Bathrooms, like kitchens, are one of the most used rooms in any house. But their functionality shouldn’t obscure the potential to create beautiful and unique design. Whether you’re designing a small powder room or a primary bathroom in your forever home, we’ve rounded up some of the best local bathroom design to inspire you.
How four designers turned guest bathrooms into show-stopping powder rooms
Tucked beneath a staircase or around a corner, powder rooms are often outshined by more prominent and glamorous first-floors rooms. But not these spaces.
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Astratto wallpaper, by Romo, was the ideal choice for the home’s first-floor powder room, in light of all the navy and chartreuse accents that pepper the house.
“First and foremost, the powder room had to be an experience,” says designer April Jensen. “We wanted a wow factor, and the paper definitely made its presence known.”
Jensen, who doesn’t shy away from mixing metals, combined an antique gold mirror sourced from 1stdibs with stainless steel sconces by Visual Comfort and a vanity by Restoration Hardware.
The biggest challenge? Making certain that each new element increased the room’s overall impact. “Each piece matters, because you have few elements in a small space,” she says.
Amy Studebaker’s client wanted a “hint of glamour” in her powder room while maintaining a classic feel to match the rest of the house.
She fell in love with the hammered copper sink from Waterworks’ Normandy collection, and it inspired the design of the rest of the room.
“We loved the way light reflects off the hammered sink,” Studebaker says. “It moved us to use the mirrored tiles on the wall.”
With the sink and the Devotion Water Mirror tile in place, Studebaker elected to keep the room “mostly achromatic to emphasize the reflections of the tile and the sink.” Nickel sconces from the Suzanne Kasler Camille collection for Visual Comfort, the Universal nickel washstand from Waterworks, and the Kensington mirror from Pottery Barn finish the room.
“We wanted this space to stand out,” Studebaker says, “and creating a dramatic focal point with the mirrored tile and fabulous wallpaper did the job well—without taking up space.”
Interior designer Amie Corley appreciates the power of a powder room to speak for itself—and deliver a “completely different” experience than you’d find in the rest of the house.
“I love to make powder rooms a microcosm of design, a space where you can take more design risks,” she says.
Corley worked her magic in a traditional Ladue home by mixing a selection of stylish yet whimsical elements, such as Mr. Blow wallpaper by Abnormals Anonymous, brass-and-marble sconces by Kelly Wearstler, a wall-mounted faucet by Waterworks, and a Calacatta marble sink and floor tile.
The look imparts a youthful energy but never loses sight of the home’s architectural polish and sophistication.
“I love the juxtaposition of the wild wallpaper with the modern sconces,” says Corley. “The tension between these elements is such a surprise. I love how it all came together.”
The client requested a patterned tile, and Marcia Moore knew just where to look. After she showed her client a photo of a black-and-white encaustic cement tile by Mosaic House, they knew they’d found their focal point.
To heighten the tile’s drama, Moore elected to set the room’s white-painted cabinetry, made by Smithport, on feet, allowing the tile to run to the wall and give the illusion of space.
“This powder room is near the front door, so it needed to make a statement,” she says.
Finding the right sconces required a longer search. The Calla sconce, from Hubbardton Forge, answered the call, with its swooped base that mirrors the design of the tile.
With so much attention paid to the tile, the remaining elements required a simple touch. White Flour, by Sherwin-Williams, is painted onto the walls. Moore finished the room with an Absolute White marble countertop from SFI Stone, a faucet by Rohl, and a sink by DXV from Immerse.
Black and Light
The Challenge: The homeowner was relocating to St. Louis and had purchased a Beaux Arts mansion built in 1911. Last updated 20 years ago, it needed a sweeping renovation. The homeowner, a self-described Modernist, hired Jimmy Jamieson of Jamieson Design as the project’s architect and designer. “I wanted someone who was a scholar as much as a designer, who could help me do this home in a historically appropriate yet modern manner,” says the owner. Beyond this mandate, the owner did request one specific feature for the master bathroom, in particular: black-lacquered walls.
The Resolution: The bathroom more than doubled in size, from 126 to 312 square feet. The walls were plastered, treated with applied molding, and brushed with 14 coats of black lacquer, a process that took three months to complete. “With every coat, the lacquer gains depth and becomes more translucent,” says Jamieson. “In low light, color recedes and the black walls start to act as mirrors.” To create flow and balance, Jamieson placed a vanity at either end of the room, near the two doors, and positioned the toilet compartment in the center to serve as the room’s axis. As a means of ensuring both privacy and light transference, the doors to the toilet room and the walk-in shower are made of sandblasted glass. The classical borders of the doors are repeated in the pattern of the bold black-and-white floor, made of alternating veined marble tiles. A freestanding tub sits atop a black marble pedestal in an alcove with a television concealed in the wall.
