 5 feet, the first-floor powder room is the home’s smallest room. Yet it’s much-used—and often treated as an afterthought during remodeling, or even overlooked altogether.

Still, the space-starved half bath is the ideal spot to splurge on high-end finishes and unique, personal touches that might be “too much” for a larger room. The reasons: First, upgrading a small room requires minimal materials, so you’ll spend less for the little bit of granite, imported tile or other finishes that might bust your budget in a larger room. Second, that little lavatory is one of the few rooms your guests will visit. A powder room with pizzazz can make a big impression on them.

When you’re ready to remodel your powder room—which usually houses just a sink, toilet and mirror but no bathtub or shower—lay on the luxury. Here are a few ideas—both high-end and more practical--from my friends in the design and remodeling business:

• Take advantage of wall space. Hang a cabinet with an attached towel rack on the wall above the toilet.
• Upgrade the medicine cabinet. High-end new models include everything from refrigeration—so you can safely store medicine in a humid room—to outlets for hair dryers to hidden TV screens.
• Select a comfort-height toilet. It’s closer to the height of a chair than a standard-size commode, so it’s easier on the legs and back.
• “Furnish” the room with a wood vanity and cabinets in a rich finish that would be nice enough to display in the bedroom or kitchen.
• Splurge on a granite or marble countertop. Select natural stone for the floor. Texture the backsplash with stone tiles or a textured finish like troweled-on clay. “Experiment with some finishes beyond paint,” advises Dixon. Still too pricey? Take a look at travertine, which has become popular for powder room floors and backsplashes.
• Hardwood floors also are popular. If the bathroom floor matches the floor of the hallway outside of it, the room will appear larger when the door is open.
• Build in storage space on walls and under the sink so you can hide extra rolls of tissue and cleaning products. Clutter never makes a good impression.
• Experiment with color. The room is so small that there’s no use pretending it isn’t. So skip the white paint and play with rich, dark colors—or your favorite color—on walls and cabinets. William Stiles, owner of Bella Builders in Scottsdale, chose a black lacquer wood finish for the vanity base in his own powder room. A big mirror with a dark red frame popped when he paired it with rich, red paint on one opposing wall.
• If you want to make the room look a little bigger, though, lay oversized floor tiles. And if you don’t need the storage space, go with a wall-mounted or pedestal sink, which opens up the space and makes the room appear less cramped. A tip: Buy one that’s three to five inches taller than a standard sink. As you age, you’ll be grateful that you don’t have to bend over as much at the sink.
• Replace vanity lights with overhead recessed can lights to brighten the room.
• Update hardware and fixtures. Shiny brass towel racks and faucets look dated. An enduring trend: brushed nickel, antique bronze and anything “oil-rubbed.” These muted metals tone down the accessories and add a touch of sophistication. A tip: If you can afford only one upgrade, match all of the metals in the room with the same finish, from the doorknob to the medicine cabinet to the handles on cabinet doors.
• Buy a stylish sink. Rather than a bowl that’s built in to the vanity top, splurge on one that sits right on top. These high-style “vessel” sinks are made from painted china, chrome, stainless steel, marble or glass and become the room’s centerpiece.
• Consider glass tile for the backsplash. You can buy clear or colored glass to create a unique look that will dazzle your houseguests.
• Crown the walls with molding around the top of the walls and base boarding around the bottom. This architectural element will make the room look “finished.”
• Finally, think about your guests, who will use that room while they’re visiting. Add an empty shelf or a hook on the back of the door, where someone can hang a jacket or set a purse.