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Bathroom Vanities and Cabinets

In many cases the vanity and sister cabinetry are the focal point of a bathroom. Besides providing an area to perform self grooming, it provides a place to house the sink, vessel or basin and provides space for storage.

Belle Foret bathroom vanity
Figure 1 - Belle Foret Medium Oak with Black Granite Double Basin Vanity

Selection of Belle Foret bathroom vanities

The bathroom vanity and sister cabinets are now available for purchase at your local DIY home improvement center. They come in a put-it-together yourself concept (all pieces and hardware in a box) or completely assembled. Finishes range from a real wood appearance to a multitude of colors and materials include wood, composite materials and laminates.

Matching sister cabinets and accessories include mirrors, linen closets and medicine cabinets.

Brookhurst vanity
Figure 2 - Brookhurst vanity

The biggest challenge that a home renovator faces with pre-made vanities is the size. Standard widths are generally 18″, 24″, 30″, 36″ and 48″. It is not unusual to have a filler board on the side which can take up another 3″ giving the home handyman a reasonable range of potential sizes, that will fit most areas.

If you have a custom vanity built, measure carefully, especially if the vanity must fit wall to wall, as distances between walls are generally narrower in corners, where walls meet at a 90° angle. (caused by excess drywall mudd).

As a general rule, the mid and higher quality vanities do not come with counter tops, these have to be purchased separately and also come in a variety of materials and colors.

The lower priced units usually come with drawer handles and door knobs, while the more expensive units require that you choose handles and knobs separately.

Additional information on Remodeling Bathrooms