Taking a different approach to challenges of powder room design

If there’s one place in the home you can set out to impress guests, it’s your powder room. With its usually small size and limited functionality, a few carefully curated feature pieces can have a very large impact.

But getting to that end point isn’t always just about what’s on the surface. There may need to be a host of behind-the-scenes solutions before the final design can be implemented.

That’s especially so when the powder room is inserted into an existing space with fixed elements that can not be changed.

The powder room shown here is part of a combination and renovation of two strata condo units, with interior design  by Michelle Miazga-Hall.

She says the owners wanted the powder room to be a real ‘wow’ moment for guests using it, but that the allocated space was an odd layout.

“It had to accommodate existing plumbing and mechanical locations, and work around existing columns,” she says.

Dropping the ceiling concealed the mechanical requirements for the floor above. It also gave extra support needed for lighting and for the ceiling mounted custom accessories she designed – the suspended metal art frames, towel bar and mirror.

With mechanical issues resolved, the crowning wow factor was introduced.

“A custom brass and marble mosaic  adds a dramatic backdrop to the concrete sink, while the Tom Dixon brass light pendants add another glamorous touch.”

The powder room shown here is part of a combination and renovation of two strata condo units, with interior design  by Michelle Miazga-Hall.

She says the owners wanted the powder room to be a real ‘wow’ moment for guests using it, but that the allocated space was an odd layout.

“It had to accommodate existing plumbing and mechanical locations, and work around existing columns,” she says.

“So, instead of the usual vanity design, we created a custom concrete trough and brass shelf to make use of a narrow niche.”

Dropping the ceiling concealed the mechanical requirements for the floor above. It also gave extra support needed for lighting and for the ceiling mounted custom accessories she designed – the suspended metal art frames, towel bar and mirror.

With mechanical issues resolved, the crowning wow factor was introduced.

“A custom brass and marble mosaic  adds a dramatic backdrop to the concrete sink, while the Tom Dixon brass light pendants add another glamorous touch.”

Story by: Paul Taylor

Photography by: Gabriel Hall