Designing a Bathroom Vanity

Updated on: August 01, 2022

Designing a bathroom vanity for either your Master Bath, children's bath, or small powder room, is easy to do and just takes a small amount of planning to get the perfect vanity cabinet for you and your needs.

Placement is important when deciding where to place your bathroom vanity cabinet. You don't want to block the flow of traffic and also pay attention to the door swings of the cabinets. The doors don't want to limit traffic flow or hit any walls, bathtubs, or other bathroom fixtures. Another thing to remember on placement is the location of your plumbing can effect where you place your vanity. It's easiest to place a vanity along the same wall as other plumbing fixtures. If you have to re-route plumbing lines, it can be costly.

Bathrooms are naturally a wet and humid space and the materials you select are important to having your vanity last more than just a few years. For the cabinet construction, I would definitely stay away from MDF or particleboard. It is a horrible choice for a cabinet in any situation and can't stand up to all the water and humidity a bathroom produces. For countertops, a strong material, such as granite or quartz, is a safe and reliable choice.

When designing a bathroom vanity, you will need to determine if you need a single or double vanity. A single vanity should be a minimum of 24" wide and 21" deep. A single vanity is a great choice for smaller bathrooms that don’t get a lot of use and storage isn't an issue, such as powder rooms or guest bathrooms. I do realize that some homes are smaller and even the master bath can only fit a single vanity. That isn't the end of the world! There are ways to design them to where they have plenty of storage and accommodate all your needs. Double vanities are larger in size, with 60" wide being the typical size. This can allow two people to stand side by side at the sinks and not bump elbows the whole time. Vanity heights can vary. Traditionally, 32" was the standard height but there are a lot of vanities designed these days that range from 34"- 35" in height. It is more comfortable for people to use, with everything being at an easier reaching distance.

Storage is one of the most important factors when designing a vanity for a bathroom. Take inventory of all the items that you would like to store in your cabinet. It is also important to note sizes of the items as well; that will help determine if they can fit in drawers or if cabinet doors with shelves are needed. Also, I suggest adding extra storage to the cabinets. You will be thankful for it!

A few unique ideas to add to your vanity….

Add a pull-out "step stool" to help littler ones see over the top of the vanity.

When designing a single vanity, put the sink off center to give yourself more counter space.

If you have a large double vanity, consider adding a storage tower with built in electrical outlets to house your blow dryer and other hair accessories. It would also provide as a place to charge your phone while getting ready for work.