Into the light

The challenge in this remodel was to transform a dark, narrow, windowless bathroom into serene and comfortable space.

A connection to nature is echoed this elegant powder room with the features of a full bathroom. The tones and texture of the natural limestone flooring are repeated in the wall surfaces.

Natural light is essential to the rooms ambiance and converting a closet from an adjacent room provided access for a new window. It also added space for a much larger shower. The new bathroom, intended for occasional guests, required little storage space. A custom Asian-influenced console with a distressed finish holds a lavishly polished chrome washbowl with a chrome faucet projecting from the wall above. The console increases counter space and elevates the washbowl to a higher-than-usual position.

Three simple paintings on the opposite wall echo the warm color and distressed finish of the console.

This room earned a first-place award in the small bathroom category of the National Kitchen and Bath Association's 2003 Design Competition.

Designers: Vernon Applegate, Gioi Tran; Applegate Tran Interiors; San Francisco, CA

Photography: davidduncanlivingston.com