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Stylish lavatories that cry out to be photographed
In today’s Instagram-happy culture, more and more restaurants are making one design element an essential component of new openings: the photo-friendly bathroom. From over-the-top designs to loos that tell a story, these 16 W.C.’s invite customers to linger after freshening up and post an eye-catching status update.
Read MoreThe chic Hong Kong-style restaurant in Columbia Heights comes from a pair of recent New York City expats, so their eye for fashion is naturally prevalent in the dramatic bathroom. A canvas of sleek black tiling helps a colorful ceiling and bright red washing bowl pop.
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The bathroom at the Bib Gourmand-designated Italian eatery in Columbia Heights takes diners on a whimsical walk through a lemon grove, reminding them how limoncello is made. The cheery room, which sits across its new upstairs addition, even smells like fruit. Walls are also decorated with the owner’s vacation photos of scenic Italian beaches.
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The glitzy Doyle Collection property unveiled its multi-million dollar renovation of its bar, restaurant, and lobby areas this year, and bathroom makeovers are a knockout. Freshen up during dinner at Pembroke inside this pretty parlor, filled with soft lighting and feathery accents.
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Every inch of chef Adam Greenberg’s island-style getaway in Union Market district begs to be photographed (he’s also an avid Instagram user himself). Playful bathrooms are splashed with swaying palm decor and pop culture quotes on mirrors, like Ariana Grande’s Thank You, Next lyrics.
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Elaborate bathrooms at this new millennial magnet in Georgetown reference former French colonies with glass-encased jewelry, trinkets, and utensils native to Haiti and Morocco. Shimmering mother-of-pearl tiles envelope one entire stall.
A $1.5 million overhaul of this big spender’s paradise in Dupont Circle included updating bathrooms with shimmering graphic wallpaper.
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The swanky, candle-lit tapas mainstay in Georgetown has a bathroom fit for Catherine Zeta-Jones in Mask of Zorro, complete with black-and-white Spanish tiling and lush velvet drapes.
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This iconic ramen spot’s pit stop is decorated with figures painstakingly drawn by hand over several months by former chef Takashi Nakajima. It depicts numerous characters (humans, animals, and demons) in a style popular in Japan.
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To match the grand, Southern opulence of the dining room, owner/designer Knead Hospitality + Design installed Rococo-style gilded mirrors, contemporary brass wall-mounted fixtures, and 3-D wallpaper to line the ceilings. Each bathroom at Eater DC 2017’s Design of the Year Award-winner features a custom concrete trough sink alongside crown moldings and black chevron tile floors.
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The bathroom at Kimpton’s Penn Quarter hotel consistently pops up on social media. And that’s no surprise; eye candy across every inch includes touches of jade, orchids, a gold ceiling, and intricate silver and mirrored detailing. Dirty Habit restaurant guests access it via an elevator to the third floor.
Along with a floor of smiling faces, designer Juli Capella dressed the walls with colorful dots inspired by traditional flamenco costumes as 3D plants come to life across Spanish tiled walls.
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Penn Quarter’s 4,000-square-foot location of the luxury Indian brand is made to mimic the palatial home of a maharaja, notoriously rich rulers from the not-too-distant past. To say bathrooms are ornate is an understatement; each is lined with polished granite, leather, and three-pound solid brass tiles imported from India.
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A Midcentury modern look flows throughout Capitol Hill’s stylish new wine bar. That means the pop art theme is even present in the bathrooms, which are covered in funky red, white, and black wallpaper.
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The daytime cafe and nighttime wine bar has bathrooms with banana-covered walls, natural backgrounds for a bathroom selfie.
A finalist in the 2018 America’s Best Bathroom competition, this Wharf staple has more than just killer margaritas to upload to Instagram. Bathrooms tucked behind hot pink doors are drop-dead gorgeous, complete with hand-stenciled flooring, sleek industrial finishes, and walls comprised of tiny, meticulously-placed circular tiles.
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For its sophomore beer garden in Navy Yard, Dacha’s forward-thinking and fashionable Russian-American owners went with adjustable ambient lighting, energy-efficient toilets, and built sinks and shelves in urinals to solve the peeing-while-drinking problem. Retro wood paneling leading to the modern lavatories feature uplifting visuals, like inclusive signage and images of the Kennedys.
