Archive for the ‘Bathroom’ category

Bathroom Vanity Furniture – Size Matters

April 25th, 2012



Even in today’s Real Estate market the return on investment for a Bathroom remodel ranges between 80 – 90%. The key, of course, is to plan, and choose wisely before purchasing your bathroom components. Bathroom vanity furniture comes in all heights, widths, and shapes. Since the vanity is generally the only piece of furniture that you will purchase for your bathroom, getting it right is crucial. Three things to consider when purchasing a bathroom vanity are; height, width, and style.

Measuring your bathroom is the first step in the planning process for any remodel. This will provide you with a good feel for the location of items such as doors, windows, and electrical outlets. These fixtures are important to consider when allocating space for your bathroom vanity furniture. There needs to be enough space for the bathroom door to swing freely without hitting your newly purchased vanity. Keeping the various electrical outlets open, and available, must also be considered. There can also be restrictions in the local building codes for proper placement of vanities, proximate to electrical outlets. Accidently covering over the only outlets in a bathroom can cause additional functional problems. The proximity to other components; tub, toilet, and shower needs to be considered as well. You always want to leave enough space between each fixture to allow for easy cleaning, and for a larger individual to be comfortable in the room.

There are not specific standards for the height of a bathroom vanity. However taking the time to consider who the primary users of the bathroom will be, is helpful in selecting the correct height. If the bathroom is to be used by family members, and guests, choosing the more conventional 32 to 34 inch cabinet is sensible. Remember, cabinets that are taller than standard will be difficult for a child to manage, and anything lower than standard will be uncomfortable for most adults. Today’s trend in bathrooms is to have taller bathroom vanity furniture, more similar in height to those cabinets that are found in any kitchen. However, it is your bathroom, so making it work for your specific needs, while incorporating your desired style elements, is really the most important factor.

The width of the vanity is critical. The first consideration is how wide can it be, and still fit through the bathroom door. Many bathroom vanities come pre-constructed; however, there are also expandable or collapsible vanities available. Their design allows them to be installed in any bathroom regardless of the restrictions imposed by a narrow bathroom door. The vanity door swing, and drawer size also need to be considered. A vanity door that is too wide can result in restricted space, and limited human movement. It is important to remember that there needs to be enough room for the bathroom door to open comfortably without damaging your new furniture. Door dings are unpleasant, and will happen if the space it too tight. In addition a too tight fit can create a safety hazard, that with proper planning, can be avoided.

Cabinet style is also critical. Style sets the overall tone for your bathroom design. Keep in mind that a vanity cabinet that is too large or too tall will make your bathroom feel small, and cramped, however, a vanity that is too small for the space will just look lost, and out-of-place. If choosing a vessel sink, the top of the cabinet needs to be lower than standard in order to allow for the height of the sink bowl to be comfortably accessed. The use of a vessel sink however, does allow for more drawers, and under cabinet storage space. A standard recessed sink limits this available space.

As the bathroom is the room that gets used by everyone, multiple times a day, design flaws will be noticed quickly, and could be costly to remediate. So right size your vanity choice. Figuring out what size bathroom vanity furniture will best fit the space that is available is a good place to start and will go a long way in regard to your overall satisfaction when you are finished with remodeling your bathroom.

All About Bathroom Vanities

April 13th, 2012



The times have certainly changed. A decade ago, bathroom designers saw the first inklings of what has become the latest style of furniture for the bathroom. The do it yourselfer homeowners and bathroom designers both were first considering the conversion of their vanities from antique cabinets for their baths and bedrooms.

This was no easy risk for them to take. It can be risky to store wood antiques in a sun drenched or steamy bathroom. In addition, there waste the potential risk of structural damage due to the installation of a basin, filled with water, no less, in the top of a beautiful antique cabinet.

These days, it isn’t necessary to take such risks. As a result of the increasing availability of durable and beautiful bathroom furniture, vanities that standalone are becoming increasingly popular with all types of homeowners, in spite of the type of home that they live in.

These days, a bathroom vanity looks like a normal piece of bathroom furniture. They have been that way in Europe for a long time, it just took a while for the trend to become popular in the US. This type of furniture is becoming ever increasingly more popular all across the country. One of the reasons for this surge of popularity is that the idea of plain old luxury has become increasingly popular to consumers who want a break from their everyday worries and rushed lives. This is readily apparent in their bathrooms that have been a great escape. The utilitarian vanity of yesterday has become a beautiful piece of furniture which provides the ultimate getaway from that which is usual.

These days, bathrooms are also becoming bigger, sometime as big as 300 sq. ft. That space has to be filled with something besides countertop, and a bathroom vanity fills the bill nicely. Conversely, there are powder rooms and half baths that are great places for this type of vanity.

The homeowner is willing to use a vanity that is freestanding in a small bathroom since it doesn’t cost as much to experiment as it does with a big bathroom. In addition, the homeowner is more willing to deviate from the style of the rest of the house. They will try a French contemporary vanity although the rest of the house is of the Asian persuasion.

Another good fit for our society that is mostly transient is portable bathroom furniture. People move around more than they used to they want to keep those items that they really appreciate and admire about their houses. They want to use items that they can take with them when they move such as a really nice looking baker’s rack or an armoire, and the other usual types of furniture pieces.

Discount Bathroom Vanities

April 12th, 2012



A new bathroom vanity will provide your bathroom a new modern look. They are available in many different styles, shapes, colors, and materials. They are also available at discount prices on discount websites that are on the Internet. All it takes is a little research and you can update your old bathroom and have it looking new again. Here are some of the various styles and materials that are available for you to choose from.

Most bathrooms only have the conventional medicine cabinet. However, modern vanities are available with many stylish features, including inserts for drawers for the storage of makeup, door rack for hair dryers and pull out trash cans among others. The contemporary vanity places an emphasis on keeping the counter top clear from all of the usual clutter. This helps to keep your bathroom looking fresh. They provide a great place for storage of many of the accessories in your bathroom like rugs and towels and other like items.

One of the primary benefits of installing a bathroom vanity is that it will cover up all types of pipes such as waste and water supply and it will increase the amount of storage space that is available.

These days, most bathroom vanities are made from MDF (medium density fiber) board. This material is either veneered or foil wrapped MDF board. You have to be careful when cleaning a vanity that is made out of MDF board and wipe off all of the excess water that is on it. In spite of this, water that gets into the core of the MDF board will damage it even though they are splash proof.

Discount bathroom vanities are available in the freestanding stand alone style that has vanity basins fitted on top of them. These basins take up a lot of bathroom space because they are full depth units unless you have a large bathroom. However, they do provide a large amount of storage which prevents clutter and makes the room look neat. Another style of basin sits in the vanity. With some styles, the basin has storage underneath it and the basin forms the top of the vanity. Basins can be made out of stainless steel, glass, acrylic, or china.

Your bathroom vanity should match the other items in the room, like the toilet seat, bath panels, and other furniture in the room. To ensure color consistency, you should buy all of the accessories from the same manufacturer.

The style of the bathroom vanity is dependent on how large your bathroom is. Although some types are big they might not fit in a bathroom that is small or medium sized. They might offer a lot of storage they also take up much of your room.

There are numerous websites that offer discount bathroom vanities at very reasonable prices. All it takes is a little research on your part and you can have your old bathroom looking new again.

DIY Home Improvement