I've been looking too, not knowing what I wanted, so I've looked at the floating vanities. I really really like some of them but you're right, they only work (to my eye) in a modern style. Even in that context, they don't always look good to me.

A less modern and similar style is to have the sink on a table so that there's open space underneath, or to have the same kind top-half-only cabinet but with legs.

If you need the storage and are anything like me, that open space is going to end up with stuff in it - big bag of toilet paper, trash can, wire basket with towels in it - that you would put in the same place behind doors if the vanities came to the floor.

Another option is to have a shallower sink/vanity - Ikea has a couple as do some other places.

You can get some more traditionally-styled vanities on high legs (or even a pedestal sink) that will accomplish the same task of making the space feel bigger.... but of course you lose storage!

gallyette, how much width do you actually have? If you want the storage space of a full cabinet, have you considered ordering a vanity from a cabinet-maker like Kraftmaid? They certainly make vanities under 36" wide. Just glancing quickly, I see a single-door vanity base in 18" and 21" widths, and 2-door vanity base in 24", 27", 30", and 33" widths.

{{gwi:1416457}}

In the image above, the upper cabinet is the one which comes in those widths; the numbers on the side indicate you can get it in 18" or 21" depth. (Ignore the lower drawing; that's only for a 39" cabinet.)

You could order a shelf or two, cutting them to fit around your sink plumbing if you want more flat storage space.

Most of the companies which make kitchen cabinets also have bath-height versions of their vanity cabinets. And that gives you a wide choice of woods, stain colors, and door styles.

-- Eric

Sonia makes narrow depth vanities (~18+/-" deep). The ones we'd looked at come in 24", 31.5", and 39" wide versions, and I'm pretty sure they are We had a local guy make us similar vanities (at about 1/2 the cost) for our bathrooms. He made them taller (36" high incl sinktop), which made each drawer a little deeper, which we wanted. The style we "copied" is very clean-lined and contemporary, but Sonia does have one or two others with curvier legs and more of a furniture look.

We did get the Sonia sinks (which are shallow, and help with below sink storage), but you could probably find another sink that would work as well.

I think Robern also makes a couple of vanities that look like the Sonia vanities I'm not sure about the dimensions though.

HTH

Some of the prettiest high-leg vanities I've seen (certainly when you factor in the bargain price) are at Lowes and Home Depot.

I really love the look of a furniture-style vanity with legs. I do believe it helps open up a space and make it feel larger. After much searching, I was most pleased with some of the vanities from Restoration Hardware. (I liked the quality of those from Pottery Barn as well, but not quite the styling I was looking for.)

I ended up purchasing a Hutton vanity from Restoration Hardware. It has not yet arrived, but I was very pleased with what I saw at one of their local stores.

Restoration Hardware Hutton Vanities

Many thanks to all those who weighed in on the small vanity issue!

I had rejected the Kraftmaid option because I really feel that drawers underneath the sink (as opposed to a cabinet) would help resolve the question of where to put 'the stuff'. This will become a real issue once I get rid of the current 'banjo counter' that extends over the top of the toilet. It's a sad homage to the '80s, but our two teens (one boy, one girl), really do make use of that extra counter space, and would be horrified if they knew I was trying to get rid of it!

The vanity and toilet are located across from the tub on a wall that is just shy of 6' long, in a room that is 7' wide. The spaces on each side of the toilet and the toilet itself, take up 36''. All of which means that the finished top of the vanity cannot be wider than 34''. To make matters worse, the finished depth cannot be greater than 21'', without protruding into the doorway.

I guess when you're looking for a 32''-33'' bathroom vanity that's 20''-21'' deep, it's time to look under 'C' for Cabinetmaker!

galleyette,
Your bathroom demensions sound like mine. I am also looking for a vanity. We are about to start a reno of our bath and I have been looking for a vanity about 33 inches.
Here is a sketch of my dimensions and they sound just like yours. We are thinking about puting in a pocket door. Do you have a regular door opening in or out of the room.
I am also in Canada.
{{gwi:1416469}}

lyban, that's definitely our bathroom too! We have a door that opens into the room and hinges on the tub side (basically folding back against the tub when opened).

We had thought of a pocket door, but decided that there was some virtue to having the door match all the others on the second floor landing - there are 5 in all. The kids also use the hooks on the back of the door. They are flat panel doors with a wide frame around the perimeter and I'm actually toying with the idea of insetting a long mirror in the flat space on the inside.

Not being able to lock a pocket door also contributed to the decision.

