Bathroom Planning: Vanity

How to Select a Bathroom Vanity

This marks the first post I’m sharing about the new master bathroom my husband and I are planning to add to our house in 2019! I first shared the news in my newsletter, so if you don’t already subscribe, click here to sign up now for more behind the scenes fun!

We’ll add a door on this wall in our bedroom (eliminating the window) and the addition will be in what is now a dead spot in our yard. Win-win!

As we’re in the very beginning stages of planning this addition, a lot of questions have come up. And I thought they might not necessarily be things others think about when planning a bathroom renovation, update or remodel. So I’ll be sharing a series of posts that breakdown different elements of a bathroom, particularly the master bathroom.

First up on the list-the vanity!

Width

Where do you even start choosing a vanity? There are so many finishes, sizes, and configurations! But before you even get to the fun part of color and countertops, my advise is to start with the width and how it fits into your overall bathroom layout.

Currently, our bathroom plans are 14 feet long by 6 feet wide. Not large but SO much bigger than our existing bathroom. It’s all about perspective. 🙂

Sinks

Part of the decision about the width of your vanity includes considering how many sinks are important to you and your family.

That means, at the same time, you also have to consider how much counter space is important to you. If you want 2 sinks AND counter space, you’re looking at a vanity that is at least 60 inches wide.

Because going down to 48 inches means you lose 12 inches of counter…

Hardly more counter space than what we have now in our current bathroom.

But a 48-inch vanity with a single bowl gives you that 12 inches of counter (and then some) back.

If you’re planning a new bathroom and space is REALLY an issue, you could even bring it down to 36 inches, though it isn’t quite as ‘grand’ as you might picture for a master bathroom. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!?

Decisions, Decisions

This is where Brandon and I are in the process right now. Where we really have to narrow down and focus in on what WE want and need. We want 2 sinks AND counter space. But since we’re limited on how big this bathroom can be, what are we willing to give up to devote 60 inches to a vanity in this modest bathroom? It’s a pretty standard width for 2 sinks. But are 2 sinks really important? Or is counter space and possibly a larger shower the big winner in this scenario?

Selecting Style

OK, once you’ve decided on the function of your vanity (and the layout of your bathroom as a whole), then you can move on to the style/color of the vanity as well as the wall color, tile, and other elements that make up a finished bathroom!

I’ll keep you posted as we work through the nitty gritty details in our own bathroom! In the meantime, I thought it’d be fun to get YOUR opinion on what’s important when you’re looking at buying a house, remodeling a bathroom, or building new! So please try out my poll below to let me know!

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
All vanities and images featured in this post are from homedepot.com.