The Homeowner’s Take: The room is quiet, masculine and modern, with bespoke black-and-white materials befitting the historic mansion. “It’s a private retreat,” says the owner. “I can spend the entire morning having a bath, watching the news, and drinking a cup of coffee.”
Rhapsody in Blue
The Challenge: In the first-floor powder room, the owner wanted to incorporate a ceramic tile from The Winchester Tile Company, which reminded her of the homes she’d long admired while living in Zurich, and imbue a palette of blue and white. “Not every client is open to such a fun pattern,” says Julie Abner of Julie Abner Interiors. “It was a real treat to work with someone who wanted to push the boundaries.”
The Resolution: Abner began by setting the multihued blue tiles in a repeat pattern around the room and carrying that pattern down to the wainscoting. To frame the tiles, she selected a brilliant solid ocean blue tile beneath the patterned tiles and on the chair rail. Wallpaper from Sanderson and a Cowtan & Tout–fabric window treatment with a beaded drop fringe complement the room’s patterns. The designer selected sconces from Schonbek and the client’s own oval French mirror. The space is anchored by a burled English walnut cabinet and a quartz countertop softened with a decorative ogee edge.
The Homeowner’s Take: The room has a special energy, thanks to the textural blue tile, the graceful upswing of the wallpaper and valance, and the burl of the wood. Best of all, says the owner, “the tile evokes happy memories of my time in Europe.”
Reclaimed Space
The Challenge: At 110 square feet, “the awkward, impractical layout limited the room’s functionality,” says Paige McClellan, formerly of Refine by UIC and currently the owner of studio Mc. “The tub and the vanity had been placed at 45-degree angles, creating a narrow diagonal pathway. The toilet was in the center of the room, and the shower was tucked into a small space at the back.”
The Resolution: “Our focus was to maximize the space and not necessarily encourage the client to take on a larger footprint,” she says. A standard-size bath and glass-wall shower, tiled in a translucent white glass mini-brick, were installed where the old tub once stood. A tankless toilet sits in the space that the old shower once occupied, and a pocket door adds privacy. A paisley Schumacher wallpaper hangs above a double-basin Caesarstone counter-top with a backsplash and wall-mounted chrome fixtures.
The Homeowner’s Take: Owner Katie Manga loves the space for its improved flow and functionality, and for its new aesthetic. “Now, the bathroom ties in beautifully to the rest of the home but is still a standout,” she says.
Aging in Place
Designing the kitchen and bathroom with the future in mind.
As we age, our homes can feel less like a haven and more like an obstacle course: one that can lead us to injury or worse. New technology and thoughtful planning with an architect or designer, however, allows homeowners to live out their golden years safely at home. St. Louis Hills residents Steve and Judith Doss have taken the right steps to do just that.
“We took care of my parents, who adapted their home as they got older,” says Steve. “We learned from them. When we renovated our kitchen in 2013, we had our ideas together. Aging in place wasn’t talked about much then.”
Steve says the renovated kitchen includes countertops set at heights that permit seated meal preparation, a two-level dishwasher that’s easier to load and unload, and pull-out cabinet drawers: “No deep cabinets where you bend over to get things all the way in the back.
“We keep our dishes in the drawers so we’re not lifting heavy dishes over our heads,” he says. The kitchen was the second of three renovations he and his wife have carried out to help them stay in the home they love.
The Dosses’ ideas are reflective of aging-in-place suggestions made by Larry Milles, director of architecture, at Gray Design Group and Cindy Roeser, vice president of Roeser Home Remodeling.
“We do a lot of drawers in kitchens now,” says Roeser. “Most of our cabinets are done that way. We even have microwaves pull out in drawers. In the ’70s and ’80s, they were often installed above the stove. It’s easier to lift up the dishes than to carry them over your head.”
“A clear path of access throughout the kitchen is critical,” says Milles, “especially for those in wheelchairs.”
Bathrooms can present significant challenges, Milles notes: “Everyone has three things to deal with: the shower, the toilet, and grab bars.”
Both professionals say that a no-threshold shower equipped with a built-in seat, handheld water wand, good lighting, and grab bars are a must.
“As a part of our best practices, we do backing in our bathrooms so the grab bars will support 250 to 300 pounds,” Roeser says. “There are really pretty grab bars available now that don’t look so industrial.”
She also suggests a heating element above a walk-in bath: “The water’s warm when it’s filled, but while you wait for it to fill and to empty it, can get pretty cold.”