To make matters even worse, we have an old cast iron radiator that takes up space under our window!

Well, our door also opens that way.
Here is an actual photo of room. Very hard to take photo when it is so small.
We are looking at tiles now and we are wanting to go the same route with black and whitel floor, then putting a new tub and hope we can find some kind of vanity. Let me know if you find anything and I will also let you know if I have any luck.
{{gwi:1416471}}

{{gwi:1416472}}

This falls into the "for whatever it's worth" category...

I like these recessed cabinets for stealing a little space from the walls and because they look like art. In lyban's layout above, assuming you have a mirror over the vanity and some kind of storage or towel rack over the toilet, I can envision these in the wall to the left of the vanity (when facing it) and to the left of the window/right of the toilet. It would give the kids some extra storage yet look nice. Another solution is shallow, recessed shelves built between your wall studs. Just a thought!

Here is a link that might be useful: Concealed cabinets

lyban, I only hope that my 'after' picture looks half as good as your 'before'!

The vanity will be problematic, particularly if I don't go for a style that goes right to the floor. Now I'm even obsessing about what kind of sink has the least intrusive depth/plumbing so that I can max out whatever space I do have!

The link below is to a site that provides instructions for turning a picture into the door of a recessed medicine cabinet. The framed print in your photo made me think of it.

I have another link to a company that takes the DIY out of the project, and has a selection of frames and sizes for picture-fronted medicine cabinets, but I'm not smart enough to post two links!

Here is a link that might be useful: DIY recessed medicine cabinet

I really like the Lowes vanity with legs - the top left in Sweeby's pictures. If we were going for a brown vanity in our masterbath - I would have gone for that one. We thought about the floating vanity but it was too modern for us and really didn't give us all that much storage. My husband also did not want the vessel sink (another way to eke out a little more storage). We ended up getting a 31 inch wide cabinet with a modified depth of 18 inches from Decora. Also went for a small round sink - Kohler "Camber" K-2349 (14" diameter). Our faucet is going to be wall mount.

I also wanted to have drawers instead of two doors - I like having the drawer for either makeup or hair appliances. I have never been as organized about that stuff if I have to put it under the sink. It was a little bit more expensive and unfortunately the top drawers are fake - but something is better than nothing.

{{gwi:1416473}}

minac, what a great design! Custom/semi-custom is probably the only way to get it right.

lyban, the link below shows several smaller vanities. Independent searches at Fairmont Designs and Sagehill Designs show a few more.

I'm slowly getting the message that working drawers rarely find their way into vanities under 36''W. A design like your current vanity and Minac's above, which offers the best of both world's, doesn't seem common commercially.

When I do finally find something that's at least 32''W (rather than 30''), the depth of the top increases proportionately, making it too deep!

The other design considerations are that the left side will be installed flush against the wall if we maintain the counter extension over the toilet.That means no gracefully curved legs or built-up skirts at the bottom. It also means the vanity top would have to be custom, ruling out any that come with the top/sink included. I guess that's the big question. Will you be keeping the extension on your counter? Then at least there'd be two of us!

The next step will be checking out the alternatives at some kitchen cabinetry stores and hole-in-the-wall antique places.

Here is a link that might be useful: Search bathroom vanities by width

If you are looking for 36 inches with legs, try going to a kitchen cabinet provider that does stock and semi-custom. They have stock sizes that include drawers. For instance, they can put two 18 inch drawer banks together for you. They can also do the plumbing cutout or fake the top drawer.

I just had this done and what we did was take stock sizes to configure a 62 inch double vanity. We used double door cabinets under each sink with interior drawers (all soft close - both the doors and the drawers) (pretty great - we can get to all out storage) and then in between the sinks we have 3 soft close drawers, 1 vanity size and two really deep ones. The bottom drawer also has an integrated electrical outlet for the blow dryer.

We had the vanity wall mounted so that we also got the countertop up a little higher and we had 4 matching wood legs put on. The legs aren't that high but they still convey a lot of space because you can see under the vanity.

It wasn't that much. For a 62 inch semi custom cabinet, it was 1,000 - that doesn't include the counterop and sinks or the electrical outlet. The cabinet quality is very good, solid wood contruction with very good walnut veneer. There was a pretty good selection of style/wood/cabinet face options.

Yes this is good alternate if you do not have enough space.

dont know if you are still looking, but i found this to be a great choice for narrow depth but with storage! at the 32" size, I think you'd have plenty of space, but it only sticks out 18" which we also really needed and the cabinet is only 12" deep which makes the space not feel as crowded.

good luck!