BATHROOM VANITY CABINET

Information current as of

The bathroom vanity is really a two part deal. The base cabinet and the sink. In another section we discuss the vanity sink in more detail, now let's get into the cabinet discussion. Your three basic choices include:

stock vanities - These are the cheapest, easiest and fastest to obtain. You choose from a standard selection available at your local home improvement store. Usually a wide variety of colors and styles are there for your selection. You have the best options for a discount vanity with stock pieces.

made to order vanity - These are often called "factory custom cabinets" and come in more styles, sizes and colors than standard stock. They still need to be made for you at the factory, but they are well built and cheaper than truly custom vanity cabinets.

custom built vanities - This option requires a woodworking expert to measure your room and built you the perfect fit vanity just for your needs. Its much more labor intensive but you will get exactly what you want without making exceptions. This is the best option for the rich and picky types.

If you already have a bathroom vanity cabinet you can upgrade it to seem new by doing some simple refurbishing. If you're looking for quick upgrades in order to sell your home these are also good tips.

1. Replace the doors and drawer fronts with new pieces that are color matched to the base.
2. Upgrade your hardware (knobs and drawer pulls) with new pieces for a dramatic new look.
3. Repaint the vanity entirely to match your new wall decor (and hide wood blemishes)
4. Replace the countertop if the color is off or there is visible damage.
5. Get a new vanity sink if the color isn't right or it is leaking

Bathroom vanity cabinets are available in two main styles:

1. Framed vanities - having visible hinges and reveals which is a typical american look. This is very popular.
2. Frameless vanities - these have continuous surface and are more sleek in appearance. The hinges are hidden. This is the more modern look.

There are many cabinet materials that are used; plywood, particle board and fiberboard (MDF) are the most common. Why not solid woods? They don't handle the moist environment of bathrooms very well, they tend to swell and shrink with the humidity changes. In order to prevent shifting in your cabinets these more dense options are used more often.