As for the toilet, both pros suggest a taller 19-inch toilet for older adults. “If we’re gutting a bathroom, we always put [an electrical] plug behind the toilet,” Roeser says. “As you age, sometimes getting clean is a problem. With a plug in the wall, you can add a washlet on your toilet.”
With their latest renovation, the addition of a front porch two years ago, the Dosses went beyond the basics of safety and ease of movement in the home they’ve lived in for more than 40 years. The porch enables them to maintain connections with neighbors and friends.
“We’re sociable people,” says Steve. “When the day comes that we can no longer travel to visit our daughter in Chicago or get out to see friends, we can sit on our porch and wave to folks.”
Vanity Project
Now more than ever, bathrooms are designed for living.
An Instagram caption by famed interior designer Miles Redd—“I favor when bathrooms feel like rooms”—made us stop and think. The powder room in the corresponding image could only be described as sumptuous: The walls are covered in emerald silk and outlined in black grosgrain ribbon, for starters. A curtain bearing a peacock motif dresses up a window. The wood floors are painted in a black-and-white pattern “borrowed from Pauline de Rothschild.” It certainly makes a splash, but in a room where water and humidity are prevalent, the bathroom seems like the last place where one should try to make décor waves…or should you? Bathrooms, says Michael Wyrock, co-principal designer of Nistenhaus Design, are one of the first and last rooms people engage with during the day: “They tend to be one of those places people think they’re in and out of quickly. The reality is, they often spend a lot more time there than expected.” Creating a bathroom that feels like a beautifully decorated extension of the home often starts with the layout—and thinking of the footprint like that of a living room. The bathtub, shower, and other pieces are placed in ways that make them feel like art. For a bathroom in a Lafayette Square home, a Nistenhaus client requested that he be able to see the entire room, particularly a century-old fireplace, from the shower. “We basically set up the whole thing so that when he looks back, he’s looking across the bathtub over to the fireplace,” says Justin Maine, Wyrock’s co-principal at Nistenhaus. “What you’re seeing when you’re in the shower helps enhance the experience.” Such pieces as chairs, ottomans, and sofas pull double duty: They make the space look like a living area and also provide the opportunity to take a seat.
For Rebekah Moore Murphy, co-founder of Stone Hall Cabinetry, cabinetry plays a foundational role. “The bigger the bathroom, often the less concern about storage and functionality,” she says, “so you have more room to play with things like the architectural value of the space and incorporate bespoke furniture–type cabinetry. You can go heavy on the aesthetic side: Can we incorporate any mullions or mirrors?How you incorporate lighting is huge.”
Last year Murphy worked on a home in Webster Groves, transforming a second-story deck into a primary bath. Because there was a window in the middle of the two-sink vanity, Murphy chose to hang pendants rather than use can lights or sconces. “It looks so charming,” she says, “to do something like a library light in a powder room over the mirror.”
Because bathroom tile can often be cold, Wyrock and Maine make softening the room a priority. A window treatment or shower curtain (albeit a pretty, well-tailored one) does the trick. If the designers can’t work in pattern on a floor, they’ll do so in a wallcovering or window treatment. One client turned Wyrock and Maine loose in a bathroom with beautiful—but cold and utilitarian—white marble that covered the walls, three-quarters of the way up. “One of the ways we tried to balance that out is, we picked this beautiful Christian Lacroix feather-motif wallpaper,” Wyrock says. “It’s stunning but very busy. By adding something that’s highly patterned on the last quarter up to the ceiling and wrapping up onto the ceiling, it allowed us to engage that cooler element of the stone.” Nervous about adding wallpaper to a room that regularly fills with steam? As long as a professional is installing a vinyl-backed wallpaper, and the room has good ventilation, Wyrock says, the product should hold up. Don’t fear going for what you want.“If that’s an antique rug that you wouldn’t normally want to put in the bathroom because you’re nervous about it getting wet, don’t worry about it,” Wyrock says. “They’ve been around for 100 years, they’ve gone through a lot worse, and you can clean them.”
Cue the Art
Another way to make your bathroom feel like an extension of your living area is to hang a few pieces of beautiful art. Ty Norton is a third-generation professional framer. His grandparents Ruth and Cecil Norton started Norton’s Fine Art & Framing in 1949, and Ty’s been framing for a little over 25 years. (His parents, Doug and Mary Norton, work at Norton’s as well.) Design STL asked him what to consider when hanging art in your bathroom.
