5 Steps to Design Your Bathroom Vanity

An exceptional vanity design requires careful planning and attention to detail. There are plenty of decisions to be made, from the layout and style to the types of sinks and countertops.

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Jan 27, 20220 comments

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This five-step process offers you a plan to follow as you’re working with a designer or other home professional to create your new vanity space.

1. Settle on A Layout

Before you decide on colors, finishes and fixtures, you have to know where your vanity is going and how big it’s going to be.

Many bathrooms feature horizontal vanities with one section of cabinetry. These vanities are efficient and take full advantage of available storage and counter space. They also ensure clean lines and a streamlined bathroom design.

2. Determine the Number of Sinks

You’ll need to find a vanity style that can accommodate the number of sinks you want.

If they had their choice, many homeowners would prefer double sinks.

Unfortunately, there often are space restrictions.

Vanities smaller than 40 inches wide usually have only one sink. The sink can be in the center, to the right or to the left. Your sink cabinet can have drawers or standard cabinet doors.

Vanities more than 60 inches wide can comfortably accommodate two sinks. However, if one sink is enough, you can use the extra room for additional counter space.

3. Choose the Style

Once you find the layout that best suits your bathroom and determine how many sinks you want, the next step is to decide on the vanity design. Do you prefer traditional cabinets? An antique furniture piece? A pedestal sink?

If you want traditional vanity cabinets, there are several factors to consider:

o Do you want a paint or stain?

o What color do you prefer?

o What type of door style do you want?

o Do you want drawers, doors or pullouts?

Vanity cabinets don’t have to be built-ins. Freestanding vanities aren’t attached to any walls and can have open shelving in lieu of closed cabinets. They also can feature furniture-style details.

Another style is a floating vanity, which is mounted to the wall and has open space below.

If you don’t need storage space and are seeking a minimalist design, you can forgo cabinetry and simply install a wall-mounted countertop.

4. Pick the Type of Sink

The next step is to determine the type of sink, such as undermount, drop-in, vessel or wall-mount. After that, choose the color and material for your sink, whether it’s porcelain, natural stone or something else.

Undermount sinks are mounted below your countertop with supporting brackets, providing a seamless look. They’re harder to install and usually require a professional.

Vessel sinks sit above your counter. A hole for the drain is cut out from your countertop. There’s more to clean, but vessel sinks give you the option to choose a sink with patterns, designs and custom

Recessed sinks fit into cutouts in the countertop. The lip of these sinks is on top of the counter.

5. Find Some Fixtures for Vanity

It's time to wrap up your design with fixtures. You'll probably focus most of your attention on your layout and cabinet finishes, but you'll still need to choose cabinet hardware, faucets, lighting, and mirrors. Most importantly, these should coordinate with your other designs and color schemes.

Specifically, you need to make the following decisions:

o Do you want wall lighting, wall mounted lighting or recessed lighting?

o Do you want a built-in mirror that can be easily replaced or a decorative mirror?

o What kind of cabinet knobs and pulls do you want?

o Do you want a detailed faucet design or a more simple and modern design?

There's no shortage of options for cabinet hardware and fixtures. Choose a finish (oil rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, chrome, stainless steel) and choose a style (traditional, modern,contemporary).

If you really don't know how to pick the best bathroom cabinet, take a break from your screen and relax. Walk into the bathroom, close your eyes, and imagine your ideal design.

Then, you will know what you need. That's when you're ready to go check out the cabinets in person and start picking out samples.