A quick overview. For close-ups and greater detail, SEE Blog.
A quick overview. For close-ups and greater detail, SEE Blog.
A quick overview. For close-ups and greater detail, SEE Blog.
A quick overview. For close-ups and greater detail, SEE Blog.
A quick overview. For close-ups and greater detail, SEE Blog.
clients
Bath & Powder
Bath & Powder Rooms
Construction Design / Interior Design
“A person’s uniqueness should be celebrated by her environment. And that’s the true essence of Interior Design.”
—Sally Anderson
Powder rooms are a special opportunity to showcase the homeowner’s unique artistic vision, and they can even distill the quintessential style of the entire home. The only functional requirements of a powder room are a sink and toilet, so the rest of the space can serve as a blank canvas to be filled with fun, elegance or any aesthetic freedom the homeowners will allow themselves to enjoy.
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Needless to say, the contents for a very nice powder room can be purchased ready-to-install from a supplier such as Restoration Hardware. Yet the end result may still fall short of truly expressing the homeowner’s personality. What’s presented here are examples of highly personal expressions I empowered the homeowners to achieve.
Simplicity
I love this first powder room for its simplicity. It’s accented by Rojo marble tile floor in terra cotta colors.
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The homeowner wanted something very elegant yet minimalist — something that people would remember. As we brainstormed together, I suggested a floating vanity that would express her desire for a modern feel mixed with older elements (a working definition of “transitional” in my book).
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She loved the idea and wanted to incorporate an antique mirror her mother gave her. It had hung over the fireplace in her childhood home for many years. She wanted to feature it somewhere in the house, and the powder room became the perfect showcase.
The centerpiece of this space is the mirrored vanity with feathered accent arrangements and even a framed photo of Marilyn Monroe. The floor tile contains mirrored glass accents, and it transitions beautifully to the exquisite carpet selected for the luxurious theater that could be converted for future use to a second master suite if needed. A fully equipped workout room is also on this level.
Working from my custom design, our brilliant cabinetmakers built the floating vanity in dark walnut.
A copper washbasin, enhanced by faucets mounted on the “woven” stone splash, completed the intriguing mix of old and new. Treasured art on the walls (not shown) completes the setting.
Another totally unique approach was taken in this great bathroom located just off the home theater. Because the client’s theater room had a glamorous old Hollywood feel with movie posters and film stars’ head shots, we carried that retro feel into the bathroom adjoining it.
Glamour
Elegance
Central in this bathroom is a soaking tub that provides a sense of luxury enhanced by a stunning marble mosaic wall that has an oversized marble-lined shower behind it.
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Nearby, leaning gracefully against the wall is a large dressing mirror that opens to serve as a jewelry case.
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On the exterior wall we put an 8’ long glass-front cabinet that holds a surprising volume of storage.
On either side of the master bedroom doorway are “his and her” vanities. Keeping them on the same wall avoids that “hall of mirrors” effect that I personally find distressing (when they are on opposite walls).
Modern
We did a very fun bathroom several years ago using a modern motif that’s also whimsical, upbeat and luxurious. This en suite bathroom accompanies a lovely bedroom on the lower floor that the homeowners desired for their frequent house guests.
Slate floors were used because the wife wanted the comfortable feel she enjoyed during vacations in Mexico at their favorite villa.
Glass tile, plentiful mirrors and collared sinks on a glass countertop contribute to the upscale and modern mix.
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The large soaking bathtub was designed with a wide deck around it so one could comfortably sit and visit with a spouse while preparing for the day or an event.
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Part of the wall behind the tub was painted in turquoise and bordered in silver to frame free-spirited art and parallel the geometry of the space.
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While the lower floor of this home is specifically transitional in style, the main floor has a more Spanish Colonial feel. In the master bath a soaking tub sits in a partial alcove. On the right is the WC, and on the left is access to a large double shower placed right behind the tub alcove’s wall.
Colonial
The European ambiance continues with a Rojo and Carrera marble floor. Four-inch tumbled tile creates a classic checkerboard pattern.
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We further emphasized the Spanish Colonial style by using both hardwood and stone floors and elliptical arches throughout the house.
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The simple 48” high cabinet underneath the small arched window is one of my favorite features of this room: it renders a vintage ‘30s feel reminiscent of homes I grew up around in Los Angeles.
Parisian
The homeowners wanted every bedroom to have an en suite bath. This guest room space was a chance to re-live a fun visit to Paris. We left off the door to the bathroom sink area, but to the right there is a door for privacy to the toilet and tub area.
The homeowner had a nice buffet that we refinished in a distressed rubbed black; on top is Carrera marble with a small sink. She already had the black and gold mirror that fit perfectly here, and Becky selected fun sconces to complete the simple but very Parisian feel.
Historic
This client’s house was built in 1995, and the powder room walls were originally wallpapered in Hunter Green. I had the pleasure of working for this client in 1997 and several times since over two decades.
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This client has many artifacts in her great room that express her passion for her cultural roots in the Southwest, having grown up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. One of the many projects she’s hired us to do involved replicating designs from her antique Navajo Indian rugs and painting them on the interior great room doors.
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I mention all of this as the backstory leading up to her highly unique powder room…
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A few years ago, I ran across a fascinating article with photos of an amazing historic hotel in central Mexico built in 1756. A fresco had been painted on raw plaster utilizing a Mayan Indian motif mixed with a European influence, and it was stunning. I immediately thought of Sharon.
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When she saw the photos, she immediately wanted to replicate the look in her powder room, which is probably my favorite one we’ve done thus far because it so dramatically expresses my client’s aesthetic passions. This became a major art project and is an example of how outrageously fun a powder room can be.
At the conclusion of the project, my husband created a plaque for the room that explains to visitors the history behind the all-encompassing design (above and below).
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I suppose I adore this powder room because it so flagrantly flies in the face of a paralyzing trend in the design world to “play it safe” in order to attain, as if it were possible, “everyone’s approval” via bland, trendy, and predictable design elements.
To that sentiment I say: “Get free! Be yourself! Seize the day — and the space — as if you’re truly the one who actually owns and lives in your home! Give guests the opportunity to marvel at your boldness and freedom!”
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