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Richmond master furniture maker David Bohnhoff crafted the custom cherrywood vanity and mirror.
Embrace the subtle complexities of nature in this serene Antoni Gaudi-inspired powder room designed by Aaron Olson for his family home in Richmond’s Stratford Hills. Organic architectural movement paired with travertine countertops and a neutral color palette culminate in an enchanting, cavelike atmosphere.
A labor of love, the remodel of this bathroom took quite some time as Olson made major structural changes to the space and commissioned custom pieces to complete his vision. Olson’s plans were largely inspired by the works of Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who was best known for his works in Barcelona, such as the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família basilica. Gaudi’s designs have a distinctive style, full of free-flowing forms adorned with bright colors and varying textures, often incorporating shapes from nature.
Aiming to produce undulating forms in the style of Gaudi, Olson began by enlarging the room by 5 square feet, raising the ceiling and eliminating 90-degree angles to give the space more curves. Trunk columns shaped from chicken wire and covered in plaster were installed on either side of the vanity, removing hard edges from the space while complementing the serpentine shapes of the custom cherrywood vanity and mirror. A tiered, recessed light fixture crafted in Venetian plaster bathes the space in soft light.
Veering away from Gaudi’s penchant for bright colors and varied materials, Olson kept things simpler, employing minimal media to create a more tranquil environment with similar architectural characteristics. Crisp white walls warmed by the cherry fixtures and earth-toned concrete floor (poured to mimic terrazzo) give the space a neutral backdrop while imparting notes of nature. These elements, brought out by the simplicity of the space, allow one’s focus to remain on the architectural features created by Olson, which are the true homage to Gaudi.
