Door opens to surprise
Powder room is perfect location to make exuberant decor statement
Q: My husband and I recently purchased a Victorian house that was renovated in the late 1980s. Needless to say, the kitchen and bathrooms need updating. On the main floor there is a narrow powder room with a toilet and sink. Both need replacing.
I would like to know if you have any ideas for a small powder room that would give character to a great old house.
A: I have a fondness for majestic old Victorian homes, having previously lived in the Cabbage town neighbourhood of Toronto.
My inspiration for your powder room comes from a design firm in another area with a heavy concentration of Victorian homes: San Francisco. Olive Juice Designs (olivejuicedesigns.com) designed the powder room pictured here for clients transplanted from New York City.
Design principle Lisa Konjicek-Segundo told me this powder room is tucked away at the back of the house and her clients like that it’s a surprising gem when guests open the door.
The New York subway platform image was sourced from Dreamstime.com and printed in a wallpaper format to precise measurements through Megaprint.com. A number of companies have thousands of stock photos you can choose from if you like this idea. You you probably find one that would use a favourite photo you’ve taken.
Lisa’s image works perfectly to provide visual depth that could not otherwise be achieved with paint or twodimensional wallpaper. The commode looks as if it’s sitting on the platform; a cheeky detail that gets guests talking.
If a photo mural is not the look you’re after, consider an elegant wallpaper, or do as I once did and paste the pages of a book onto your bathroom wall. I used the reproduction plates of plant and animal drawings from Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. I think these images would work perfectly for your home.
Limited on storage space, Lisa had an open shelving unit recessed between wall studs. Built off-site in two pieces and then installed, it provides a finished width of 11 inches and a depth of about five inches. Instead of rolls of toilet paper, you could showcase accessories or books. A couple of shelves at the bottom hold reading material.
The petite bowl sink was a splurge sourced from France. The floor is black hexagon marble tile and in perfect keeping with the period of the house and the subway theme. I would splurge on something visually interesting but also timeless.