NKBA 2003 Design competition: Category 5:
Powder Rooms
1st Designers Create
Powder Room From Scratch
It has been said that the scariest moment for any artist is when
they are looking at a blank canvas. But for Martha Gargano and
Karen Sciascia of Cheshire, CT-based A Matter of Style, it was a
moment to embrace.
Charged with creating this powder room from
scratch, Gargano and Sciascia chose an Art Nouveau style to create
a warm and inviting space.
To begin, the pair selected a Kohler Co. sink
featuring relief carvings of water lilies. Complementing the sink
is a custom Bombay sink apron, which, Gargano notes, “was formed
into a graceful ellipse with carvings [by J.P. Weaver] following
the shape of the sink.”
The same carvings are used on the mirror frame to
give the space a cohesive feel.
“The sink really became the inspiration for the
cabinetry,” she explains. Thus, the designers chose Wood-Mode, Inc.
cabinetry with a custom site finish to meld with the sink
color.
Baltic brown countertops featuring ogee edges
contribute to the Art Nouveau feel, and “a pewter/gray was pulled
from the granite counter to create the color for the mirror
frame.”
For added elegance, the design duo integrated
Pelger Gold Line faucets and accessories. A copper glaze used on
the crown molding, ceiling and mirror frame carvings rounds out the
design.
2nd Playful Powder Room
Receives Individual Design
Using a whimsical collection of high-end products, Sandra Steiner,
CKD of Mechanicsburg, PA-based Steiner & Houck, Inc., was right
on target when creating this unique powder room for her client.
“The client liked natural materials, and the house
is in a very natural setting, so we tried to pull in colors from
the exterior. I think the space is a good reflection of the
client’s personality,” says Steiner.
Faced with a very small area, Steiner chose to
float the vanity between two slabs of Brazilian slate. Adding a
unique element to the space, she incorporated the same slate onto
the vanity top with the backsplash that was chiseled into the
natural form of a rock.
“The mirror above was also chiseled to complement
the stone backsplash, and is backlit to accentuate this detailing,”
as well as to create a consistent and natural chiseled-stone effect
as opposed to using cleaner, hard lines, says Steiner.
The floating vanity, she notes, visually expands
the space by allowing the natural quartered oak flooring to
continue under the vanity.
Giving the space a warm, natural aesthetic while maximizing
function, Steiner installed Wood-Mode, Inc. cabinetry and Kohler
Co. fixtures and fittings.
To top off the whimsical, natural look, Steiner
included details such as painted trim to allow other design
elements to become the focal points.
3rd Powder Room Reflects Client’s Own
Personal Taste
More than just functional, this powder room is an extension of the
client’s unique, personal taste. That’s according to Joseph Giorgi,
Jr., CKD, of Wilmington, DE-based Giorgi Kitchens, Inc., who
designed this award-winning space.
Faced with size constraints, Giorgi notes he
originally began the project by specifying standard cabinetry, a
small vanity and DuPont Corian top. But, he adds, the client did
not want “straight” cabinetry, so he had to devise a new, more
unique plan.
As Giorgi explains: “The space limitations kept us from doing
something that just filled in space with cabinetry. [Thus], we
created [an] open shelf, vessel-type sink layout, [which then]
created more of an antique, furniture look in a powder room It also
created a more open feeling.”
As a result, the centerpiece of the room is the
free-standing vanity, which is finished in an off-white paint with
antique distressing on maple wood.
Adding a natural feel to the space are soapstone
countertops, Giorgi notes, complemented by a custom soapstone sink
and backsplash.
Giorgi enhanced the design with a variety of
high-end products, such as Plain & Fancy cabinetry, Kohler Co.
faucets, Eagle Lantern lighting and a Yankee Workshop towel ring.
Completing the look is Gris porcelain Leonardo ceramic tile, which
ties in with the wallpaper, Giorgi notes.