powder room: redux
owder rooms are the jewel boxes of the home. Because they’re small and don’t require a shower or bath, they lend themselves to a high-personality treatment. Our client gave us carte blanche to create a warm, yet modern, powder room that would coordinate with the updated mid-century modern style we were incorporating in other rooms of his home.
Here’s what we were dealing with:
Builder grade fixtures, pink-tinged cabinetry, molded fiberglass countertop and sink, plain white square floor tile and Hollywood makeup lights circa 1992.
Our design goal was to envelope the tiny room with textural warmth, and add flattering lighting while retaining a sleek, mid-century modern feel. These preliminary models were rendered to show our client and contractor the look and feel we were after:
First things first, Johnny installing the grasscloth on the walls:
After some consideration (and grabbing some awesome tile on sale) we switched up the black floor tile idea for a white one with a subtle strie pattern. We also went with a single drawer vanity to simplify the space.
A Caesarstone countertop with a rectangular undermount sink and Moen Level series faucet update what used to be a cookie-cutter condo half bath. We chose a warm walnut finish and a sleek, singular drawer-front for our floating vanity. Our choice was inspired by the look of a modernist credenza.
Calvin Klein hand towels bring a masculine geometric pattern into the space, contrasting nicely with the subtle stripes of the grasscloth. Inexpensive RIBBA frames from IKEA hold original graphic charcoal drawings to add a little edge to the soothing space.
We chose brushed nickel for all our metal finishes. Including a beveled mirror we found at Lamps Plus for half-price. We flanked the mirror with George Kovacs sconces and topped the counter with a “Penguin” soap pump from The Container Store.
No surface was safe in this bathroom. We changed everything from the floor up, including the toilet. We brought in a Drake II by Toto and fresh white baseboards. The floor tile is 12x24, chosen for its large scale, and installed in running bond.