By Donna Heiderstadt
Three designers have been named finalists in the Powder Room category of the Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards 2025. Which project will receive $5,000 for a first-place finish, $3,000 for second, and $2,000 for third? You’ll have to wait until the February 24 awards ceremony, the must-attend KBIS 2025 opening event in the Lafite Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas, to find out. Here’s a preview, however, of all three innovative and solution-oriented designs. Read on to find out what made these the top three Powder Room projects in NKBA’s 2025 Professional Design Awards.
Kelly Trotz, Lifestyle Design, Geneva, IL: “Paradise Found”
Photographer: Ryan Ocasio of Ryan Ocasio Photography
Having a keen eye for detail proved to be an invaluable asset when Kelly Trotz, Senior Designer at Geneva-IL-based Lifestyle Design, took on a powder room project for a newly constructed home in Illinois whose owners wanted the space to wow their guests. The moment Trotz saw the mural wallpaper presented to her by one of her vendors, she knew she would make it the centerpiece of her design, wrapping it around the walls to create an immersive experience. “It was the perfect blend of opulence and escapism,” she says. The other main client request was that the space feature natural filtered light through the window. Using wallpaper as the main design element would not only make a statement but also offer the homeowners flexibility, explains Trotz, because if they want to change the look in 10 years, it will be an easy cosmetic fix. Completing the space is a custom-designed vanity with gold-painted accents, a custom backsplash in the countertop material, a unique gilded mirror and wall sconces, and a window treatment with a transom that stays open to allow natural light to reflect off the white ceiling.
Gina D’Amore Bauerle, D’Amore Interiors, Denver: “Knotty Potty”
Working with Colorado homeowners who collect burled wood pieces and also have an enviable gemstone collection, Gina D’Amore Bauerle, Partner and Principal Interior Designer at Denver-based D’Amore Interiors, knew she could turn her clients’ appreciation of natural treasures into an eye-catching powder room. The sole demand: It had to align in a cohesive way with their newly remodeled kitchen but also create an unexpected experience for guests. It also had to work within a very small and narrow space. Baurle’s daring design incorporates petrified wood floors cut from a solid slab in India and a feature wall with backlit and wall-mounted burled maple wood slabs that reveal a mirror behind the natural live edges. Equally dramatic: a one-of-a-kind quartz onyx sink set atop an industrial steel pedestal, teal glass-beaded wallpaper, abstract pendant lighting set off-center, and a custom amethyst soap dispenser — all of which offer a nod to the Druzy sparkle of the homeowners’ gemstone collection. Bauerle’s hardest task was sourcing all of the unique materials, including the right toilet in a moody thunder gray finish to match the funky aesthetic.
Rachel Hills, Rachel Hills Design Co., Granite Bay, CA: “Tranquillo Sanctuario”
With design objectives from her clients that included creating a “striking space that would leave a lasting impression on guests,” while also harmonizing the couple’s divergent tastes — the wife loved organic, playful elements and the color blue while the husband favored clean, contemporary design — Rachel Hills, Owner and Creative Director of Granite Bay, CA-based Rachel Hills Design Co., set out to create the perfect powder bathroom for a bright and modern home in California. Her biggest design challenge? Incorporating a floating modern quartz vanity (to align with the husband’s aesthetic) while also meeting the wife’s request for hidden storage for hand towels and toilet paper. The solution was a thoughtfully integrated storage cabinet within a wall of teak slats, which artfully juxtaposed the cool quartz of the sink with the warmth of the wood to meld the couple’s design preferences. Finishing touches included glazed porcelain tile walls in an elegant smoky blue color, stone mosaic tile flooring, a custom mirror with LED backlighting that makes it appear to float off the wall, and warm metallic aged brass pendants. “By thoughtfully combining contemporary and organic elements, we created a powder bathroom that is both functional and visually captivating, perfectly reflecting the unique tastes of our clients,” says Hills.
