Where should hand towels go with this layout?

3 years ago

We're finalizing our design and I realized that there's no wall space to hang hand towels. I really don't want to hang a hand towel by the toilet (to the right of the vanity), and there is a built-in bench to the left (there is a stairwell underneath, so a bench covers that up). The two towers on the vanity are paneled in the cabinet material (sapele wood), they are necessary- the left tower hides a furnace flue pipe and the right tower balances it out with storage. There really isn't room for a towel stand on the counter. The only options for hanging hand towels that I can see are:

hang rings on the wall to either side of the vanity (1 between vanity & the toilet, and the other over the bench
hang towels from the cabinet hardware (Top Knobs Exeter pull in "umbrio" color, photo below)
mount towel rings to the outside of each tower (I'd hate to mess this up and ruin the beautiful cabinetry)

Anyone have any suggestions?

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Comments (7)

PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
3 years ago
If you have a bench there to sit, by the toilet it would be a suitable place. If you want to put it on both sides if it's not gonna interfere with seating,
weedyacres
3 years ago
Since it's a single sink, do you need 2 hand towel rings?

Of the options you posed above, I like the LH side the best, over the bench. Presumably you aren't lollygagging there, so bumping your head on the towel shouldn't be a big concern.

Another option is an over-the-door towel bar like this that would hang on the drawer/door in front of the sink:
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Hi Debbie, During the design process we couldn't figure out a spot for a hand towel bar, or ring, plus I really don't like the look of them anyway. So, as a solution to the problem I keep 8 washcloths rolled up in a footed soup tourine on the countertop. Each time we wash our hands we use a fresh washcloth to dry, and, then we drop the cloth into a bin underneath the cabinet. We also sometimes leave a towel folded over in front of each sink so that if we are at home alot during the day we use the same towel all day. I did alot of looking at vanities as you have done and didn't see a great solution to this problem. Our old vanity had the towel ring installed on the side, but, we were going with a furniture look after our bathroom remodel and I didn't wnat to "ruin" the furniture look with a towel ring. I have seen some vanities that have towel bars installed on the facia of the cabinetry. I don't think I'd like that solution though because when you open the doors the towels are in the way. Hope that helps, good luck!
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The hand towels in my guest bathroom / powder room get very wet. I think my teen son uses them to wash his face. I plan to remodel my son's bathroom next year. The first picture below is of my remodeled guest bathroom. In this room, the toilet is next to the vanity, so side of vanity was obvious place to hang TP holder, not a towel. Contractor was reluctant to hang the towel bar on the wall because the towels cover the electrical outlet. In my master bathroom, I have no towel bars, so hand towels sit on the counter. The layout in my son's room is more like the "By the Bay" Houzz photo above, there will be space for a towel bar on either the right-side side of the vanity or on the wall to the left (as in the "Art House" Houzz photo). But ... I'm thinking about keeping a medicine cabinet on the wall, so would be crowded to add a towel bar here, as in second photo below, taken at an open house in my area.
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Michele N.
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks, GN Builders and weedyacres. The thought of a hand towel by the toilet is kind of unappealing to me, but maybe once it’s built it won’t feel so close. Weedyacres, the sink is a 40”W trough sink with two faucets. I like the idea of hanging towels in the front cabinet doors, but is there any concern of damp towels hanging on a wood cabinet face? The wood species is sapele, which is similar to teak, it’s used on boats so I guess it is made to withstand moisture 🤔
Michele N.
Original Author
3 years ago
Here’s a picture of the cabinet hardware, we have the same in our kitchen:
PRO
KIBV Inc.
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Suggest a corner of the counter to mount one of these.
- Freestanding towel holder
- 3 arms
- No need to drill into walls
- Finish: Satin nickel
- Material: Brass
- Dimensions: W 8" x H 15"
acm
3 years ago
To me it looks like it would be perfectly easy to hang towels from those large pulls. Perhaps you could scale down from regular bath set hand towels to "tea towels," which are slightly smaller, but plenty of people use a kitchen pull for a hand towel, so no reason not to do the same here. Get a matched pair that coordinate with your rugs or towels, and hang them from the cabinet doors so they don't interfere with drawers.
Michele N.
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I agree with you, acm, I think we’ll plan to hang them from the cabinet handles, seems like the best option.

We’re so close to ordering the cabinets and getting started. I think all my nit picky tweaks will pay off, although our cabinet designer doesn’t seem very happy with me ;)

Where should hand towels go with this layout?

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GN Builders L.L.C

weedyacres

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Where should hand towels go with this layout?

Comments (7)

GN Builders L.L.C

weedyacres

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Michele N.Original Author

KIBV Inc.

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