Designed 1991

Peter was an amazing man. When he was renovating his Park Ave penthouse he gave certain rooms to artists to design. I received a narrow but deep powderoom. In thinking of this space I wanted to achieve two main themes: the celebration of water and to make a person upon entering to feel as if they had left up town and gone down town in some mysterious way.

A long Swiss pear wall flows from entrance to the stone wall dividing counter area from toilet. The rest of the wall surface is a custom abstract fresco in dark grays and blues, gradually becoming lighter as it moves into the ceiling. The counter and floor are black granite; the sink is fabricated in the same stone. The jewels of the room are the elongated faucets as shown; the hot water travels above and mixes with the cold just before entering the sink. So one experiences the flow of water as it glistens running through stainless steel like small aqueducts. The edges of the stainless are brought up to a mirror polish for added sparkle. The valves handles continue this feeling by their elongated proportions and mirror polish details.

Porcelain Ingo Maurer light fixtures provide spots of light where needed and a curved cold cathode tube behind the top edge of the wooden wall provides the needed general lighting.

The over all affect is a wonderful contrast to the outside environment, private, rough and refined, dark with the stainless twinkling like stars, the sound of the water, all set off against the warmth of the Pear wood wall.