Powder room in a column

While privacy is always a priority, it's a useful advantage for guests if a powder room is just a short step from the living spaces. One way to achieve both proximity and discretion is to create a nifty disappearing act.

This modestly sized powder room appears to be in close vicinity to the kitchen, although it is in a corridor that opens onto the living and the cooking areas. To achieve a sense of privacy, the doorway faces away from the public spaces, says designer Robert Ledingham.

"However, when the curved pocket door slides shut, the powder room disappears from sight, taking on the form of a decorative column finished in rich, lustrous Madagascar veneer, an African hardwood. To complete the picture, several display niches are scalloped out of the facade. These are internally lit to highlight the objects on show.

Having successfully achieved a vanishing act, the powder room reveals a glamorous, night club-like interior.

"The owners loved the look of the sparkly, silver leaf mosaic tiles used elsewhere in the home, so these became a leading feature of the circular space," says Ledingham. "To maximize their impact, I specified a clear glass sink, a sculptural element in its own right, that avoids obscuring any part of the wall."

Indirect lighting plays a part in the room's glittering presence. The circular glass-framed mirror is internally lit, picking up on the luster of the mosaic tiles. In addition, lights are embedded in the lapacho flooring. These pick up highlights on both the mosaic wall tiles and the white glass tiles on the ceiling.

"In this dramatic powder room even the wall-hung toilet has an unexpected, albeit understated, profile," says Ledingham.

Story by: Trendsideas