Your Friendly Guide to Choosing The Best Bathroom Vanity

Bathroom vanities are in many ways the centerpiece of a bathroom. It’s a place where you’ll spend time every day, so it should be a place that is nice to spend time in. So the part when you get to choose a new vanity during your bathroom remodel is important, but thankfully, fun as well. A good vanity can uplift, inspire, ground, and motivate you to go out the door and conquer the day.

Before the advent of indoor plumbing, the vanity was a piece of furniture that you would usually find in a bed-chamber. They were usually basins built into a table attached to a mirror and made of high-quality wood such as oak. They were a revolution! They allowed people the luxury of washing their face and hands before going to bed and/or after waking in the morning! The English used to call vanities “toilet tables” in the 18th century before switching a century later to the term we use today, for our very overlooked but important, modern vanities.  

The Bathroom Vanity Along the Years

Today’s market is full of all manner of different bathroom vanity designs, each with its perks in style, sizes, and functionality. Cost is of course an important detail in any bathroom remodel, but it should not be the only one. The best way to guarantee long-term satisfaction with your vanity choice is to consider all the factors involved and the personal requirements you have. 

Things to Consider When Choosing a Vanity

There are a few elements to vanity choice worth reviewing to land the perfect one for your modernized water closet, big or small. 

The Base

The bases of bathroom vanities can come in many different styles and sizes. What you choose depends on what kind of feel you’re going for in the bathroom. If you want to inject some airiness into a small powder room, choose a lighter finish for the base. This will brighten up the color palette and make the room feel a bit more spacious.

A black bathroom vanity base is a lot more versatile than most other options as it goes well with many different bathroom design styles. It can also be combined with a variety of vanity tops, which is the other important component of any vanity design. For a warmer feel, consider the more rustic style bases, such as those made from rattan or dark wood. These bases incorporate a timeless natural look that will make the space feel organic and a lot cozier. 

What Makes Up Your Dream Bathroom Vanity

Vanity Top

The surface of your vanity may be a smaller piece than the base, but it is no less important. The top you choose will help to accentuate the base, and if you get it right, it will be the icing on the cake. Natural stone is a very popular choice, with many opting for granite and quartz. 

These materials exude elegance and simplicity and are very nice to touch and look at. Marble is another option, and all of these natural stones can come in shades of modern grey, luxurious white, and classic tan. If you hope for your next bathroom vanity to be a big upgrade over your previous one, you’ll want to join this bandwagon. 

Reasons Why Natural Stone Vanity Tops Are a Good Investment

Natural stone is famously durable and can give you many trouble-free years with minimal maintenance required. Depending on the kind of material you’re looking for, expect to pay anywhere from $200 and upwards of $400 for your vanity top. 

Vanity Configurations

Space, functionality, and style will all play a role in determining which one of these vanity configurations works best for you. They each come with their advantages and drawbacks. Lovers of the floating vanity will want to go for the wall-mounted vanities. The advantages of this sleek design are obvious as the wall-mounted vanity is a paragon of simplicity and space-saving. 

If you want to go to the maximum with your space-saving, consider the corner vanity. This vanity is installed in the corner of your bathroom where it can have the smallest footprint. This practical design is great for small powder rooms that need to provide as much efficiency in movement as possible. Of course, if you want the classically luxurious choice, the free-standing design is the way to go.  

Your Vanity Shape and Size Relies On More than Just How Much Space You Have

Vanity Sink Setup

There are four main vanity sink setups to choose from: undermount sinks, drop-in sinks, integrated sinks, and vessel sinks. These are all varying levels of modern minimalism, though some add a more classical touch into the mix. A case in point is undermount and drop-in sinks, both of which are perfectly at home in a minimalist design but have an aesthetic that also echoes whispers of traditional too. 

By contrast, the sleek integrated vanity basins and bowl-shaped vessel sinks seem to be far more Avant-guard and are almost predicated for a contemporary world. This is especially true if these designs are paired with a modernist faucet, like a waterfall faucet. All four designs can be made in a wide variety of classy natural stones, and vessel sinks can also be made of glass for a cool, transparent bowl look. Depending on the size of the sink, which typically range from four to nine inches, expect to pay anywhere from $400 to upwards of $2500. The range is quite big, but within that range fall the many that are hand-crafted and designed to fit your unique bathroom aesthetic.

Whether It's an Undermount, Drop-In, Integrated, or Vessel - You Can Always Make Your Vanity Sink Elegant

Timeless Vanity Design Ideas

Whatever your preferred aesthetic, there is bound to be a combination of vanity top, base, and sink that will tickle your fancy.  

Floating Bathroom Vanity

There’s a reason floating vanities are shooting up in popularity, and it’s plain to see once you get a chance to look at one on display. The floating vanity gives off a feeling of simplicity, weightlessness, and modernity that isn’t really matched by any other style. The high-end floating vanities are made entirely out of natural stone such that they look like a floating block of beautiful polished stone.  

No Reasons Not to Love a Wall Mounted Floating Vanity

Rustic Farmhouse Vanity

Of course, some of us prefer something simpler. Many of us long for a back-to-basics look, and a farmhouse vanity is the answer to that longing. Rustic design is perfect for those who love natural colors, as the farmhouse design makes heavy use of materials such as wood. Wooden bathroom fixtures can be complemented with wood flooring for an even warmer aesthetic.  

A Rustic Farmhouse Vibe For Your Bathroom to Really Up the Cozy and Chic Factor

Simple Classic Vanity 

For something classic, you’ll want to go for a design that avoids any garish colors and sticks to simple but high-quality hardware. What that translates to is a neural-colored base with brass handles, a marble top with an undermount vanity sink, and a copper faucet. This can all be topped off with a standard mirror with black wood bordering. 

A Bathroom Vanity With Wooden Cabinetry and Brass Handles that Says Clean, Classy, and Cool

The Eclectic Choice 

Sometimes it’s better to go big with your vanity design. Eclectic vanity designs are good at standing out without overwhelming the eye. There is a logic to the different aesthetics which have been combined. The key to mastering this look is to not look at it like a bunch of random ones thrown together but rather to see it as a tastefully interwoven tapestry of aesthetics that play off one another. 

How to Merge Aesthetics In a Room While Maintaining Harmony

Glam Vanity 

For a vanity that’s positively aristocratic, there is no better choice than wood, molding, and an undeniable presence in a vanity. This vanity style is designed to harken back to the vanities of the eighteenth century which of course were only available to the wealthiest. These fortunate few also happened to be the chicest, and so they had vanities to match, complete with silver trim, upholstered seating, expansive mirrors, glass inlays in the vanity, and the traditional water basin as opposed to a faucet. 

Bathroom Vanities to Go With How Glam Your Mornings Are

Mid-Century Vanity

The mid-century look is really in vogue lately, and it is indeed quite a charming design style to bring to your home. The 60s was a colorful time in interior design, and it was also a time when natural shapes and curves were being integrated in various ways. If you find the modern minimalist style to be somewhat sterile, mid-century style just might be the antidote. 

Because Bathrooms Deserve Statement Pieces Too