Rooms We Don't Have: Second in the series

We still don't know if we're going to try to sell our place or not, but never one to let firm plans get in my way, I've been thinking about bathrooms and looking at fixtures.

First up, the Powder Room: What is it about the guest bath that tempts people to go crazy? Paint colors that don't appear anywhere else in the house, overly-ambitious art installations, inadequate lighting, tiny mirrors, you've seen one if not all of the above. They're the rooms decor magazines describe as "a jewel box."

Don't get me wrong, I'm always for a bit of style, and I don't even mind a little drama, but not at the expense of function. And the function of your half bath is for folks to relieve themselves, wash up, and check their look so they can return to the party. For mine I want simple, clean, and modern.

What could be more simple or more modern than the Kohler Purist hatbox toilet? Simple and stylish, and in white it works with anything.

Also from the Purist suite, the towel holder above is clean and simple. I'd use a lav faucet from the same collection, they make one in any configuration you need. All in polished chrome.

Turning to the master bath, this is where I think more is more. It's where you start every day, so why not make it a show-stopper. In our next bedroom I'm hoping to cover the walls with a finely scaled grasscloth in a pale silvery gray, so I want to stay with whites and grays, polished chrome and black.

How much do I love this 1X2 carrera mosaic in a herringbone pattern for the floor? Actually, I'd line the walls with a six inch border of black marble for definition, then fill in with this. Stunning, and $9.45 a square foot on eBay. Eric Negrete, a designer here in town once said to me "it's never about money, it's always about style." Plus there's always somewhere else to spend more.

The same seller offers a matching carrera 3X6 subway tile for $7.45 a foot. That's a deal, so lets take it all the way to the ceiling in the shower, around the tub, behind the sinks, and leave ourselves one accent wall that we'll paint a beautiful flat black. Polished chrome hardware again, thick white towels, graphic and timeless.

For sinks all I want is a roomy white undermount, although I'm not sure what I want for the vanity. The toilet above is from the For Loft collection by Michael S. Smith for Kallista, and I'm choosing it because I'm totally digging the base. The problem is there's no matching (or coordinating) bidet. I know, bidets are an anomaly in America. When we were in Sitges there was one in our hotel room so I thought "what the hell." Frankly I don't know why they're not more popular here, I think they're fab. Brett still talks about his high school trip to Europe when he and his classmates deduced that it must be a bathtub for babies.

So there we go, bathroom basics for more rooms in my head. Next up, I'll plan the new kitchen. Or we'll decide to stay put, in which case we'll be freshing the decor here at Chez Malaise. I've already measured and that Ethan Allen lantern will totally fit in my entry. Decorina, I had a friend who worked at EA too, and you're absolutely right about how they treat their designers. If I go with it I'll be sure to order one in-store.