By Donna Heiderstadt
Curious which designers have earned finalist spots for the Powder Room category of the Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards? While the winners—who will receive $5,000 for a first-place finish, $2,500 for second and $1,000 for third—won’t be revealed until the awards ceremony at KBIS 2023 on January 30 in the Encore Ballroom at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, their chic, innovative and problem-solving designs are being previewed here. So, read on for a look at the top three Powder Rooms for 2023.
Jaque Bethke, Jaque Bethke Design, Scottsdale, AZ: “Swagalicious”
Jaque Bethke, owner and and principal of her eponymous Scottsdale, AZ-based design studio, describes herself as a “lifestyle concierge” who specializes in creating “living, one-of-a-kind spaces that stand the test of time by drawing people in, perfectly expressing who they are and becoming the place they most want to be.” So, for a circa-1980s powder room that had “lost its swag,” Jaque envisioned a bold space that conveyed the owner’s love of art and celebrated the women in the home—all in a mere 50 square feet. She called the powder room “Swagalicious.”
“A powder room is a great place to make a grand, unexpected statement with a relatively small budget,” Jaque explains. This space, located off the kitchen on the main floor of a home in Boca Raton, FL, serves as the restroom for visitors. Goals included moving the doorway out of the direct sight line of the kitchen snack bar and relocating the sink and toilet while retaining the space’s existing marble flooring. By harvesting marble from an adjacent room, Jaque was able to keep the flooring contiguous with the adjoining spaces. Equally challenging was the art installation that is the room’s focal point: a large graphic that celebrates the women in the home and added light via LED panels installed behind it. The result is a playful interaction that enhances the reflective quality of the floor, the Lacava pedestal sink and the Dornbracht faucet.
Jaque Bethke, Jaque Bethke Design, Scottsdale, AZ: “Picture This”
Jaque also made the top three with her “Picture This” remodel of a powder room in a Scottsdale residence whose owner wanted a combination of “drama and comfort” for her visiting guests—and an aesthetic that set it apart from the powder room in a second home in the Chicago suburbs. The design she proposed focused on proportion and volume to create a grand space, but by carefully stitching patterns together the effect ultimately became subliminal. “Cork wallcovering, mirroring on the walls and ceiling and walnut panels with brass inlays create an extraordinary experience,” explains Jaque, who chose a Lacava Kubista sink with a Delta Zura touchless faucet along with Antolini countertops and Eleganza flooring to complete the look.
For the space to generate energy at different times of the day and with seasonal changes, it also needed to be appropriately lit. Utilizing a combination of natural light, recessed can lighting and sconces was the solution. “You know you have really had an excellent team when you walk into the finished project and everything just fits perfectly,” Jaque says. “Something perfect happened here and we went on the journey together.”
Lori Carroll, Lori Carroll & Associates, Tucson, AZ: “Far Beyond the Surface”
Tucson, AZ-based Lori Carroll is known for creating refined yet livable interiors that are “an artistic blend of sophistication and comfort.” So, when hired to design a powder room for a couple rebuilding a home in Tucson after a devastating fire, she endeavored to turn a traumatic event into something positive by giving them a spectacular design. “They requested a contemporary space which would feel fresh, unique—and, most importantly, would instantly wow guests,” she explains. The resulting design is called “Far Beyond the Surface” and it relies on a refined color palette in shades of taupe, bronze and beige and superb finishes to create an inviting and memorable space.
The vanity wall takes center stage anchored by an elegant slab of honed marble. A Julie Wawirka white bronze sculptural sink with a Sonoma Forge waterfall faucet gives the space a unique and modern feel and an artful combination of textured marble tile and Ann Sacks mosaic stone creates a timeless yet bold focal point for the room. Providing soft lines and unmistakable style is an Arteriors brass circular mirror, while Holly Hunt Cumulus Shimmer wallcovering, in a silver taupe finish, perfectly coordinates with the vanity. The lighting plan includes under-cabinet lighting, recessed ceiling lights and dark smoke Hubbardton Forge pendants on the vanity wall to provide the space with a soft glow reminiscent of nature.
Winning Announcements Coming Soon
The Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Award winners for each category will be announced on January 30th at KBIS 2023. Shaping up to be an event not to be missed, the first, second, and third place winners will be formally announced in each of the six categories, as well as awards for Best Overall Kitchen, Best Overall Bath, and the new People’s Pick award. Over $100,000 will be awarded in total. If you cannot attend, check our newsfeed to read all about it.
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