Don’t frame anything of value or a piece of art you can’t bear to lose in a primary bathroom. The reason? Humidity. In a bathroom with a shower that you use every day, it’s too difficult to control the humidity, which could cause water damage or get mold started growing on your art. One workaround that Norton recommends: “You could have a copy made and hang that.”
If you do choose to frame paper artwork in a primary bathroom, you’ll want to seal the framing package. Norton recommends using a glass front and a matte board to create a gap for air to circulate around the art, allowing any moisture that could get trapped to dry. “Matte boards are not just decorative,” says Norton. “They actually serve a purpose.” He advises sealing the entire framing package with a product called Marvelseal 360 to keep out moisture. Check your artwork every four months or so to make sure it’s still tightly sealed.
It’s best to select an aluminum frame, which won’t oxidize or rust over time when exposed to humidity. “That really limits your options, though,” Norton says, “so a lot of people will go with a wood.” Add a rubber bumper to the back of each of the frame’s corners to create space between the frame and the wall. This will prevent moisture from collecting where you don’t want it to.
Spa-Like Moments
From air baths to teak accessories, the feel of a spa may be within reach for homeowners.
Going to a spa is an escape into a tranquil, restful space designed to soothe the senses. With thoughtful design choices, homeowners can experience many of the pleasures of a spa in their home bathrooms.
“You want your mind to be free of distractions and overthinking when you’re in this kind of bathroom, because that’s what a spa does,” says Rebekah Moore Murphy, co-founder and lead designer of Stone Hall Cabinetry. “It frees you.”
A designer might start by considering how natural elements can be used in the space. For Paul Hamtil, owner of Hamtil Construction, that means incorporating wood tones, stone, and neutral colors as a first step toward achieving the desired look. Marble, with subtle veining, imbues a vanity or floor with a polished yet natural feel. Woods such as teak and cedar provide the same effect. Consider these materials, he says, when designing a bench for the shower or the walls of an in-home sauna.
Ann Wimsatt of Cite Works Architects worked on an infrared sauna built of aspen, a soft-colored light wood. Clearlight Infrared Sauna provided the panels and the heating elements, but the homeowner wanted something other than cedar, the wood that’s most often used. “The aspen wood was 4 inches thick, and the client tracked it down, herself,” says Wimsatt. “She wanted to go with very light, blond wood. She has a lot of aspens on her property here in St. Louis, and it worked really well.”
Even small upgrades can make a big difference. A rainfall shower head, which can be attached to an existing wall-mounted shower or installed overhead, mimics the rejuvenating sense of standing in a cooling summer rain. A smart toilet also elevates the bathroom experience. The Kohler Numi 2.0, for example, features a heated seat, warm-water cleansing, ambient lighting, and air-freshening technology.
Tubs are another element that can be customized to give homeowners that spa-inspired look. Consider a simple accessory like a bath shelf where you can place a glass of wine, book, or candle in a freestanding tub. These accessories vary from $20 for a bamboo caddy to $80 for a sleek, steel surface. For those seeking invigorating hydrotherapy elements, Hamtil recommends an air bath, which massages a user’s body with bubbles rather than jets. Air baths start around $2,000. Add-ons such as heaters, insulation, and specialized cleaning systems can increase the price from $4,000 to $8,000. “They have a Jacuzzi type of feel, but they’re cleaner and more sanitary, and there’s less maintenance,” says Hamtil.
Even small upgrades can help transform a primary bath into a personal retreat that’s aesthetically pleasing and soothing to body and soul.
“Just talking about it,” says Moore Murphy, “makes me want to go make an appointment.”
APPLIANCE REPAIR
1st Choice Appliance Repair: BBB-accredited and A+-rated, 1st Choice repairs refrigerators, washers, dryers, ovens, stoves, and garbage disposals and also does deep-cleaning of appliances. Same-day service is available. 314-243-5390.
American Appliance Service: Family-owned and operated since 1961, American offers affordable repair of all major appliances. 12025 Manchester, 314-965-8310.
The Appliance Guys: This small family-run business, with locations on both sides of the Mississippi, works on all major appliance brands and offers service calls for just $69. 314-390-0404, 618-297-4200.
ASAP Appliance Repair: BBB-accredited and A+-rated, ASAP offers a 30-day warranty on all diagnostics and a 100-day warranty on parts and labor. Same-day service is available. 314-831-0383 (North and South St. Louis County), 636-466-2863 (West County and St. Charles County, 636-791-1224 (Warren and Lincoln counties).
Mid America Service Appliance Repair: Mid America services all major-brand appliances and is a factory-authorized premier servicer of GE Appliances, Viking, Samsung, and Fisher & Paykel products. 328 Jungermann, St. Peters, 636-928-4131.
