Dramatic Contemporary Bathroom by Elina Katsioula-Beall

2010 NKBA Design Competition - Powder Room: First Place

The client, a collector of antique Samurai swords and an instructor of iaido (Japanese swordsmanship), wanted the new powder room to reflect the Japanese culture he avidly embraces. Soft silver wallpaper from Japan is used to contrast the polished black pebbles that are stacked to create a shimmering backsplash. Kimono-shaped mirrors and a dramatic 42-inch faucet, which imitates the outline of a samurai sword, further support the culturally-defined environment. The path of the water over a shimmering rock backdrop alludes to a waterfall flowing into a hollowed piece of black granite. Backlit shoji panels, an antique Japanese merchant's ledger chest vanity, and ranma (wooden transoms) turned vertically as swinging doors, all act as supporting components to the cultural effect.