Before and After: Powder Room Goes From Bland to Bold
A striking black-and-white wallpaper and personal touches wow in this Indiana home
Becky Harris
October 5, 2020
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Moving from the city of Chicago to the countryside across the lake in Michiana Shores, Indiana, gave homeowner Jill Maremont a chance to finally design her dream powder room. The uninviting bland colors and an uninspired design in the existing room made her crave something bold. “The goal was to do something really fun and unexpected,” she says. Now, with the cosmetic makeover complete, black-and-white abstract wallpaper, a mirror inspired by 1970s childhood nostalgia and some special artwork surprise and delight those who enter the little jewel box of a room.
“After” photos by Tony Soluri Photography
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jill and Michael Maremont
Location: Michiana Shores, Indiana
Size: 24 square feet (2.2 square meters)
Designer: Jill Maremont in consultation with Scott Dresner of Dresner Design
Before: Though she made a career switch to public relations and marketing years ago, Maremont has a strong background in interior design — she studied it in college and practiced it for nine years. So she approached the bland existing bathroom with definite design ideas up her sleeve. During the powder room makeover, kitchen designer Scott Dresner was on site designing and carrying out an extensive renovation of other areas of the house. For this space he helped advise during the planning process and served as the contractor.
When asked what wasn’t working for her about the existing bathroom, Maremont laughed and said, “Everything!” However, that wasn’t truly the case. “Scott advised us to keep the existing sink and toilet, even though they were a little traditional for our taste,” she says. “He knew that would help us with the overall budget.”
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jill and Michael Maremont
Location: Michiana Shores, Indiana
Size: 24 square feet (2.2 square meters)
Designer: Jill Maremont in consultation with Scott Dresner of Dresner Design
Before: Though she made a career switch to public relations and marketing years ago, Maremont has a strong background in interior design — she studied it in college and practiced it for nine years. So she approached the bland existing bathroom with definite design ideas up her sleeve. During the powder room makeover, kitchen designer Scott Dresner was on site designing and carrying out an extensive renovation of other areas of the house. For this space he helped advise during the planning process and served as the contractor.
When asked what wasn’t working for her about the existing bathroom, Maremont laughed and said, “Everything!” However, that wasn’t truly the case. “Scott advised us to keep the existing sink and toilet, even though they were a little traditional for our taste,” she says. “He knew that would help us with the overall budget.”
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz
After: As part of the larger renovations, Dresner had helped the couple transform the orange-toned oak floors throughout the house with a smoky gray stain. This gave them a beautiful updated look.
The makeover began with a well-worn vintage rug Maremont had picked up on a trip to Ohio. “I was shopping with a friend about five years ago and I just knew it was the rug that would go in my dream powder room someday,” she says. “It has so much depth and the patina really shows the history of the piece.”
The artwork was a piece she already had as well. “I’m an avid art collector and I love the work of Francine Turk,” Maremont says. “I have collected about a dozen pieces of hers over the years, but this one was the first one I ever bought.” The artist rendered the figure on a turquoise bag from Ladurée, the iconic macaron shop in Paris. The painting in the mirror’s reflection is also by Turk.
And Schumacher’s Queen of Spain wallpaper was something Maremont had had her eye on for years. “I just love wallpaper,” she says. The bold abstract print is striking in such a small space.
She found the wicker pendant light on Houzz. It adds some warm texture as well as interesting shadows on the ceiling. The wastebasket adds a similar texture.
Wicker pear pendant lamp: Houzz
Find the right wallpaper for your project
The makeover began with a well-worn vintage rug Maremont had picked up on a trip to Ohio. “I was shopping with a friend about five years ago and I just knew it was the rug that would go in my dream powder room someday,” she says. “It has so much depth and the patina really shows the history of the piece.”
The artwork was a piece she already had as well. “I’m an avid art collector and I love the work of Francine Turk,” Maremont says. “I have collected about a dozen pieces of hers over the years, but this one was the first one I ever bought.” The artist rendered the figure on a turquoise bag from Ladurée, the iconic macaron shop in Paris. The painting in the mirror’s reflection is also by Turk.
And Schumacher’s Queen of Spain wallpaper was something Maremont had had her eye on for years. “I just love wallpaper,” she says. The bold abstract print is striking in such a small space.
She found the wicker pendant light on Houzz. It adds some warm texture as well as interesting shadows on the ceiling. The wastebasket adds a similar texture.
Wicker pear pendant lamp: Houzz
Find the right wallpaper for your project
Maremont’s childhood influenced the pagoda-inspired mirror choice. “In the ’70s my parents had a mirror like this one in yellow,” she says. While that particular mirror was long gone, she was able to source something similar. And though she would have been willing to paint one that had the right shape, she was lucky enough to find one that was already black.
More on Houzz
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More on Houzz
Tour more powder rooms
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
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Michrod, we're never satisfied are we!! :>) This bathroom is beautiful. Hope they're satisfied.
This is gorgeous!
The only thing I would have done different is choosing a mirror which is more visible, but if they like it that’s alright! And easy to change up wallpaper if someone doesn’t like it!