There is a new trend in bathroom design happening across modern homes. In most of these places, you will notice a cabinet with a sink or a basin. Some are built on top of the cabinet. Sinks and basins are also built into the cabinet by some designers. How does it appear to a novice with no sense of designing or aesthetics?
The look, at first glance, is functional, with a large sink fixed on walls and getting supported from the bottom by the cabinets. For someone who knows a thing or two about kitchen designing, the design appears vintage stuff. If the sink or the basin has an ornate design, the traditional look gains more dominance.
That brings us to the question – What’s the difference between a cabinet and a vanity? An immediate observation that comes to mind is that while the vanity is larger, a cabinet is relatively smaller. Yes, that’s definitely one major distinguishing factor.
How Bathroom Vanity Came Into Existence
But before that, let’s try and find out where vanities came from. It is believed that before indoor plumbing happened, vanity tables were part of the bed chambers in modern houses. The vanity was basically a table with a built-in basin. The arrangement was created to allow people to wash their hands and face at night and in the morning without taking a trip to the bathroom.
Modern bathroom vanities could be as big as a large piece of furniture with abundant space for storage. It can make the bathroom look grand and spacious. When you don’t have enough space to experiment with things, you can settle for cabinets. The sink can be placed on the cabinet to create a unique look, even with simple designs.
Design – A Key Differentiator
The second differentiating factor is the design. A cabinet has a mirror at the front and is generally placed at a higher position. It is always mounted on the wall in such cases. The most commonly chosen place for a mirrored bathroom cabinet is the spot above the sink or the basin. There are no fixed rules for selecting the material of a mirrored cabinet. It can be made using wood, marble or a combination of both. Designer bathroom cabinets can be like small cupboards in which you can place the bathroom essentials.
A bathroom vanity is a popular piece of bathroom furniture that combines a countertop and a sink. Of course, it can have additional features too. The modern bathroom vanity may have fancy lights, architectural detailing, in-built shelves and other features.
How It Is Positioned Makes a Difference
The position is another difference between the two. A cabinet, usually fronted by a mirror or contains one inside, is often placed at a higher position and is mounted on the wall. The most common spot for it is above the bathroom sink or basin. It is possible to have a single cabinet the size of a small cupboard where you place your basin and fittings. In this case, you could choose what material you want to use for your bathroom cabinet, whether wood or another combination of materials, like marble and wood.
Both Are Used For Storage But Differently
If you want to consider other differentiating aspects between designer bathroom cabinets and vanity, you can consider storage. The vanity can be used for placing all of your bathroom needs, including towels, toiletries, and more. The cabinet can be used for keeping a few of your bathroom items but not all. That’s the trend. The cabinet size must be in proportion to your bathroom sink. It can give your bathroom a trendy appearance and add to the style factor.
In today’s world of designing, there are no fixed limits or lines. Everything is flexible. You can choose any style you want for your bathroom and cabinet or vanity as long as they serve your functionality purpose.
A cabinet can be created with a lot of intricate designs and styling to look like a vanity. The vanity can be small and have greater functional value to be a cabinet. Their roles can get overlapped. The bathroom sink and cabinet can be matched to appear as similar or as it will be designed for a single or double vanity. As you must have noticed, the lines between kitchen cabinets and vanity may blur in some types of designing, but by definition, they remain as two separate entities.
Most modern bathrooms have sinks and cabinets placed at the corner of the room, but that’s not the design rule. You can have it as a centrepiece of your bathroom along with the bathtub. Whether you should settle for a cabinet or a vanity in the bathroom will depend on your individual taste and space availability.
If you have more than one bathroom at your home, you are less likely to suffer the dilemma of whether to go with a bathroom vanity or bathroom cabinet. You can experiment with different designs and looks for both the bathrooms by using vanity in one and cabinet in the other.
Some Vanity Facts
If you are planning to go with modern bathroom vanities, make sure you know these facts. Vanities were built in the past to standard height. This was done to accommodate the needs of both children and adults sharing the bathroom. However, nowadays, bathroom sharing is less common. The trend is to build a bathroom vanity that does not force you to hunch and bend. In a custom-designed bathroom, the size and height of the vanity and cabinet can be matched to the needs of your family members. You need not follow specific rules.
However, just to remain informed, in the United States, the standard height for bathroom vanities is around 32 inches. The “comfort” height range is around 36 inches.
The growing demand for the best quality cabinets and vanities can be traced to the need for modern homes to maintain their stylish looks. It also helps add value to the property. Contrary to what people think, getting bathroom cabinets and vanity installed is not a costly affair. Of course, they do cost money, but you can do it while remaining firmly within your budget.
Not sure how to go ahead with your bathroom renovation? Clear the confusion by calling in the best bathroom renovation experts in the Bahamas. They can deliver your dream bathroom within your budget.
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