July 29, 2013
With all the showiness of a powder room, reinvigorating one without the cost calls for a creative redesign. Designer Fawn Galli of Fawn Galli Interior Design took on the challenge with two powder rooms as well as a master bath.
“Playing with surface materials is a great way to stay on a budget without having to tear out any fixtures,” Galli advised. “I did this through the application of wallpaper, tile, stone and wood.”
One powder room needed to match the energy of the adjacent exercise room. “We decided to use a geometric, labyrinth-like wallpaper to energize the space and give it a funky edge,” said Galli. The wallpaper’s metallic accents are reflective, making the powder room appear larger than reality. “[The wallpaper] plays with the eye and adds movement to the space,” explained Galli.
The pattern also distracts from the bulky fixtures and developer tiling. “It was difficult to jazz up three bathrooms that were originally builder’s special spaces,” said Galli. “They were very banal, and the fixtures were clunky.” A vintage light and a custom-framed mirror calm the busy backdrop.
Inspired by French 18th-century Rococo style, the other powder room pairs a backdrop of bright red damask wallpaper with an antique light fixture, neutral tile and simple hardware. “I wanted to achieve a funky British feel while still maintaining some femininity,” said Galli. “I found the red a true ode to Britain, while the curves in the damask and of the mirror softened the room, making it feminine.” An antique light fixture adds to the funky feel with twisted glass and soft illumination.
“For the powder rooms, I was given free reign to design something unexpected,” said Galli. “For the master bath, the client wanted a more peaceful atmosphere with clean lines and ocean color tones.”
Previously designed with a monochromatic color scheme and dull finishes, the master bath was enlivened with watery blue and green tiles and ceramic tile walls. “We used Bisazza tile in blue, sea foam and green in the shower to evoke the ocean and the texture of water crashing on the shore,” explained Galli. “I wanted to somehow emulate the glittering light that reflects off of the water.”
Inspired also by the apartment’s Art Deco furniture, the marble vanity and bathtub give the bath an organic touch. Cerused oak millwork contributes simplicity and peace. “I wanted to create a clean and fresh environment that alluded to the calm one finds at the ocean,” said Galli. “The linearity, colors and texture of the counter and bathtub lend themselves to a sprawling shoreline and a peaceful atmosphere for [the] master bath.”