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The chic Hong Kong-style restaurant in Columbia Heights comes from a pair of recent New York City expats, so their eye for fashion is naturally prevalent in the dramatic bathroom. A canvas of sleek black tiling helps a colorful ceiling and bright red washing bowl pop.
The bathroom at the Bib Gourmand-designated Italian eatery in Columbia Heights takes diners on a whimsical walk through a lemon grove, reminding them how limoncello is made. The cheery room, which sits across its new upstairs addition, even smells like fruit. Walls are also decorated with the owner’s vacation photos of scenic Italian beaches.
The glitzy Doyle Collection property unveiled its multi-million dollar renovation of its bar, restaurant, and lobby areas this year, and bathroom makeovers are a knockout. Freshen up during dinner at Pembroke inside this pretty parlor, filled with soft lighting and feathery accents.
Every inch of chef Adam Greenberg’s island-style getaway in Union Market district begs to be photographed (he’s also an avid Instagram user himself). Playful bathrooms are splashed with swaying palm decor and pop culture quotes on mirrors, like Ariana Grande’s Thank You, Next lyrics.
Elaborate bathrooms at this new millennial magnet in Georgetown reference former French colonies with glass-encased jewelry, trinkets, and utensils native to Haiti and Morocco. Shimmering mother-of-pearl tiles envelope one entire stall.
A $1.5 million overhaul of this big spender’s paradise in Dupont Circle included updating bathrooms with shimmering graphic wallpaper.
The swanky, candle-lit tapas mainstay in Georgetown has a bathroom fit for Catherine Zeta-Jones in Mask of Zorro, complete with black-and-white Spanish tiling and lush velvet drapes.
This iconic ramen spot’s pit stop is decorated with figures painstakingly drawn by hand over several months by former chef Takashi Nakajima. It depicts numerous characters (humans, animals, and demons) in a style popular in Japan.
To match the grand, Southern opulence of the dining room, owner/designer Knead Hospitality + Design installed Rococo-style gilded mirrors, contemporary brass wall-mounted fixtures, and 3-D wallpaper to line the ceilings. Each bathroom at Eater DC 2017’s Design of the Year Award-winner features a custom concrete trough sink alongside crown moldings and black chevron tile floors.
The bathroom at Kimpton’s Penn Quarter hotel consistently pops up on social media. And that’s no surprise; eye candy across every inch includes touches of jade, orchids, a gold ceiling, and intricate silver and mirrored detailing. Dirty Habit restaurant guests access it via an elevator to the third floor.
Along with a floor of smiling faces, designer Juli Capella dressed the walls with colorful dots inspired by traditional flamenco costumes as 3D plants come to life across Spanish tiled walls.
Penn Quarter’s 4,000-square-foot location of the luxury Indian brand is made to mimic the palatial home of a maharaja, notoriously rich rulers from the not-too-distant past. To say bathrooms are ornate is an understatement; each is lined with polished granite, leather, and three-pound solid brass tiles imported from India.
A Midcentury modern look flows throughout Capitol Hill’s stylish new wine bar. That means the pop art theme is even present in the bathrooms, which are covered in funky red, white, and black wallpaper.
The daytime cafe and nighttime wine bar has bathrooms with banana-covered walls, natural backgrounds for a bathroom selfie.
A finalist in the 2018 America’s Best Bathroom competition, this Wharf staple has more than just killer margaritas to upload to Instagram. Bathrooms tucked behind hot pink doors are drop-dead gorgeous, complete with hand-stenciled flooring, sleek industrial finishes, and walls comprised of tiny, meticulously-placed circular tiles.
For its sophomore beer garden in Navy Yard, Dacha’s forward-thinking and fashionable Russian-American owners went with adjustable ambient lighting, energy-efficient toilets, and built sinks and shelves in urinals to solve the peeing-while-drinking problem. Retro wood paneling leading to the modern lavatories feature uplifting visuals, like inclusive signage and images of the Kennedys.
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