You must be either male (like the architect of that bath, which is like getting a kitchen designed by someone who doesn't cook) or have perfect eyesight, or not wear makeup! A magnifying mirror at that distance will not work for makeup application. It needs to be no more than 12" away. Closer, if you have vision correction for myopia. And then when old age and presbyopia hits, you would need even more magnification at about 14"-16" away. A mirror 21" away never works. And that is why smaller portable makeup mirrors are popular. Especially those with variable magnification. I do really like the lift up top that conceals the ephemera, and a distance mirror never goes amiss. I just take issue with areas like this being termed a "makeup" area when they aren't usable as such by most of the population that actually wears the stuff. Not without accessory mirrors and lighting, that is. To that end, having that outlet within that recess to which a small accessory makeup mirror could be plugged into would makes the whole space more usable for sure. This post was edited by live_wire_oak on Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 14:13

Third vote for side sconces. Much more flattering, which is nice because who wants to see a ghoul when looking in the mirror, and also the lighting is more thorough and even so you can see your makeup better and thus not overdo or underdo it. Also, 32" seems too deep. It's too far to sit from the mirror. Even 24" is too far and I can tell you that because I'm sitting at a 24" desk right now and I just tested the concept by setting a hand mirror I happen to have up at face height against the wall behind my desk... and it is definitely too far away for me to put on makeup well. If I had a vanity that size I would lean well forward to put my makeup on, which gets hard on your back after a while. But you do need to have the mirror against that back wall or at most a couple of inches from it, because it should be a couple of inches behind the lights, or at most level with the lights, in order to get the best lighting. The other possible issue is that in a vanity that deep, either things will get lost at the backs of drawers or the person sitting at it will have to pull the drawers out to their full lengths (so, counting the part of the drawer that remains inside the vanity, they would be sticking out a good 20" when extended to find stuff in the back). It really only needs to be deep enough to sit at comfortably. That probably means roughly 4" to 7" deeper than the length of the thigh of the person who will be sitting there, to leave enough room for her feet and some freedom of movement. (I mean the length of the thigh as measured from the front of her hip when she's sitting down.) You could mock it up to get a better idea, or perhaps go to some stores (furniture stores, antique stores--there are lots of antique vanities around) with a measuring tape to see what feels most comfortable for her. Oh wait. I just re-read your post and saw you wrote 32" t. As in tall. Not deep. Ok... so nevermind! :-)

Jeannie, I'm glad for you that you've decided your lighting will be okay. Since you mentioned that you have two recessed lights overhead, one thing you can do is aim (angle) the light so it hits the center of your sink bowl and make-up vanity more than it does now. Depending on the size and style of your recessed lights, there are different types of angled trim kits. If you have 6" or 5" housings, there are lots of eyeball trims, which can typically angle the light up to 30 degrees. Even if you have smaller 3" or 4" housings, there are eyeballs or gimbal trims which can angle light 30-40 degrees. Good luck! -- Eric

After digging around Decoart's site I'm assuming that is what you're talking about and I see they have a bunch of different sealers to pick from. Ha, can you tell I don't spend any time in the craft section? Anyone know if one works better than the others? I honestly know I'm not going to scrub the lights as often as I should in there so there and the hairspray makes a nice coating that's a pain to get off. Copied from website. Americana Spray Sealer is an acrylic sealer/finisher that leaves a clear, protective, non-yellowing, weatherproof coating which provides permanent protection for all painted finishes. BRUSH-ON SEALERS An acrylic, brush-on varnish that dries to a tough, durable, clear acrylic finish for most hard surface craft projects. Americana Brush-On Varnishes come in satin, matte, and gloss finishes. DURACLEAR VARNISHES Brush-on polyurethane, non-yellowing varnishes that form a tough, flexible, clear finish that dries quickly. MULTI-PURPOSE SEALER Ideal sealer designed to adhere to all surfaces for indoor and outdoor use. Its superior adhesiveness, smoothness and durability enable its use on virtually any hard, paintable surface.