St. Louis Appliance Repair: This BBB-accredited, A+-rated business has been in business since 1958 and provides factory certified service on such premium brands as Sub-Zero, Bosch, Dacor, and Scotsman. 1692 Larkin Williams, Fenton, 636-389-9851.
HOUSE PAINTERS
Abdulah Vrtic: With more than 20 years of experience, this one-man shop typically takes on smaller projects, working strictly from referrals and recommendations. Homeowners we spoke to are impressed by Vrtic’s commitment to getting the job done well and on time, often working early mornings and on weekends to complete a project. 314-324-8613.
Dwyer Custom Painting: In addition to interior and exterior painting, Dwyer’s skilled painters paint cabinets and specialize in faux finishes, replicating the look of wood grain or European marble using paint. Named Best of Houzz in Service for 2019. 3928 Gravois, 314-486-7499.
Kee Painting: In business since 2006, owner Chris Heitman and his team are based in Moscow Mills but will take on jobs from all around the St. Louis area. 4510 Brevator, 636-368-1474.
Kennedy Painting: Kennedy offers interior and exterior painting services, power washing, dry wall repair. The locally owned company has been named repeatedly to the Best Painters in St. Louis by Angie’s List. From 2015-2020 it has won the Best of Houzz in Service award. 11678 Gravois, 314-952-0156.
Midwest Painting and Decorating: Sead Ibrahimovic has been running his company for more than 22 years. He focuses on residential interior and exterior painting and staining, but is also a skilled carpenter—so he can fix damaged trim or baseboards before painting them. 7609 General Hooker, 314-484-2433.
Rice Painting: Founded in 1973 primarily as an apartment painting company, Rice has since grown to employ more than 30 painters that service residential and commercial clients and those seeking a skilled paperhanger, wallpaper and lead paint renovation and repair. 19 Moody, 314-961-3988.
Rich Crimmins Painting: This father and son-in-law team specializes in painting as well as plaster repair, making them a one-stop-shop for those old crumbly walls. 5515 Tennessee, 314-853-4087.
FLOOR INSTALLERS & REFINISHERS
Blake Flooring: With more than 40 years in the hardwood flooring business, Blake is known for its attention to detail and top-notch customer service. 271 Larkin Williams Industrial Court, 636-680-2300.
Champion Flooring: Champion employs Bona Certified and trained craftsman in its refinishing projects for the highest quality finish and dust containment. Winner of the Outstanding Retailer Award by Wood Floor Business. 2312 Centerline Industrial Drive, 314-665-2889.
Evans Flooring: Brad Evans and his team are known for their customer service and quality refinishing and staining. 11674 Gravois, 314-722-3047.
Just Around the Corner: This family owned and operated business has been in the St. Louis area since 1989. Their Crestwood showroom carries a large assortment of hardwood, carpet, luxury vinyl and tile, and is open to the public. 9401 Watson Industrial Park, 314-487-9909.
JW Hardwood Floors: John Warner’s family-owned company is loaded with decades of experience. 12051 Colonial, 314-22-01054.
TILE SETTERS
Kirkwood Flooring: This company installs materials purchased through their company. Clients are invited to peruse Kirkwood’s large Chesterfield showroom of tile, carpet, hardwood, stone and marble by appointment. 744 Spirit 40 Park, 636-575-3049.
R and F Tile: In business since 1974, this family owned and operated business sells and sets everything from marble, granite, and ceramic tile flooring. 10721 Baur, 618-803-9966.
Ryan Carroll: Carroll runs a small shop with detailed, conscientious work. 636-346-5166.
Stone Fabricators: Stone Fabricators provides and fabricates stone on site, so you can choose the stone, view edge samples, and see their production facility all in one place. 4084 Bingham, 314-776-7776.
WALLPAPER HANGERS
JRS Wallcovering: Jason Rieger was the long-time apprentice to the well-regarded wallpaper hanger Willie Ross. When Willie retired, Jason struck out on his own. 314-913-3176.
Koch Bros.: From mimicking wood grain and the illusion of trompe l’oeil to wall glazing and expert wall covering installation, Koch Bros has been adding new life to St. Louis walls since 1930. 6752 Olive, 314-862-8383.
Ralph Eisenbath: A graduate of the United States School of Professional Paperhanging, Eisenbath will hang papers, vinyl, foil, murals, grass cloth, burlap, flocks, and mylar. 314-838-1741.
Tim Tucker: Known for his precision and attention to detail, Tucker has been hanging paper for decades. But call ahead to schedule an appointment, he books up quickly. 314-313-1710.
