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Bathroom Vanities - Are They Worth The Money? by Barry Goodknight
If one takes it literally, you would think that bathroom vanities are just that,
bathroom items that cater to man's conceit, pride or self-adulation. Well,
almost but not quite. It appeals not only to our need for aesthetic
gratification, but more importantly to our functional needs.
So what is a bathroom vanity? It particularly refers to a bathroom cabinet that
covers the water basin, pipes, and drain. It has drawers and shelves underneath
that are used as storage spaces for items, usually those that need to be hidden
from the guests.
In buying or redesigning a house, a great deal of time, effort and money are
given to the living room, kitchen, bedrooms and other more prominent sections of
the house. But such is not always the case for other unobtrusive but equally
important rooms such as the bathroom, shower room or comfort room.
The bathroom is a very important comfort zone in the house, next to bedrooms. It
offers a quite sanctuary for our personal needs. That is why getting the best
design, tile materials, and amenities for your bathroom should also be a major
consideration in house improvement activity.
One of the most important bathroom amenities is a bathroom vanity. A bathroom
vanity is undoubtedly the main aesthetic feature of a bathroom in any house
remodeling or decorating project. While it is the best place to keep private
things out of the way and sight of the guests, it need not be bare-looking or
simplistic. Given the best efforts in design, style, or finish, it becomes an
attractive centerpiece for your bathroom.
There is a wide variety of choices of vanity designs, but you can narrow down
your options to either a custom vanity or a prefabricated one. If you are a
little tight on the budget, you can opt for pre-fabricated vanities that can
suit your taste as well. But if you want more room for creativity and would not
mind spending a fortune for it, then do not hesitate to scour the local
directory to search for custom bathroom vanity maker.
Custom Wood Vanities
Custom wood vanities are the more popular choices in bathroom vanities, and the
cabinet is its' most notable feature. If the design calls for a laid-back or
conventional look you can have a framed or American-style cabinet. A framed
cabinet is framed around the front edges of the cabinet body. This type allows
the attachment of hinges to the frame and the door, thereby providing a durable
base for attaching hinges. On the other hand, if you want to have a more
contemporary touch to your bathroom vanity, go for a frameless or European style
cabinet. As the name implies, a frameless cabinet has no frame on the
surrounding face of the cabinet's body. This type has its hinges attached to the
door and side panel of the cabinet body.
A basic rule of thumb in choosing a design for a custom-made wood cabinet is
that it must have to blend effortlessly with the bathroom's design. But do not
just be contented with what you see, make sure that you have a functional
cabinet with doors, drawers, hinges, or sliders put firmly in place.
For a wood vanity, your decision is not only limited to what is appropriate for
the cabinet itself, but to a large extent to the choice of sink countertop,
mirror, and other fixtures or accessories that have to be incorporated. Other
factors that are as important are the storage space, drawers, size, and other
particular details. To get you started, consider the following suggestions:
Make sure that you allot the appropriate storage space for your cabinet. You
must have an idea beforehand what types of items are to be placed in which
cabinet drawer. Make sure also that the accessories such as knobs, hanger,
faucet matches the style of your cabinet.
Your choices become even more varied as you get to the countertops. But again,
you can narrow down to wood, ceramic tiles, laminates, and other composite
materials, or solid surface materials such as concrete, stainless steel, or
stone.
Ceramic tile is the most commonly used countertop surface. It is durable and you
can select from a wide variety of sizes, colors and grain. Wood countertops
would make a lovely country-style countertop, but can stain easily and requires
higher maintenance. The most durable and most resistant to heat, concrete is a
wise choice, but there is also the risk of staining and cracking.
Make sure that you use only durable drawer slides. Avoid having vanity cabinets
that have center-mounted slides or wobbly plastic slides because these types
could not stand up to weight and heavy use for a long time. Get only the best
ball-bearing assembly that you can afford.
Because it is a very versatile material, wood is the most common material used
for wood vanities. Choosing the perfect wood variety for your vanity would be
largely dictated by your personal taste, the over-all design of your bathroom,
and the accompanying fixtures and accessories. But it is important to check
first on the wood's availability and your budget because wood vanities fetch way
higher than vanities made of other materials.
Wood Types
Wood vanities are made from a variety of wood types, the same materials than can
be used for other household fixtures made of wood. They may also be either wood
veneer of laminated. Different wood species fetch different prices, depending on
its availability and overall appearance. There are so many materials to choose
from: maple, oak, cherry, hickory, yellow birch, or pine. While oak is the
all-time favorite for an earthy and conventional looking wood vanity, the use of
maple and cherry wood materials have increased.
Exotic wood fetch higher prices as these are the more rare varieties. Among
those belonging to this category are mahogany, ebony, and walnut. Mahogany is
mostly come from tropical rainforests. Its' reddish brown color and regular
grain qualities make it a perfect alternative to old oak wood. Walnut colors
range from dark brown to a purplish shade of black. Ebony wood generally refers
to very dark wood or black wood.
Every home decoration or designing project is an investment. As such, it needs
to be carefully planned and executed. To protect you investment, work with
professionals in the industry. You do not have to compromise comfort, style and
taste for money.
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