Bathrooms With Character: Nodding to Nature

This Bergen County powder room, one in a series of four showing alternatives to all-white spaces, boasts tropical flair

Designer Felicia Zwebner installed the toilet paper holder on the side of the vanity so it wouldn’t disrupt the lines of the tiled wall.

‘Nothing fussy” is the way Felicia Zwebner describes the aesthetic her clients wanted for the powder room in their Bergen County home. “They’re both professionals with very busy lives, and they wanted something elegant and timeless,” says Zwebner, who is principal and CEO of Englewood-based Felicia Zwebner Design and founder of FZ Collection, a custom furniture line.

The homeowners are partial to earth tones, so the designer stuck to a palette of greens and browns, as exemplified by the wall behind the vanity. “The tiles on the feature wall are like thin, long matchsticks in a variegated pattern. It almost has a tortoise-shell feel. It’s got that element of nature,” Zwebner says, adding that the rich tone of the vanity complements the tile. “It brings the warmth of wood.”

The floating vanity helps to visually expand the scale of the room. Zwebner explains, “It was a challenging, tight space, but I wanted it to feel airy. That’s why I didn’t do a vanity to the floor.”

A basin on the vanity rounds out the look. “Normally, I’m not a big advocate for vessel sinks in a bathroom being used on a daily basis because water tends to pool,” the designer notes. “But this sink had a very clean, crisp feeling — almost like an accessory sitting on a counter. It’s an interesting, architectural bowl and modern too. That was another element that I wanted to keep.”

The overall style is lush yet refined. “The space has a natural, organic, clean look — like something out of the rainforest. There’s a quiet elegance — it’s not off-putting or overwhelming.”

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