Your bathroom is an important part of your daily routine. When it's rejuvenating and refreshing, your bathroom can have lasting effects on your whole day. With the help of the right bathroom furniture and a pair of work gloves -- or your contractor -- you can turn your bathroom into your own private spa. This bathroom furniture buying guide will help you figure out how to redecorate your bathroom and how to buy bathroom furniture that will look great in your home.
While the overall layout of your bathroom fixtures is important, this bathroom furniture buying guide is designed for those who want to improve their bathrooms without altering the original rough-in work. (If you ultimately envision a new shower, toilet, tile floor, lavatory location or any other large project, Overstock.com carries many of the home improvement tools, materials and supplies you'll need.)
More than the accumulated hours you spend admiring yourself in the bathroom mirror, your bathroom vanity is the trio of sink, mirror and cabinetry that creates the centerpiece of your bathroom. There are a lot of options out there, and choosing the right bathroom set or vanity set can be a challenge. These tips can help you narrow it down.
An old vanity is a definite handicap in an otherwise good bathroom, but don't worry -- it's easy to fix, especially if the problem area is your sink. A beautiful bathroom sink will ring bells in the heart of anybody who uses it, so pay extra attention to the sink when you're shopping for vanities. Here are some things to look for.
Sink and vanity size
Bathrooms are notoriously fussy when it comes to available space to redecorate. You can run into problems in any dimension -- if too wide, your vanity sink won't fit without moving the toilet; if too deep, the vanity counter won't allow clearance for the door; if too short, your bath vanity could give you back problems, just from washing your hands. That's why it's critical to measure your available space when you decide to shop: Write it on a slip of notepaper and tape it to your computer monitor. That way, you'll have an easy reference to filter out tempting but problematic sinks as you shop.
Sink and vanity mounting
Once you know the area you have to work with, decide on the best way to install your bathroom sink. Most bathroom sinks are free-standing models: mounted on top of the vanity counter, relief-cut into the countertop or supported by some kind of pedestal. If you are short on space and need the square inches below your sink, wall-mount bath sinks will liberate a lot of room. Installing a wall-mounted sink requires a little more work, but it's still not that difficult. Take care to match sink measurements to wall measurements before you buy, including distance between wall studs (typically sixteen inches) and the surface area in contact with the bathroom wall. Also, some pedestal sinks and wall-mount sinks require specific placement for drainage and plumbing hookups. Moving your vanity drainage a few inches is a good afternoon's worth of work, but it's possible your new vanity sink merits the extra hours.
Freestanding bathroom vanities with vanity-mounted sinks are quick and easy to install, and the built-in vanity storage cabinets have the added benefit of disguising unsightly plumbing hookups and pipes. Free-standing sinks also tend to provide a little more counter space and stability than wall-mounts and come in more styles.
Sink and vanity materials
Sinks, lavatories and vanities come in a large assortment of materials. The most basic -- and popular -- bathroom sinks are made of white porcelain or ceramic. Both substances can be shaped into new, creative designs that are both durable and easy to clean. If you'd like a bolder, more adventurous look in your bathroom, find a sink made of formed glass, stone or even tempered metals like brass. These materials will also create a beautiful, durable, long-lasting sink, but metal bathroom sinks and glass bath sinks are easier to scratch, chip or scuff, which is good to keep in mind for the overzealous shaver or self-groomer.
Sink and vanity styles
More bathroom vanity styles are available than ever before. From wood bathroom cabinetry with old-world elegance to sleek and transparent, contemporary glass sinks, there's truly something for everyone. But how do you choose? By answering a few questions about function, you can guide the form of your sink. Do you need a double or a single sink? Do you need extra bathroom cabinet storage or extra floor space? Do you need a wide counter or less area to clean? If questions don't bring you any closer to choosing your bathroom sink, think about what would complement your pre-existing bathroom decor and supplement your home decor. Bathrooms are perfect, self-contained areas to try out your decorating chops.
One popular design is the above-counter sink, otherwise known as a vessel sink. Vessel sinks sit on top of the counter or partially sunk in to the vanity countertop. If you're not familiar with it, it's a whole new way to look at your sink and sure to get compliments. If this is the style for you, just double-check the sink height versus the counter height. Vessel sinks featuring tall faucets and handles are beautiful, but it can take some time getting used to having a rim several inches above the counter.
