Before
After
This Central Florida powder room was a small, functional space that had never been treated as a design opportunity. White square tile covered the lower walls as a basic wainscot, a pedestal sink with traditional chrome fixtures sat in the corner, and a standard two-piece toilet was beside it. The one interesting element was a single horizontal band of dark charcoal starburst-patterned porcelain tile set between the white tiles — a hint of something more dramatic that had been held back. Above the tile line, plain painted walls carried blue abstract art prints that tried to add personality but could not overcome the room’s builder-grade foundation. The homeowners wanted a powder room redesign that would make the smallest room in the house the most memorable.
Marilou Stones saw the potential in the one material the old room had already introduced — the dark charcoal starburst-patterned porcelain tile — and built the entire redesign around committing to it fully. Where the original bathroom used the tile as a narrow accent band, we stripped everything else away and installed it floor-to-ceiling on every wall surface. The large-format square tiles feature a radial sunburst texture that catches light differently at every angle, turning the small room into an enveloping, jewel-box space. The mix of square and rectangular format tiles on adjacent walls adds subtle variation without breaking the pattern.
The pedestal sink was removed and replaced with a curved floating vanity in grey-veined white marble — a custom-proportioned piece that tucks into the corner and makes the most of the limited floor plan. A white ceramic vessel bowl sits on top with a single-lever chrome faucet. Above the vanity, a tall frameless mirror with a clean white frame reflects the tile pattern and the pendant light opposite, doubling the room’s visual depth. The old toilet was swapped for a compact modern skirted model with a clean base profile that sits tighter to the wall.
The lighting is where the room makes its statement. Two sculptural chrome pendant lights — elongated cage-style fixtures with frosted inner shades — hang at staggered heights from the ceiling, casting warm downward pools of light that play off the starburst tile texture. This replaced the flat recessed ceiling light that had done nothing for the old room. The floor was retiled in a coordinating grey porcelain with a lighter border detail that frames the room at ground level.
The powder room now stops guests in the doorway — which is exactly what a powder room should do. The starburst tile wrapping on every surface gives the small space a sense of enclosure and intention that the old white-tile-and-paint combination never achieved. The floating marble vanity and sculptural pendants add luxury without crowding the footprint, and the vessel sink and modern toilet keep the lines clean. This is the kind of interior design project in Central Florida where a small room with one good material decision buried in it was waiting for a designer willing to commit fully. To see how Marilou and the Stones Design team approach powder rooms and small-space design, explore the portfolio or get in touch.
Yes, and it often works better than in a large room. A small space wrapped in a single dramatic tile becomes a jewel box — intentionally enclosed rather than accidentally cramped. In this project, the dark charcoal starburst tile on every surface gives the powder room a cohesive, boutique feel. The key is pairing it with reflective elements — the frameless mirror, the chrome pendants, and the polished marble vanity all bounce light around the room and prevent it from feeling closed in.
A floating vanity is wall mounted with no legs or base touching the floor. It creates visible floor space beneath it, which makes a small room feel larger. In this Central Florida powder room, the curved floating marble vanity tucks into the corner and provides a countertop surface for the vessel sink without taking up the visual mass of a freestanding cabinet. Marilou specifies floating vanities in compact bathrooms where every inch of perceived floor area matters.
Pendant lights draw the eye upward and add a decorative layer that recessed ceiling lights cannot. In a small powder room, one or two statement pendants replace the need for wall art or other decor — the fixtures themselves become the room’s visual accent. In this project, the two chrome cage-style pendants cast warm light that highlights the starburst tile texture, giving the room atmosphere that a flat overhead light would never create.
A powder room transformation of this scope — full retiling of all walls and floor, new vanity installation, toilet replacement, and new lighting — typically takes three to four weeks from design approval. The compact size means the physical work is faster than a full bathroom, but tile lead times and custom vanity sourcing can extend the overall timeline. We manage all sourcing and trade coordination.
A vessel sink works well in a powder room because the room is used for hand washing rather than daily grooming. The raised bowl sits above the countertop, which means less bending and a more sculptural profile. In this project, the white ceramic vessel bowl against the grey marble vanity adds a clean contrast and keeps the countertop surface available for a soap dispenser and small accessories. For a full bathroom with heavy daily use, we sometimes recommend an undermount basin instead.
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Marilou Stones is an award-winning, licensed interior designer and ASID member serving Winter Garden and Central Florida for over 40 years.
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