A vanity is an integral part of a bathroom remodel. It’s where you store and organize your daily toiletries, towels, and grooming items.
It’s also a focal point for your bathroom design. Choosing the right vanity can be difficult, but there are a few things to consider before making your purchase.
Size and Space
The size of your bathroom and the layout of its surrounding rooms help determine vanity size. Trying to stuff a large vanity into a small space can cause it to overwhelm the room, while forcing a smaller vanity into a larger area can leave you without sufficient counter space and storage.
Evaluate your storage needs and look for vanities with a variety of drawers, cabinets, and shelving. This will help you keep your beauty products, toiletries, and other items organized and neatly stowed away. Also, opt for a vanity with ample mirror and lighting capabilities to ensure grooming and handwashing are comfortable and convenient.
Whether you prefer a modern, contemporary, or vintage style, you can find vanity designs that fit your aesthetic and complement the rest of your bathroom’s decor. Using virtual room planning tools, you can experiment with different vanity sizes and placements to get a clear visual representation before making your decision. You can also build a custom vanity for an even more cost-effective option.
Style and Design
A vanity is more than just a storage unit – it’s a style statement for your bathroom. They come in a variety of styles and materials to fit your personal taste and complement your home decor.
For example, if you have a modern design in your bathroom, consider using a sleek and minimalist vanity with clean lines. On the other hand, if you have a more traditional design in your space, opt for a more ornate vanity with detailed accents.
Similarly, a makeup vanity is designed specifically for people who enjoy applying their own beauty routine as part of their daily routines. It has a table-inspired design and includes storage space for makeup, brushes, and other tools. Some even have mirrors and lights for optimal lighting. This type of vanity may also feature built-in sinks. However, some homeowners choose to nix the sink and go with a cabinet-inspired design that hides exposed plumbing for a more refined look.
Storage
A vanity can be paired with any number of storage options to optimize bathroom functionality. A cabinet is a common choice, offering room to hide clutter, and most manufacturers offer models that work with any style of vanity.
Smaller bathroom cabinets come with drawers, providing a place to store everyday items and linens. Organize these drawers with acrylic dividers or repurpose household supplies like party dip trays to keep beauty and personal care products organized. Labels make restocking easy and ensure that you always have everything you need to use on hand.
Some manufacturers also offer mirrored medicine cabinets designed to add storage above the sink without interfering with the look of your vanity. These are less obtrusive and can help declutter the space by keeping unwieldy items, like hair styling tools or cleaning supplies, out of sight.
Function
A vanity is a piece of furniture used in the bathroom or elsewhere to store and display toiletries and cosmetics. It also provides a surface for applying makeup, shaving, and other grooming tasks. Vanity items are available in a wide variety of sizes and styles, allowing individuals to choose the best options for their space and preferences.
Vanities can be freestanding, pedestal, a wall-mounted cabinet, or sit on top of a sink (vessel). They can also be made from a variety of materials. The most common type is a bathroom vanity, but these pieces can also be used in bedrooms and dressing rooms.
In art, vanity is often depicted as a skull or the devil’s claw, which symbolizes the emptiness of youthful beauty and the inevitable brevity of life. Paintings such as Hieronymus Bosch’s All is Vanity and Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring portray this theme as an allegory of vanity and sin.