Choosing a bathroom vanity
The vanity is often an uncelebrated part of the bathroom, regarded as a functional place to wash your hands and store some belongings. However, upgrading this feature can greatly improve the appearance and functionality of the room.
When choosing a new vanity, the first thing you'll have to consider is its location. You may simply want to put it in the same place as the old one, but an upgrade is also a good time to consider moving the vanity to another site.
Naturally, the vanity shouldn't interfere with the use of the bathroom. Vanessa Brunner, writing for the home design site Houzz, says it shouldn't block traffic or prevent any doors from opening. Kate Reggev, writing for Dwell, says painter's tape allows you to outline the space a vanity will occupy and see if it will cause any trouble.
Don't forget about any existing features in the bathroom you intend to keep in place. Riverbend Home, a home renovation and decoration company in Londonderry, N.H., says the vanity should not interfere with things like the mirror, lighting, or medicine cabinet.
Determine whether you'll need to modify the plumbing at all. This process will increase the cost of the upgrade substantially, which is why it's often ideal to keep the vanity's location unchanged. Brunner says certain changes, such as going from a floor-mounted vanity to a wall-mounted one, can also necessitate a change in how your pipes run.
The size of the vanity should be appropriate for the space. An oversized or undersized vanity will look out of place.
The type of bathroom often dictates what kind of vanity you'll be able to install. Peter
Walsh, writing for HGTV, says bathrooms without a shower or bath require minimal counter and storage space, which means you'll only need a small vanity. Master or guest bathrooms can typically accommodate larger vanities, which will also be more useful for storing cosmetics, bathing supplies, and other items.
Consider what type of vanity would be most useful. Reggev says it might be a freestanding option mounted on the floor, a wall-mounted vanity, or a corner-mounted vanity. Freestanding options usually