Creating A Wow! Effect

CREATING A WOW! EFFECT

Interior designer Nadine Thomson bestows dramatic design on this Baie d’Urfé powder room

BY NADINE THOMSON

PHOTOGRAPHY: LUISA GONZALEZ

THIS HOUSE IN BAIE D’URFÉ, on Montreal’s West Island, offers beautiful views of Lake St. Louis. And when Gene and Mary Tsartolias bought it in 1990, they saw a diamond in the rough.

Eighteen years ago, the couple did a largescale renovation on the house, followed by a more modest “refresh” in 2012. Fast forward to 2018 and the now empty-nesters have braved yet another renovation starting with this ground-floor powder room.

As is typical of many homes, this one has a powder room that is a small, high-traffic space used by everyone, including guests.

My clients asked me to create a spectacular showcase space that would reflect their personalities; they’re willing to take design risks while keeping a strong focus on durable materials and high functionality. They also wished to keep a few of the room’s existing elements to ensure continuity between the new space and the rest of the home’s details and craftmanship.

At 55 by 61 inches (approximately 23 square feet), this space was definitely a challenge to design because of its modest dimensions. Since powder rooms are meant for quick visits, a dramatic look works well. This was a perfect opportunity to create a wow factor, which we did by installing a contemporary piece of furniture as the vanity.

We also used various shades of warm gold and shimmering black through wallpaper and wainscotting. The result? A space that was transformed from a humdrum utilitarian room into a pièce de résistance. •

Before

1. The original powder room’s solid oak moldings and door were preserved along with the crystal knobs with brass detailing and matching solid-brass hinges. The original colour and finish of the outside of the door was kept, but the inside was painted the same colour as the wainscot (Benjamin Moore Jet Black 2120-10) with a high-gloss finish. Don’t let the name fool you; this is actually a very warm black with a strong undertone of brown and it has a soft-black feeling. There’s nothing harsh about it.

2. The clients loved the idea of a marble floor. However, they were concerned about the maintenance and performance of such a delicate material in a high-traffic area. Instead, they opted for a high-gloss-finish porcelain tile that replicates marble but is more durable. Ciot cut the 24-by-24-inch porcelain tiles down to three-quarters of an inch by three inches for a classic herringbone pattern; they were placed on a mesh for easy installation.

3. The Hudson Metal Single Washstand, fitted with a Lugarno faucet with aged-brass finish, is from Restoration Hardware. It has a Caesarstone counter in Pure White and occupies approximately half of the floor space. However, because it has an open bottom, this piece of furniture does not feel obtrusive, and it affords the homeowners much-needed counterspace that they didn’t have with their previous pedestal sink. The countertop is extremely durable.

4. We repurposed a vanity mirror that, against the contrast of the wallpaper, was reinvigorated with new life; it doesn’t even look like the same mirror.

5. A point to consider with an open-bottom vanity is the plumbing. Drains and water-intake valves are visible, so they should be beautiful and finished in the same metal that is being used throughout the space. In this case, the metal is aged brass, which added a significant cost to the project as well as some headaches: we had to locate the supplier from Restoration Hardware whose plating is the same as that on the legs and faucet.

Whatever finish you are working with in your bathroom renovation, the challenge is to find the exact colour among the various suppliers. For instance, Restoration Hardware’s aged brass is not the same as that of other companies.

At one point, we had to let go of trying to find exact matches and realized that having all the metals in the same tone and warmth was more than sufficient. This creates a curated environment and allowed us to dispense with our obsession for the perfect match.

In the end, everything works together in harmony.

6. The wainscotting sits slightly higher than standard to create a significant backsplash for the vanity. The top of the panelling is 40 inches from the floor to provide the vanity with a 6-inch backsplash. We also installed raised panels in the wainscot and lined up the top of the one above the toilet with the top of the vanity to create a continuous horizontal line around the room. By doing so, we also created a generous space between the top of the panel and the chair rail that allowed us to install a glass shelving unit above the toilet. It added elegance as well as needed storage space.

Nadine Thomson Interior Design www.nadinethomson.com 514-775-2259

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