In most bathroom sets and vanity sets, cabinets are part of the package. But if bathroom cabinets are all you need, or if you'd rather buy them separately, you should know what to expect. They come in three main styles:
Medicine cabinets are generally wall-mounted, designed to go over the sink and feature a mirror on the door. Bathroom medicine cabinets are practical storage solutions for keeping your bathroom essentials organized, out of sight and close at hand. When you consider the weight of the mirror, the materials and everything that will go in the cabinet, it can be a strain on your wall. Also, there's a good chance you won't be able to mount your cabinet directly into a wall stud. To be safe, reinforce it with wall anchors, whether toggle bolts, molly bolts or simple, plastic expansion anchors.
Wall-mounted bathroom cabinets tend to have a bit more storage space than medicine cabinets, but they lack the mirror. If you have a larger bathroom, wall-mounted cabinets make practical decorative pieces. If you don't want your toiletries on display, find a bath cabinet with opaque doors. Of all materials and styles, white wood wall cabinets are the most popular. If you want to personalize your bathroom cabinetry, a white bathroom cabinet is an excellent starting point for repaints, drawing stencils or antiquing.
Freestanding bathroom cabinets are ideal for storing your cleaning supplies, extra towels, toilet paper and anything else you want in your bathroom at around ground level. Ground-level freestanding bathroom cabinets do take up floor space, which can be perfect for filling out master bathrooms but inconvenient in tight quarters. Other free-standing bath cabinets make ingenious use of the space above your toilet. Long legs support the cabinet to the height of a wall-mount cabinet without damaging your bathroom walls, making these models especially popular in dorm bathrooms and apartments.
When you're redecorating your bathroom, don't forget to add display areas. That's where bathroom shelving comes in. More than any other piece of bathroom furniture, bathroom shelves serve the dual purposes of function and decoration. But how do you find the bathroom shelves that are right for you?
Wood bathroom shelves create a "business casual" look in your bathroom. Their deep finishes are popular and appealing and work especially well when contrasted with brighter colors on the walls and bathroom shelf decor. Add a small potted plant and matching candle to bring out the contrast.
Glass bathroom shelves can open up the look of a small bathroom. Consider placing glass bathroom shelves on an accent wall in a bold or dark color. Glass makes a consistently good material in the bathroom, and it's hard to overdo. Add unique glass bottles, glass vases with flowers or glass containers filled with cotton balls or potpourri to extend the look.
Metal bathroom shelves are great accent pieces, even before decoration. Interesting, ornately designed, wrought-iron bathroom shelving adds the look of a light-hearted antique. Extra towels, rolled up and sparsely placed will soften your metal shelving and make it breathe.
Other bathroom shelves are made of anything from wicker to wire. The key to decorating your bathroom shelves lies in restraint. Instead of the whole glass menagerie, choose one or two figures. If what you're ultimately after is storage, consider a wicker-basket bathroom shelf tower. Wicker baskets hide their contents and still look classy.
How do I clean and care for my bathroom furniture?
With porcelain and ceramics, use non-abrasive cleansers and soft sponges; bleach can work on any tough stains. With glass or metal sinks and vanities, put away the steel wool and abrasive pads because they will scratch. On glass sinks, use a mild vinegar solution to take care of water spots. As for wood furniture, a simple soap and water solution should be enough, taking care to dry afterward. If you really want to protect your wood furniture, occasionally treat it with a good wood cleaner and wax.
Can I install my own vanity?
In most cases, installing your new bathroom vanity is not that difficult, especially because most modern bathroom vanities come with flex-pipe hookups. In a nutshell, you will need to perform two basic steps: Get rid of the old one and put in the new one. But before you do that, read up. Read the directions on the vanity you just bought; read any at-hand, do-it-yourself guides; and read the phonebook for any emergency plumbers if something goes wrong.
Full bathroom makeover
Bathroom vanities, shelving and cabinetry are just the tip of the iceberg. Overstock.com carries all the bath supplies -- including bathroom fixtures, bathroom lighting, shower curtains, bath mats and even towels, robes and decor -- to put the finishing touches on your home improvement project.
The well-traveled bathroom
If most bathroom furniture just doesn't have the eclectic look you're going for, check out our Worldstock Handcrafted bathroom furniture. Internationally handcrafted furniture will give your bathroom a one-of-a-kind designer look along with a great story, delivered right to your doorstep.
