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jkatx

Bathroom vanity/cabinet dos and don'ts

j k
5 years ago

This week I finally met with some people regarding a vanity for our bathroom renovation, and I'm realizing I have a lot to learn! Here are the basics... Previously the bathroom had two standalone sinks with a very awkward hutch (that the previous owners took anyway) on a wall that is 92" wide. This setup didn't look great, but more importantly, it didn't provide a nice vanity area or sufficient storage. As part of the remodel we're putting in a wall-to-wall vanity in that space. Our style is mid-century modern, Scandinavian, generally leaning towards a bright feel and clean lines. I'm trying not to blow my budget on this, as I know it can be an expensive feature, but I also want to make sure I'm prioritizing the right things.


- Countertops: I've narrowed in on quartz, and I like some of the samples I've seen from Silestone and Caeserstone. To pull in the MCM vibe, I'm leaning towards a terrazo-esque effect, like Silestone Stellar Snow or Blanco Maple. I think that type of material would also pull together the charcoal hex floor tiles, stacked 8x2 white subway tiles in the shower/backsplash and the black fixtures. Sound good?


- Sinks: We want plain white undermount sinks, rectangular versus oval, just functional pieces that will blend. Anything I need to look for/avoid there?


- Cabinetry: This is the part that has my head spinning. Aesthetically, I love walnut, it seems to blend with MCM, plus would add some nice texture and warmth to the space. If that is too expensive, I've also seen some examples of blue/teal vanities that could add a nice pop of color. I tend toward slab doors, frameless (I think, where all the drawers and doors look like they touch?) and either floating or very plain legs that have an extra shelf below them (more functional storage than floating). Anything raise an alarm bell there as a bad choice?


The place I went yesterday was only showing me Bellmont 1900 cabinet options. I didn't give them a budget, because I'm still trying to ascertain what I should spend on a 92"-ish wall-to-wall vanity. When I asked the woman for a ballpark price range, she said $2-3k (but I'm not sure if that was just for the cabinets or included a Silestone countertop) and that the cabinets should take 4-6 weeks to arrive. I saw mixed reviews on Houzz when I searched for this line, but almost all those cabinets were in kitchens. Are there other lines I should look into or ask for by name? I don't need anything fancy per se, just solid quality and a good value.


Is a custom cabinet maker a good option for this size project? I'm worried about price and lead time not fitting our project. When we've talked to various contractors, including my husband's best friend who is a GC on multi-million renovations, they all say "they have a guy" if we need custom. What should I be looking for when it comes to custom options? We're in Austin if anyone has specific recs.


Finally, any features people especially like or dislike for bathroom vanities? The current sinks are set pretty far apart on the wall and we're trying not to change the location of any plumbing (up or down on a wall is probably OK, moving them closer together is likely too expensive). I would like a mix of functional drawers, and hopefully they'll be a lot of space for that with the sink setup. Not sure what to do under/around the sinks to make that space as functional as possible too.


Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions!

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