Canadians spend a lot in home renovations. We cherish our homes, and we enjoy maximizing their aesthetic and functional appeal through renovations and overhauls. In Canada, British Columbians spend an average of $10k on a bathroom renovation – the highest in the country.
In fact, renovating the bathroom reigns supreme in Canada, with 19% of all home improvements focusing on the bathroom, thanks in part to a 70-100% return on investment. Kitchens may be the heart of the home, but the bathroom is synonymous with privacy, tranquility, hygiene, function, and zen-like style.
But what are bathroom vanities? There’s got to be more to them than a set of drawers where you store your toothbrush.
Just like a custom kitchen build, building a bathroom vanity isn’t limited to specific sizes – simply work with your design team to curate a style and a size that benefits your lifestyle and your needs. In this sense, the only limitation is the bounds of your creativity, but as a general rule, vanities can be purchased in a few different standard sizes.
In North America, the standard countertop height is approximately 31 inches, but this is another matter of personal preference – taller people may opt for a slightly higher countertop, while more compact vanities work better for shorter individuals, or families with small children.
- Typical cabinet widths are 24”, 30”, 36”, 48”, and 60”. Custom cabinets may be available up to 84” in some cases.
- Average vanity height is about 31”-36” tall.
- Most vanity depths are about 17”-24” deep.
Vanities are usually the largest objects in the bathroom, and this helps dictate their space as the focal point of the entire room – and this causes their variety of shapes, styles, and sizes to differ widely. Popular styles of bathroom vanities include traditional/classic, art deco, postmodern, minimalist, and even old school French Provincial.
Depending on the style of your renovation, vanities can take up only a small percentage of floor space, or they can occupy an entire wall to visually elongate the available square footage. They can be fixed to the floor, or secured to the wall as a floating vanity for added style and increased storage space.
Vanities can feature an integrated sink in their countertop, or double sinks to accommodate busy mornings and couples who enjoy their own space.
A popular aesthetic for modern bathroom vanities is a sleek, crisp, cabinetry box with an organic texture, like wood or bamboo. The warm, and clean juxtaposition of such an organic material paired in a bright white bathroom with a white porcelain or marble countertop is a classic visual that focuses all the users’ attention on the zen-like properties of a clean, bright space that’s inviting. But that’s not all that’s available – high quality cabinets can routinely feature elements of glass or metal to boost style as well.
The benefits to integrating a vanity into your custom bathroom renovation project are vast. Aside from providing a pivotal space to store all your various products, accessories, towels/linens, cleaning supplies, etc. – a stunning bathroom vanity adds an element of visual splendour that aims to unify your bathroom to the rest of your home.
Imagine entertaining in your custom dream kitchen, and having guests freshen up before a meal, only to compliment the seamless connection your bathroom has to the heart of your home. This ease of transition is essential to securing and maximizing potential return on investment, and to enjoying your space yourself. Alternatively – nothing says your bathroom has to match anything! The beauty of a bathroom is, it can vary from the rest of your home to portray a personality of its own, allowing you to let loose your creativity and create something unique.
Functionally, a linen closet, or a small offset cabinet simply don’t offer the ease and maximized space of a bathroom vanity. By adding a vanity to your project, you’re electing to include stylish functionality to the repertoire of your build. Take a moment to think about your particular needs – how often do you use the bathroom you’re renovating? What is routinely stored there? If you’re overhauling a master ensuite bath, storage may be more important than a powder room or a half-bath elsewhere in the house. This vision will help you see how critical storage and style are in all bathrooms, making the choice to add a vanity an easy one.
There are many things to consider when undertaking a bathroom renovation, but everything is centralized around the bathroom vanity. This quintessential piece of cabinetry is where the majority of our restroom effects are stored, as well as where the sink is located.
A high quality, stylish bathroom vanity from Kitchen Art Design can take your bathroom renovation from good to great – let’s chat to discover your vision today.