Bath

The vanity is often considered the centerpiece of the bathroom. Functionally, it is the single feature that most visitors will use, and its quality determines the capacity, function, and even style of the space as a whole. Talented designers can wield modern design techniques to create vanities with the perfect size, style, and storage capacity for your bathroom remodel.

However, choosing the best designs for the right vanity can be difficult. We created this guide to choosing vanities to help homeowners and designers avoid a second bathroom remodel due to unoptimized design decisions. 

How to Choose a Size

Vanities are available standard or customized in a host of sizes, from those going wall-to-wall in smaller spaces to freestanding island models in more spacious bathrooms. To pursue minimalism, some designers even remodel existing vanities to free up as much space as possible by opting for simple slab-style outcropping on the wall with wall-mounted faucets.

Whether your room is more appropriate for a pedestal sink, a full wall-mounted vanity with in-built cabinet storage, or anything in between will depend entirely on your vision for the space and your square footage restrictions.

Freestanding vanities offer the most versatility in size but, the expected number of users should factor heavily into your ultimate design. In larger bathrooms, twin vanities on opposite walls can be used to accommodate simultaneous users. The right size will utilize the space’s economy while providing maximum functionality to meet the needs of the users.

How to Choose a Style

There are many varieties of vanity models to choose from depending on your space, users, and decor. Here are some basic vanity types to help you get started choosing the perfect one for your remodel:

• Vessel Sink: This type of vanity has a freestanding sink basin that sits on top of the counter. The basin is usually ceramic but can be customized to evoke any material or architectural style, from ornate decorative pieces to minimalist stone bowls. When considering the reach of the end user, be sure to factor in the height of the bowl, in addition to the height of the vanity.
• Buffet: A buffet-style vanity may seem vintage, but bathroom remodelers can give them a modern twist. By upcycling an antique wooden vanity and adding a modern marble countertop and hardware to match the surrounding decor, freestanding buffet-style vanities can add style and storage to the room.
• Marbled: Marbled vanities evoke high-end spaces with glamor and elegance. Veined marble doesn’t fit every space, but those that accommodate its size and budget can create luxurious, durable vanities.
• Island: Freestanding central islands can accommodate multiple sinks. Master bathrooms that are airy enough to accommodate them can maximize storage with these fixtures. The sinks can be separated by a wall and mirror, allowing two users privacy while using the sink.
• Wall-mounted: Wall-mounted or “floating” vanities can provide extra storage and floor space while capturing the room’s modern elegance. When remodeling historic homes, many designers turn vintage furniture into wall-mounted vanities, preserving yet updating the home’s decor.

Regardless of the style you and your designers choose, the vanity is central to the bathroom remodel’s functionality and aesthetic.

How to Incorporate Storage

Storage space is an essential concern when designing a vanity in a bathroom remodel. With upcycled vintage furniture, designers can utilize roomy cabinet space beneath the vanity. If more space is needed, floating, pedestal, and wall-mounted vanities can be replaced with roomier pieces.

The goal is to maximize storage space without adding bulk to the room. Depending on the layout, this can be a challenge. However, island and buffet-style vanities represent design possibilities that create opportunities for valuable storage space.

Custom cabinets and drawers can use the space from sink to floor for anything the homeowner needs to store in their bathroom. Even small freestanding pieces can be designed or chosen with maximum storage in mind.

Speak with your designer about the storage constraints in your space and how you can utilize the vanity for better coverage. Modern bathroom remodels should consider the full scope of the room’s functionality, including using the vanity for secondary functions such as storage.

Start Your Luxury Bathroom Remodel Today

Many homeowners have a vision for their bathroom vanity but lack the knowledge to execute their remodel accurately. An experienced and certified interior designer can help you choose the right size, style, and storage that makes sense for your situation. Additionally, many interior designers need experienced tradesmen and suppliers to work with them on executing their designs.

Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath can provide the design expertise to create the ideal vanity for your bathroom remodel. Contact our experienced team today to learn how we can supply the designs, materials, and skill to customize your bathroom remodel and achieve your vision.

When properly conceived and installed, walk-in showers can give a premium feel to any bathroom remodel. They can make cramped spaces feel more spacious by adding functionality and modernity to an antiquated space. Though they can work alongside a traditional soaking tub, space permitting, they can also replace it entirely.

For interior designers and homeowners, walk-in showers present an opportunity to add luxury and functionality. Yet, a walk-in shower can also become a burden without experienced installers and tradesmen capable of customizing the design to the specific bathroom space.

These design ideas will help you conceptualize a modernized bathroom remodel with a walk-in shower. However, certified bathroom designers and installers remain the best resource for refining your ideas and creating the right designs for your space.

Creative Layouts

Walk-in showers are a blank canvas for experienced bathroom designers; however, the room’s layout may create certain limitations. Trained designers can use those limits to make creative layouts that complement the space; even with irregular placements, it is possible to incorporate those elements to create a unified space.

Small vs Large Wet Rooms

Wet rooms’ open-concept design makes it easier to incorporate walk-in showers, even in small apartment-sized bathrooms. The designer may use a minimalistic layout in a larger space to take advantage of a large tub, skylight, and open floor space.

Bench Seating

Bench seating in walk-in showers can be a safety precaution and stylish utilization of wall space. Instead of relying on clunky add-ons, integrated bench seating that matches the texture of the adjoining wall can make a walk-in shower feel like a spa, even in a small bathroom.

Unified Tiling

Tiling that crosses between the two halves can create the illusion of a more spacious room. Wall or floor tiles can be coordinated in the walk-in shower to create a sleek, more integrated look. This is particularly useful in modernist or industrial-style architecture with stone and metal accents that can give the space a grander scale.

Unifying the tile patterns is not the only possible option. Many designers create distinct yet complementary designs that showcase the division between the floor and walls. This creates a unique look capable of making specific spaces stand out.

Half-Walls

Half-walls or “pony walls” give the walk-in shower partial privacy and can be integrated with bench seating. At the same time, they don’t cut off light from the shower area or make the room feel cramped by reducing visibility. Designers often integrate half walls with glass to keep the room from getting wet while providing visibility.

Bathtubs

While many homeowners and designers use walk-in showers to replace their bathtubs, they can be combined into one space to add functionality to the shower. Tubs can be placed next to natural light with a full view of the shower or even inside the wet room to create more cohesion.

Glass Walls

In addition to half-walls that incorporate both glass and tile, walk-in showers can be enclosed by full glass walls to create a more seamless look while protecting the room from splashes. Given its open layout, the transparency also creates a space that feels larger.

Double Showers

Double showers facing each other from opposite walls can make better use of a larger bathroom space. Glass walls, sliding doors, or half-wall partitions give designers the freedom to make the most of the space with a spacious, luxurious design.

Rain Showerheads

Rain shower heads mounted close to the ceiling, especially in compact shower spaces, give walk-in showers a minimalist, modern feel.

Lighting provides designers a versatile way to create an illusion of space in a cramped walk-in shower or enhance the luxury of a spacious one. Backlighting can also add functionality and mood, particularly in bathrooms without transparent natural lighting sources.

Schedule a Consultation with Maryland’s Top Bathroom Remodelers

A walk-in shower can add modern luxury to a bathroom, regardless of the size constraints. Experienced designers can work within limitations to create luxurious walk-in shower designs personalized to your vision for your bathroom, the natural light available, the best materials available for your specific space, and more.

At Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath, we provide high-quality designs through our ADA-certified designer (the only one in the area) and professional installers and material suppliers. Contact our team today to learn how we can use your space to create a one-of-a-kind fixture that exceeds your expectations.