Hey, Wait! It's the Powder Room's Turn!

It's fall, and this homeowner was having us do her usual fall exterior trim touch-up to be ready for winter's snows and wind. In touring her home, she noted that the only rooms she hadn't really updated in the 15 years there were the bathrooms. This sparked some ideas, and when the week was done, so were her new bathrooms! -Nothing too difficult or expensive, just some re-mixing of materials and a bit of paint and stain, and now when the Holidays hit, her guests will be pleasantly surprised.

The first space (main guest bath) lacked contrast, the foundation of good design. With the popularity of dark-grain woods against light counters, we thought that a good solution might be a bit of gel stain (tested in the upper left corner of the medicine cabinet). Gel stains are more versatile than other stains or paint, and are fairly easy to use, once you get the feel of it.

With the contrast piece out of the way, we needed to dress the walls. We selected images from the homeowners' recent vacations to add a personal, artistic touch in simple dark wood frames. Now each time they enter, they can be soothed and inspired by some of the best times of their lives (not someone else's)!

This space should now be enjoyed by friends and loved ones for many years to come. On to the next space...

This is another guest bath in the lower level of the home. Originally a nice tan (sorry-no Before pics), we thought that a white-on-white look (which is now regaining popularity) would enlarge its feel and freshen its mood. So, just as we did with the other bath, we went to work re-caulking all water-contact surfaces (which in itself looks fresh and fantastic to me), and primed the walls to make sure that we left no sign of the old color. Then a nice barely off-white was applied, and boy, did it freshen it up!

We then tried a brown rug on the floor and loved the contrast and richness that it gave, so we added a bit more here and there. A couple of small art abstracts from my studio, along with a sentimental bouquet and a couple of inexpensive accent pieces and this space took on a beautiful life of its own! All ready to make guests comfy!