Contemporary Powder Room

Contemporary Powder Room


This project involved simple updates to a 50-year-old powder room in a Sputnik-era Flourtown rancher. In its “before” state, this powder room featured a scooped cabinet that resembled the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, boomerang-pattern laminate countertop, Ming green fixtures, and checkerboard tile flooring. Our best guess is that the flower power toilet seat was a late 1960s addition. The cabinet sliding doors were inoperable, swollen with moisture, and the toilet used six gallons of water per flush, and the floor tile likely contained asbestos fiber. In the case of this powder room, not only were the elements in the space outdated after five decades; they were also completely worn out and begging for an immediate overhaul.

Tamara and her assistant Carolyn designed the simple update, which began with new flooring laid over the tile, creating an effective seal. Next, we replaced the original cabinet with a custom-built maple unit, and topped it with a Carrera marble counter and a Lacava sink. A matching maple frame was made for the mirror. The toilet we chose is one of our current favorite models: a Kohler dual-flush unit (0.8 or 1.6 gallons). A fresh coat of paint made everything much brighter and more in keeping with the modern look of the house.