River NorthRiver North powder roomTwenty-six square feet, one slab of green quartzite, a hand-blown glass sconce pair and nothing else competing for attention.Read the case study
Bathroom service
Powder rooms
The smallest room in the house and the one guests remember. Dramatic stone, strong lighting, no wasted inches.
- Typical investment
- $12,000 - $34,000
- Time on site
- 3 to 5 weeks on site
- Warranty
- 10 yr waterproofing
The overview
A powder room has no shower, no steam and no storage burden. That frees it to be the most material-forward room in the house.
Because the floor area is small, a powder room is the one place where an expensive slab becomes affordable. A single piece of backlit onyx behind a wall-hung basin costs less than the vanity wall in a primary ensuite and delivers far more impact.
Scale is the hard part. A standard vanity eats a powder room. We usually go wall-hung or use a console with visible legs so the floor runs underneath and the room reads larger than it measures.
Lighting should be flattering, not forensic. Sconces at face height on either side of the mirror beat a downlight over your head every time. We wire them on a dimmer and set the scene during commissioning.
Ventilation is still required and still ignored by most builders. A quiet inline fan with a humidity sensor keeps a small windowless room from smelling like a small windowless room.
What is included
Everything in the scope, written down
Allowances are named in the contract so you know exactly what is covered and what is not.
Feature slab
One statement stone wall, book-matched or backlit where the design calls for it.
Wall-hung fixtures
Floating basin or console so the floor runs uninterrupted.
Face-height sconces
Paired sconces on a dimmer, set during commissioning.
Quiet ventilation
Inline fan with a humidity sensor, ducted properly to the outside.
Concealed carrier
In-wall carrier and cistern where the wall depth allows it.
Hardware package
Matched brass or blackened metal across taps, hooks and paper holder.
How it runs
From first visit to handover
Scale study
We test fixture sizes against the real clearances before selecting anything.
One statement
Pick the single dramatic element: the slab, the basin or the lighting.
Rough-in
Carrier, supply, vent and lighting positions set before the walls close.
Stone and fixtures
Slab set, fixtures hung, hardware installed.
Scene setting
Dimmer levels set with you in the room, then locked in.
Why clients choose it
- The cheapest place in the house to use an extraordinary stone
- Wall-hung fixtures that make a small room feel bigger
- Lighting designed to flatter rather than to inspect
- Ventilation that is actually quiet and actually ducted
- Short schedule with minimal disruption to the household
What moves the number
Four things that change the price
None of these are surprises if they are checked at the first visit, which is why we open an inspection panel before we quote.
| Factor | What it means for your budget |
|---|---|
| Slab choice | Backlit onyx and book-matched marble carry the biggest share of a powder room budget. |
| Wall depth | A concealed cistern needs a furred wall, which costs a few inches of floor area. |
| Ventilation route | Ducting an inline fan through finished ceilings can mean patch and paint work elsewhere. |
| Fixture style | Wall-hung basins need blocking and precise rough-in, which adds carpentry time. |
Built in Chicago
Projects with this scope
- River NorthRiver North powder roomTwenty-six square feet, one slab of green quartzite, a hand-blown glass sconce pair and nothing else competing for attention.Read the case study
Questions
About powder rooms
Four things clients ask us about this scope every month.
For onyx and some translucent marbles, yes. It needs an even LED panel, a ventilated cavity and a slab thin enough to transmit light. We mock it up before committing.
If fixtures stay in place and you are changing finishes only, sometimes. Anything wall-hung or concealed means opening the wall.
We have built comfortable ones under twenty square feet. Below that, fixture clearances start to fight each other and the room stops being pleasant.
Yes, and in a well-ventilated powder room a good vinyl or grasscloth can look exceptional. We still tile or panel the splash zone behind the basin.
Let us look at the room
Forty-five minutes, two people, one inspection panel and an honest range. There is no charge and no follow-up sales call.
Request an estimate(312) 555-0214
Serving Chicago and the North Shore. Showroom visits by appointment.