Bathrooms With Character: Creating Impact

A stunning powder room, one in a series of four showing alternatives to all-white spaces, blends warm wood tones with sleek finishes and rare natural stone

A vanity wall crafted from rare Calacatta Monet marble serves as a striking focal point in the new powder room. A simple mirror with a thin black frame complements textured black sconces, accentuating the dark veining of the natural stone, interior designer Yelena Gerts says.

During the extensive renovation of a 9,000- square-foot vacation home in Deal, New Jersey, a powder room was added to complement the newly relocated dining room. Yelena Gerts, owner and principal designer of House of Style & Design in Holmdel, New Jersey, recalls, “Given [the powder room’s] direct adjacency to the stunning new family entertainment area, the clients sought a detailed design that would create a true ‘wow’ moment,” incorporating mixed materials and innovative solutions.

The centerpiece of the room is a wall-to-wall vanity and elegant arched niche fabricated of Calacatta Monet marble, says Gerts, an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Inside the niche, espresso-stained wood slats add warmth and depth. To harmonize with the rich wood tones, the same stain was used on the vanity drawers, which feature integrated handles for a sleek look. The remaining walls showcase a textured application of Roman Clay paint to complement the vanity unit.

The seamless yet complex design of the powder room required “immense amounts of planning and trade coordination,” Gerts says. “This was an all-hands-on-deck project with the contractor, millworker and designer all collaborating on their areas of expertise to provide the clients with their desired end result.”

Learn about the other three bathrooms in this Bathrooms With Character series at “Nodding to Nature,” “Moody & Timeless” and “Changing Room.”