Let These Jewel-Box Baths Make The Case For Playful Accents

Fortune favors the bold, or so they say, but nothing could be more true for today’s top designers who are transforming bathrooms into jewel-box spaces with striking, statement-making elements. Whether a grand main bath with double sinks or a charming powder room, both functionality and high design are equally important. From graphic and colorful stone to decorative wallcoverings and finishing touches, the drama is here to stay.

PHOTO: ANSEL OLSON

“The thing about powder rooms is that they have to be functional, but they don’t have to be that functional,” explains designer Jamie Ivey of Ivey Design Group. It’s one of the few places in the home that is style first, she says, which translates to permission to have fun. The starting point in this central Virginia home was the sleek and modern sink by Porcelanosa that paired perfectly with a copper faucet. After searching extensively for the right wallcovering, Ivey finally landed on Arte’s Focus Facet motif, which she wrapped the walls and ceiling in. With angled lines and a textured surface, the wallpaper shines much like a bright penny when the sunlight hits just right.

PHOTO: COURTESY CARA WOODHOUSE

In a traditional Victorian home in Deal, New Jersey, the marriage of old and new was the guiding principle for a modern main bathroom update. Lead designer Cara Woodhouse built the design around the existing green tile, mixing in elements like rich Calacatta marble and unlacquered brass fittings.

“I have an obsession with stone,” Woodhouse admits, adding that she’ll incorporate it everywhere she can when it comes to the bath. With the statement-making materials in place, Woodhouse turned to the functional features such as storage and detailing, building in a custom double-sink vanity and relaxed West Elm Mirrors.