How will your new vanity be installed?
Three Bathroom Vanity Installations: Free-Standing, Left- or Right-Wall Mounted, and Alcove
One of the first questions I ask myself when designing a custom bathroom vanity is, "How will it be installed?"
Will it be free-standing? Butt up to a wall? Sit between two walls?
There's no right or wrong answer, but there pitfalls to avoid with each of these installation methods.
Here's the scoop:
Free-Standing Bathroom Vanity Installation
Free-standing vanities have no walls on their right or left sides lending an open feeling to a bathroom.
Design pitfalls to avoid:
- Not giving the free-standing vanity breathing room. I recommend at least six inches of open space on the right and left. Any less, and you lose the light, airy feeling this kind of vanity is known for.
- Cutting into the clear space required for your toilet (usually 15" from the center of the toilet) or circulation space.
- Forgetting to stain or paint both sides of the cabinet to match the front.
Sides: The left and right sides are painted or stained to match cabinet face, doors and, drawer fronts.
Upgrades: Add architectural interest to the left and right sides with a decorative panel. The panel will look like a door but it won't open or close.
Right-Wall or Left-Wall Installation
The most common way to install a vanity is against a single wall - so right-wall or left-wall installation.
Design pitfalls to avoid:
- Not allowing space for a filler, or trim piece, between the vanity and wall. Your vanity will be perfectly straight, but your wall probably is not. A filler is trimmed on site to fill any gap between the wall and the vanity. The filler also provides a little extra space allowing doors and drawers to open easily.
- Cutting into the clear space required for your toilet (usually 15" from the center of the toilet) or circulation space.
- Forgetting to stain or paint both sides of the cabinet to match the front.
Sides: The visible side, left or right, is painted or stained to match the cabinet face, doors and, drawer fronts.
Upgrades: Add a decorative door to the visible side.
Alcove Installation
Finally, there's alcove installation. That's when there's a wall to right and one to the left of the vanity.
Design pitfalls to avoid:
- Like the right-wall and left wall installation, not allowing space for a filler, or trim piece, between the vanity and wall. You need one on both sides when installing a vanity in an alcove.
Sides: Since the sides of the cabinet are not visible, they are not stained or painted.
