Whether you’re planning on doing a bathroom makeover, or are just furnishing it from scratch, you know the importance of storage. In fact, this is a crucial aspect regardless of the size of this room – both small and big bathrooms depend on storage for functionality.
Besides, storage is also a key component of the room’s décor considering how some pieces can be works of art in terms of materials, colours and styles. You can think of these furnishings similarly to aesthetic and practical soap trays but with a bigger impact in the room that draws your particular attention.
When it comes to bathroom furniture to boost storage, the choice usually comes down to cabinets and vanities. Though sometimes they’re used interchangeably, truth is they aren’t to be confused because cabinet means one thing and vanity another. In other words, if you want to make the right decision when shopping, learn terminology first!
Bathroom Vanities vs. Bathroom Cabinets
While it’s okay to think of cabinets as vanities (which I’ll explain in a bit), it’s not okay to think of vanities as cabinets. I know it sounds confusing, so here’s the explanation: Cabinets when equipped with sinks are called vanities, whereas those without sinks are simply called cabinets.
Think of both as essential pieces as mirrors for the usefulness of your bathroom. The first are used when you require all in one, a countertop, sink, storage and the perfect cover to hide some unsightly pipes, as for the latter they’re great when you require extra storage and extra countertop.
Buy vs. DIY
Are you the kind of person who loves looking through homeware and decor stores, or are you more the handyman type? Answering this question, you’d be able to decide between buying or DIYing your cabinets and vanities.
For start, if you prefer cabinets, it’s necessary to remember they aren’t to be thought of as kitchen cabinets. Though they may appear similar, especially in the materials as well as height size, there’s considerable difference in the depth – the kitchen design is deeper than the bathroom counterpart.
This is worth the thought also if you have in mind to ever use the kitchen cabinet as an element in the bathroom instead of buying a new one. If you ask me, it’s cheaper to buy bathroom furniture than invest money, time and effort in taking it up as a DIY project to convert the existing one since you need extra materials and tools for the job.
The same goes with converting it into a bathroom vanity, given that with the bathroom you require more space for the pipes under the sink which urges you to be more prudent with where and how you add the drawers and make adjustments. So, if you truly are up for taking matters into your own hands, enjoy such projects and have experience with DIY, it’s worth the try, other than that it would turn out more expensive than you imagined.
Choosing the Ideal Vanity or Cabinet
Now then, if you’re like me and decide to buy your vanity or cabinet, there are additional aspects you ought to consider. First and foremost, choosing between vanity and cabinet comes down to whether or not you want a sink to go with the storage. However, don’t think your homework ends here since there are various other aspects that need your attention!
Materials and Finishes – No, not only for the cabinets and vanities as whole furniture pieces, but rather small details of them too such as hardware like knobs and pulls.
When you take into account the material and finish of these two along with those of soap trays, tapware, lighting fixtures, different types of toilet suites, then you can see the décor outcome. It would give you a hint whether getting the same look would provide a better visual result as opposed to getting a different material and finish for mixing and matching.
The Style – To be able to decide on this, you need to consider the style of the room first. What would the point be in adding ultra-modern cabinet if your bathroom is vintage? Not only would it appear out of place, but it would also disrupt the harmony as well.
When choosing vanities, the style of the tapware and sink is also worth the thought, given that they’re available in as many versions as you can imagine. Also in terms of style, you should choose between wall-hung or floor mounted, depending on how much space you can spare, and single or double sink.
If you have enough space and want to use it more functionally, you could go with the wall-hung with two sinks. This can save you from queuing up by the bathroom door to brush teeth in the morning!
The Measurements – Not less important, the size of the cabinet or vanity matters for your storage needs, yet that’s not all there is to it – it also matters in how such elements would affect your room as a whole.
To avoid making any mistakes, besides taking the height, width and depth into account, don’t forget to also have the location in mind on where you want to install them before the purchase. If you plan on installing them right in the traffic area or right by the door, perhaps you’d have to go with smaller measurements.