Kushi - Washington DC

Friday, 7/8/11, 1 pm - Chinatown

I don't know what I was expecting from Kushi but after a lot of hype, I guess I was expecting more from the whole experience. As for the restroom, the two unisex single stalls were understated and subdued. Bathed in black with white porcelain accents, the streamlined room had some extra touches with a flower/plant. The most interesting part of the bathroom for me was the hot and cold handle which moved vertically as opposed to right and left to turn on the water.


What you don't see in this picture is the urinal across from the toilet. Not being male, I see those types of things in a unisex stall as unnecessary, but I'm sure others would beg to differ. Also not pictured, the free standing toilet paper roll holder, which often strikes me in a place that's trying to be informal as they didn't have time to put a holder on the wall.

Here's more on Kushi - no website yet but a tumblr.

Clyde's Tower Oaks Lodge - Rockville, MD

Monday, 7/4/11, 1 pm - Rockville, MD

This restaurant is a part of the Clyde's restaurant group, so I'm not sure if it's technically a Clyde's. And certainly I have never seen a Clyde's like this - talk about grandiose! Set in back of a corporate park, this place had sprawling rooms in hunting lodge style. Some a bit cheese but quite a structure. So I had no idea what to expect for the restroom. But it was quite a nice surprise!

First there was an entry way. A beveled mirror complimented a sitting area which was a nice touch (though not entirely necessary). I'll get to the color in a minute.


Moving into the main section and apropos of the restaurant's size, there were plenty of stalls. Always a big plus in my book. The stalls had slotted wooden doors but the white painted brick (or blocks) added a modern touch. Behind the door was a sturdy purse hook (a must). Nothing special about the toilet.

The best part of the bathroom was the sink area. Welcomed natural light - a rarity in bathrooms -made it one of the brightest rooms in the restaurant. The green walls really worked to give a natural feel to the room along with the plants in the sink area and the wicker baskets for the paper towels (much nicer than wall-mounted paper towel holders) and trash. I was a big fan of the oval mirrors surrounded by sconces. The marble-like counters worked well even with the more rustic touches and while the industrial look of the sink stands might seem odd, I think they were just meant to be minimal and not get in the way. Overall, I was a big fan of this restroom.


Here's more on Tower Oaks Lodge. There are some pictures of the restaurant itself which might offer the big picture.

Oceanaire - Washington DC

Saturday, 7/2/11, 7 pm - Downtown

This wasn't my first visit to Oceanaire but taking a quick look, I guess hadn't posted anything on it before. As the quintessential seafood place, the bathroom is classically designed with the whimsical quote adoring the entry wall.

Clean white tiles covered most of the walls with the classic black subway tile accent. The nice touch in the stalls were individual lights, which didn't really offer much brightness, but I'm not sure what it would be minus the fixture. Good sturdy hook behind the door.

The sole sink in the wash area seemed very formal for the bathroom. A nice pedestal sink might have worked better and not shown off the pipes. Nice that there was still counter space on either side, though I guess that accounts for the stray hairbrush. I'm also a big fan of the mirror. The simple, clean brushed metal works for me (not sure about the more traditional space though).

Here's more on Oceanaire, which is in fact a chain.