We are 5'8" and 6'2" and did a 36" counter in our downstairs bath a few years ago. Now we re re-doing the master and there's no way we'd ever go back to a shorter counter. You could argue that we should have gone shorter in the downstairs, since in a re-sale situation, it could be a kids bath, but we plan to live here a long time and the new owners will probably update it by then anyway. But we have certainly never regretted it!

Just an opinion -

I would not do it bc the counter depth is also greater. While I am not short (5'6"), I have found that the higher/deeper countertops are inconvenient in a bathroom. [Have tried the neighbors']

I would also not do it bc of resale value, which could be a problem. A nice home in our area (willow glen area of San Jose, CA), at the height of the RE boom several years ago, had 36" high sinks and countertops in their baths and it looked wierd and took forever to sell. It also sold for well below asking price. Of course this is anectdotal and not necessarily related to the coutertop height in the baths! That said, the kitchen countertops were higher than 36" - since both spouses were well over 6' tall.

So that home was really a white elephant. While we have no intention of ever selling our home, we have been conservative in all remodeling work - true to the architecture; neutral tones; and no cutsey stuff anywhere. At least that way, the syle is universal and if we needed to sell for some unforseen reason, things would not need done over to make it sale-able.

If none of the above are of concern (resale, having a white elephant), then who cares? It is your home after all.

Lynne

My master bath counter top is about 35" high, I have a Memoirs pedestal top sitting on that, the top of the memoirs is 39" high.

I'm 6'4", my bride is 5'1". We both love it and wouldn't change a thing.

Our master bath counter is 33" and sink is 4" totalling 37" and it works really well for us - dh 6'4", me 5'4". Like others above, we have no complaints.

DH is 6'4" and I'm 5'. The vanity in his bathroom is 34" and mine is 29" Both vanities are about 21" deep. DH was thrilled when we put the taller vanity in his bathroom. We're getting ready to remodel mine and I'm staying with a shorter vanity. We're both very happy!

Here is what lynne sjo meant: Standard kitchen cabinets are made 24" deep and to be 36" tall once the countertop is on. Standard bathroom vanity cabinets are made to be 21" deep and lower (I don't know what height). So, if you are ordering standard kitchen cabs for your bathroom, they would be both taller and deeper. I guess lynne finds it uncomfortable to have to lean further in to wash her face. That being said, I am 5'7" and like the 36" bathroom countertop height. If you are going custom, you could always specify 21" deep and 36" high. Maybe some cabinet manufacturers make that as a standard; I don't know.

We have just put in our 3rd set of 36" bathroom vanities. My husband is 5'2" and finds that height very easy. We both like them. I was surprised that in a very small bathroom, it actually made the bath look bigger. We had ours custom made- the second ones were standard depth- 22 or 3" I think but the newest ones are 24". I wouldn't consider anything else. Besides our cabinet maker says that is all he is making now. It is what people here in the Atlanta area want. Good luck. You won't be sorrry.

Our custom vanity is 34" with a 1" countertop for a total of 35". It's 23" deep. we love the higher counter height and are very glad we did it. Go for it!

Thanks for all of the replies! Our cabs for the vanity will be custom, and when I asked Wendell the Cabinetmaker for 36 inch high master bath cabinets, he seemed unfazed. He has specified 22 inch wide vanities for all of the baths (upstairs guest bath and mudroom/DH bath we will probably do in 34 inch), so extra width is not a problem, nor is resale a consideration. After all of the blood, sweat, tears, and hand-wringing over planning this house, we intend to live in it until we're carried out! Now that I've read all of the positive endorsements here, I feel more confidant in going forward with the higher vanity, though I might be singing a different tune if the time comes that I'm in a wheelchair, trying to reach a 36 inch high sink, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Us "Boomers" have so many things to think about in planning for our dotage!

The higher bathroom counters are a plus in my book. The only reason I can think of for them to be so low is because of kids, and who needs those? We did our powder room with a 36" high vanity, yet it's only a little over a foot deep. The bowl sticks out the front, so it's plenty accessible. The shallow vanity depth made so much more room to move around in that little space.

I'm sure as far as ADA concerns go, the higher counters can be an issue. I see the higher counters as a luxury and selling point, not a reason why a home would sit on the market.