Vanities are basically cabinets which hold built-in sinks and faucets. Generally the vanity is a smaller, more specialized version of the kitchen cabinet, and are available from all kitchen cabinet manufacturers. Vanity types can be divided into three categories: North American Frame (standard), Euro Style (frameless), and Furniture.
North American Frame is generally mass produced by kitchen cabinet manufacturers and is similar in style and construction as the kitchen cabinet. Framed cabinets have a “face frame” attached to a box from which the doors hang. Less expensive cabinets will have MDF (medium density fiberboard) or plywood face frames while higher grade cabinets will have solid wood frames. Solid wood is rarely used for the sides of the cabinet box because the high condensation in your bathroom will cause it to warp over time.
Euro-Style (frameless) cabinets don’t have a face frame and the doors are hung directly on the cabinet box. Doors are often made of particle board covered with high pressure laminate. Furniture-grade flakeboard offers a stronger alternative to particleboard, because it’s very rigid and not subject to warping or splitting with age.
Furniture is a new trend as bathrooms become more luxurious. Vanities are beginning to take on the look of fine furniture rather than a standard box. Many furniture manufacturers are starting to design and craft furniture specifically for use as high-end vanities. You can have a vanity custom-designed or you can have a small antique dresser converted into a vanity, by a qualified cabinet or furniture maker.
Materials
Most vanities are made of wood or synthetic materials which may be veneered, laminated or painted. Maple and cherry woods are being used frequently, although oak is the long-time favorite of the natural woods. White painted cabinets are very popular, but biscuit is gaining ground. For an attractive and durable door, there’s the moisture-resistant thermafoil door, which is made of medium density fiberboard and then coated with opaque plastic.
Cost
Cost for vanities range from $95 to $1000 depending on whether it’s a stock, semi-custom (built at a cabinetmaker shop to your specifications, not on site) or custom made by a carpenter on-site. The material and design will also affect the cost.
Medicine Cabinets and Accessories
It’s your bathroom details which will really make it a striking room. These details include cabinets, the towel bars, soap and tissue holders, and shower doors. If everything matches, and if all the elements complement each other, the results can be a bathroom that is eye-catching.
Medicine cabinets can be recessed or flush mounted, with or without integrated lighting and with multiple doors and mirrors. Some come with double doors, mirrored on both sides to let you view yourself from behind.
Shower doors may be sliding, bi-fold, or swing type. They come in standard sizes for tub-shower combinations or for standard one-piece shower enclosures, but they can also be engineered on-site for custom-built showers.
Misc. Towel bars, soap and tissue holders, toilet paper holders and holders for glasses and toothbrushes are all available in a number of finishes to match your faucets. Other items you may wish to consider are things such as built-in soap dispensers, hot water dispensers and water purifiers. Almost all faucets have coordinating accessories, but be sure to buy all of your items from the same manufacturer because all similarly-named finishes are not identical. If you really want to pamper yourself when you get out of the bath or shower, check out a towel warmer, which resembles a standard towel rack except that its heated. These units are quite costly and require an electric or hot water connection, but many people consider them worth the added cost.
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