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How do you identify the "right" proportions?

8 years ago

What are the best dimensions for...

- the sink

- mirror/medicine cabinet with mirror

- lights on the side of the mirror/sconces

...given the following considerations?

1) We are trying to go for a modern look. To that end:

A) We want the side of the vanity to be the same material as the countertop. What we call "wrapped" and "waterfall." We are thinking the thickness will be 1.5 inches for both the side and the countertop.

B) We want the sink to be wide enough and deep enough that either of us can "dip" our head under the faucet in the morning. We also want the height of the faucet to help make "dipping" work, but we haven't decided whether the faucet will come out from the wall or out of the countertop.

C) And we want the countertop to provide as much storage as possible given that the vanity (including 1.5 inch wrapped waterfall countertop) can only be 60 inches total. A wall will be the border on the side without having a wrapped waterfall.

2) Neither of us wants the water to splash up out of the sink. SIDE NOTE: What is the secret to preventing this issue? ...Dimensions, shape of the sink, angle of the water falling from the faucet, etc.?

3) Our ceiling is 96 inches in height. And, we are planning for the countertop to be at 34-35 inches off the floor.

4) We are open to the idea of tall (36 inch or 40 inch high) medicine cabinet/mirror. We are also open to the idea of "wide" (2/3-1/3 and tri-fold) 30-50+ inch mirror/medicine cabinet so long as adequate (1000 lumens each) side lighting can be outfitted in the design.

Thank you for any advice you can offer from design principles, proportionality, or personal experience.

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Comments (4)

MongoCT
8 years ago
Basic proportions? You can go by Fibonacci or the golden rectangle, which roughly leads to proportions of 1.62:1 as being pleasing to the eye. Those proportions can either be vertical or horizontal.

Example, you want a 36" high vanity. Adhering tightly to the golden rectangle would lead to the vanity being about 22" deep and 58" long. 36:22 fits the 1.62 proportion, as does 58:36.

If you wanted a 40" high mirror, make it 24" wide and you again hit the 1.62 ratio.

You can carry the rectangle relationship through the design. Example, the front of the vanity can be a 1.62 ratio. The doors and drawers can be 1.62 ratio. Sometimes you can blend the whole thing together. Sometimes you take it to a certain point then have to abandon the ratio.

But that's the basic idea of the Golden Rectangle when it comes to proportion.

There are goose neck faucets that may allow you to get the wet head look. Or you can go with a wall mounted spout, either a regular spout, r perhaps a waterfall type spout. Depends. but dipping a head might give you too much splash out. Again, it depends on how far the spout projects away from the backsplash or over the bowl. You can look at trough sinks, they lean towards wider bowls. If the bowl is sloped where the water hits the bowl, that'll help to minimize splash out. Water height and the angle of incidence of the water hitting the bowl surface are things to consider.
User
8 years ago
you keep giving away all the secrets mongo !
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MongoCT
8 years ago
No worries, no one reads what I write!
dan1888
8 years ago
Because your use is possibly outside the requirements of many bathroom faucets I'd include bar and some kitchen faucets with a pull out spray feature in your search. This can make it easier to control overspray and maybe have some fun too.

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