Hey, I can fully understand. We bought a 36" tall bathroom sink and I HATED it. HAAAA-TED it. I'm 5'2" and the sink hit me just below the b**bs, which made it uncomfortable to lean over to brush teeth and wash face. I felt like a little kid. We switched it out for a 32" high sink which I like SO much better. (In our remodeling-the-kitchen plan we had intended to lower a section of the kitchen counters to a height more comfortable for me, probably 32", because working at the conventional height counters gives me upper back and shoulder pain. That's just with chopping and general preparation, forget kneading bread! I cannot knead bread dough at our current counters without getting up on a stepstool.) I agree that it should be not that much of a disaster to lower the vanity. If you're only lowering the vanity by an inch or two you shouldn't need to lower the light fixtures at all and probably not even the mirror. If the mirror is one of those giant ones glued to the wall with nothing around it, you could frame it nicely with some wood trim (paint or stain to match either your window/door trim or your vanity) and hide any gaps between the mirror and backsplash. Surface mounted mirrors (not glued on) are insanely easy to relocate. I'm not sure there would be any need to lower a recessed medicine cabinet, if all family members can see themselves comfortably. Just patch drywall underneath it if necessary.

Well now if you stop worrying about every little freaking thing, what happens to us??? We're unemployed ;-) I'm trying to picture your layout but honestly it isn't clear to me. Generally I like to see something other than a 50/50 split but there are other things that come into play - how does that 50/50 or 33/66 relate to the finished height of your vanity counters, to the windows (if any) either at sill or apron height. I like continuity, too and like to see some relation to other horizontal lines in a space - expecially a space like a bathroom. But that doesn't mean everything has to end at the same height, just that you need to put those other lines into the thought process so you don't end up with staggered and unrelated horizontal lines all through the space. Clear as mud?

I think it will look fine either way....if it is lower, you have a dedicated/defined area as your makeup vanity. If it is the same height, that space may or may not be used as a vanity and will just become part of the overall sink area. Only you can decide which will work better for you. A counter-height stool COULD look a little strange in your bathroom and is not the norm, but if you like it that's all that matters.

Hi, Mary_lu, I'm sorry I couldn't reply yesterday. I lost one of my wonderful rescue dogs very suddenly, and am grieving Jenny terribly. I recall you can't use copper, and most of the small vessel sinks I found this AM are copper. The smallest vessel sinks I found are 12" diameter. If you look at 12" on a ruler, I personally can't picture a sink that small for a main bathroom sink, as mine are very good sized. My baths each have vanities made from antique bureaus. I found 2 of them on Craigslist. You can see them on this older post - http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2469779/my3dogs-do-you-mind-posting-some-pictures?n=13 I know how badly you want to use that beautiful piece as a vanity. I like my larger ones as they have plenty of room for good sized sinks, and a lot of storage in each. I cut away part of the drawers that needed it, and nothing of the plumbing shows but the faucets. I'm sure that if you do your research, that you can find a small vessel sink and a faucet that will work for you. Be sure to check the plumbing requirements and how the plumbing will affect the looks, and whether you be OK with it likely showing between the top and the drawer at the bottom. It CAN be done, but only your family will know if you will be happy with a small sink and very little room to put soap, etc, around the sink. I wish you the best of luck!