All that glitters

Powder rooms are invariably small, but they can still be a conversation piece, as this project shows. Designer Elina Katsioula-Beall of Dewitt Designer Kitchens says the owner, an artist, wanted her guests to feel embraced by luxury.

"In refining this miniature 4ft x 8ft powder room, we had little room to play with, but plenty of fun," Katsioula-Beall says. "Although small, the room has a high ceiling, which we accentuated with a vertical, tiered design. Rich cherry wood panels with superimposed panels of mappa burl were stepped up the wall to suggest depth and dimension."

The decorative wood panels float proud of a Roman travertine tile base, which follows the same stepping process. The tiered pattern is also echoed in the shape of the vanity, which features matching cherry and mappa burl panels.

To further enhance the jewel-like look of the room, the vanity top features a highly polished Absolute Black granite top, shiny stainless steel sink and Swarovski crystal faucet handles.

"The vanity wall also shimmers," says the designer. "Tiny copper-colored glass tiles sparkle like semiprecious stones. For guests, the effect is like being on the inside of a jewel."

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Suki Medencevic