Statement Vanities Are A Very Big Thing in Bathrooms Right Now
Close your eyes for a second and picture a bathroom vanity. If you immediately conjure up the image of a basic boxy cabinet, you are probably not alone. And you are also in for a treat. Statement vanities are one of the newest ways that people are eking every inch of personality out of their bathrooms, and leaving no moment wasted. Here are a couple of ways this new breed of vanity sets itself apart from others, and how you can do it yourself at home, even in small ways.
Make Them Look Like Furniture
One of the biggest things we’ve seen is vanities that look more and more like furniture you’d see in other rooms in the house, versus traditional cabinets. This one reads as a mid-century modern credenza, which is fitting since it was installed in an Eichler home in San Jose, California. The remodel was done by Urbanism Designs.
An affordable way to get this look yourself is to transform an actual sideboard or buffet into a functional vanity, and give your bathroom a lot of character and warmth. Here’s a starter guide if you want to go that route, along with a whole bunch of inspiration in the form of converted dressers.
Go For Interesting Hardware
As powder rooms go, this one from Kate Marker Interiors is pretty handsome. The sink cabinet is almost like a campaign-style nightstand (again, very much like furniture, equally at home bedside as is in the bathroom). The brass accent pulls give it extra special flare.
Marti of Project Palermo easily made her inexpensive IKEA cabinet a little more built-in and special by adding furniture legs to the bottom, and upgrading the hardware. She used brass Tolson knobs from Rejuvenation Hardware.
Add Legs
Kohler’s Jute vanity, with the optional steel legs, are so very sculptural. Together they add a ton of drama to a space, and elevate a relatively basic box shape into something special.
We did something similar when we made over this depressing rental bathroom last year. Mounting a cheap cabinet on hairpin legs gives the vanity a little more visual interest, and helps support the weight.
Put on a Good Front
Cortney Bishop used this black paneled vanity in one of her bathrooms (it’s the project titled Uptown Downtown if you’re looking for it in her portfolio). The subtle, understated texture is a nice complement to the starry blue floor tiles.
If you like this engraved paneled look, check out Superfront panels for IKEA cabinets, which are a quick and relatively inexpensive way to upgrade a storage basic.