Glowing Natural Elements Make for a Bold Statement

A petrified wood tile sample provided inspiration for a dramatic powder room

September 4, 2024

Laura Beausire,

The Pierre Verona quartz onyx vessel sink is matched with a PHYLRICH Works II collection wall-mounted faucet and a custom amethyst soap dispenser. The pendant light is from Hubbardton Forge. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Gina D’Amore Bauerle isn’t afraid to make a bold statement with her designs. As a partner in the family-run and Denver-based D’Amore Interiors, Bauerle knows the rules. And she also knows how to break them when a good opportunity presents itself. That’s what makes designing powder rooms so fun. “There are very few rules that you feel like you have to follow,” Bauerle says.

“In powder bathrooms in particular, you can push the boundaries more because people aren’t getting ready for their day in that space typically, and it’s also the bathroom that all of your guests use, so why not give them something to talk about?” No doubt this powder room has enough dark drama to launch many a lively conversation.

A striking, new, custom metal-and- leather door was created by Twenty1Five. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Designed for homeowners who collect gemstones and burled wood specimens, Bauerle made daring choices to incorporate natural treasures and exquisite materials—from petrified wood floors to a one-of-a-kind quartz onyx sink, live-edge maple slabs mounted and backlit over a mirrored wall, and teal glass-bead wallpaper for a shimmering sparkle that echoes drusy gemstones.

Bauerle took big risks with the small room. She had spotted, and fallen in love with, a sample of petrified wood tile in the Ann Sacks showroom a few years before, and she realized she’d finally found the perfect client and the perfect three-by-eight-foot space to give this magnificent material a try. “I was thrilled, because there aren’t very many people who would let you go that far,” she says.

With a backlit maple slab layered over the mirror, glass-bead wallpaper from Pacific Designs, and petrified wood slab tiles from Ann Sacks, the room is a showstopper. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Eric Bauerle, Gina’s husband and owner/founder of Willard Woodworking, created the burled maple slab installation, and a Stone Forest Industrial Pedestal supports the sculptural sink while a Hubbardton Forge Ume vertical pendant casts an off-center glow. It’s no surprise powder rooms are some of Bauerle’s favorite spaces to design. “I look at them as pieces of art,” she says. “It’s not just about cabinetry and plumbing fixtures; it’s a chance to tell a story.”