We recently remodeled a half bath (a.k.a. powder room) in Chevy Chase Maryland that included something old, something new and something borrowed. It is not uncommon when remodeling to put something old in with the new work. It's built in to our design build process. Renovation is all about mixing and matching the best of old with well designed new work.
For this bathroom remodel, the clients gave us a antique chandelier that had shed its light in the powder room of a beloved former home in Cleveland. Here it is now in suburban Washington, something borrowed....
The client "borrowed" this chandelier from their former home and brought it to Chevy Chase
The magnificently over the top crown molding you see in the photo? That was already there. A previous homeowner had a sense of humor, obviously. We kept it. That's our something old. Then we added that "borrowed" chandelier which is also slightly "over the top."
When working with such a small space, our bath designers have just three key design elements to play with. Those elements are the lighting (as we see above), the wall treatment and the sink or wash stand. There is usually no great need for storage in a small bathroom like this. So the designers usually forgo the vanity cabinet and choose something that is free standing. There's our something new
The solid wood legs supporting this porcelain sink make a strong sculptural statement
Usually bath designers will try a wall paper, something dramatic, for the walls. But in this case, they wanted to balance the heft of that massive crown molding by anchoring the room with a strong earthy tile wainscot.
It's obvious that the work for the designers is not so intensive as it would be with a full out custom bath remodel for a master bath or hall bath. It's more a matter of tasteful selections that bring balance and a touch of personality to a very small space.
Would you like to have some designing a small bathroom or powder room? Contact one of our bathroom designers. But before you do, prepare for that conversation by reading 6 Things to Ask Yourself Before You Call a Home Remodeler.
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