Made-to-Measure Vanity Unit: Storage, Height and Two Basins with Real Space

Why a made-to-measure vanity unit is more than a piece of furniture

The vanity unit is the most used spot in the bathroom. Every day begins and ends here. Yet it is often bought as a standard product, in one of the usual widths, at a height that fits nobody exactly, and with a base cabinet that hides more than it organises.

A made-to-measure vanity unit takes the opposite path. It starts with the question of who uses it, how and when. Only then do dimensions, basins and storage emerge. In the Viennese joinery tradition from which Richard Atelier comes, this is a matter of course: our joinery Tischlerkultur has been making furniture since 1935 that is built for a specific room and specific people. A vanity unit is an ideal example, because centimetres are felt here every day.

A good vanity unit goes unnoticed in the morning. You stand in front of it, find everything and have room.

The twice-daily tax. A vanity unit you fight with is a small irritation twice a day: the back that bends, the drawer that hides what you need, the queue for the one free basin. And a standard unit that does not fit the wall is awkward to fix once the tiles are up.

In an Altbau (a pre-1945 Viennese apartment building) there is a further reason. Walls are rarely straight, niches have crooked dimensions, and false walls do not sit where a standard unit fits. A made-to-measure vanity unit uses every centimetre and meets the wall cleanly. So what does it take to get it right? It starts with height.

The right height

The usual height for vanity units is about 85 centimetres, measured at the top edge of the basin. That height dates from a time when people were on average shorter. For many adults today, 90 to 95 centimetres is more comfortable, because you bend less when brushing teeth and washing your face.

A few details need attention in planning:

• Countertop basins stand on the top and add their own height to the overall height. The top must sit correspondingly lower.
• Different body heights can be resolved in a double vanity unit with two heights, for example through a step in the top. That is unusual but very pleasant where the difference is large.
• Children can work with a pull-out step in the plinth, drawn out when needed and otherwise invisible.
• Accessibility calls for a wheelchair-accessible arrangement with knee space and a lower height. How to resolve this in design terms is described in the article on the accessible bathroom with a design ambition.

In our example, the father is almost two metres tall and the mother 1.65 metres. The new vanity unit has a height of 92 centimetres, a compromise both can live with comfortably. The children will soon be as tall as their parents anyway. Height is settled. Now for the width that makes two basins real.

Width, depth and two basins

Two basins are only a gain if two people can actually stand at them at the same time. With many standard units that is not the case.

Depth is often underestimated. A deep vanity unit offers plenty of shelf and storage space, but the tap moves further away. At 55 centimetres deep, the spout must be long enough to reach the centre of the basin. In small bathrooms a shallow vanity unit of around 40 centimetres can be the better choice, as described in the article Making a small bathroom feel large.

In our example, the vanity unit is widened from 120 to 170 centimetres. In return, the shower moves by 20 centimetres, and a seldom used corner is dissolved. The basin centres are now 85 centimetres apart, with room between them for a real shelf. Basin and tap decide how it feels in use.

Basin and tap: how they fit together

Types of basin

• Undermount basins sit beneath the top. The surface stays continuous, and water can be wiped straight into the basin. Very easy to care for.
• Countertop basins stand on the top and are a design statement. They need a little more care around the rim.
• Integrated basins are made of the same material as the top, for example Cosentino Dekton or solid surface. They look as if made from one piece and are jointless.
• Inset basins rest on the top with a rim. They are the simplest solution, but seldom the calmest in design terms.

For ceramic basins we often choose very thin-walled, precise models that look especially light on a vanity unit in wood or stone. More on this in the article on the art of the thin wall.

The tap

A deck-mounted tap sits on the top or at the rim of the basin. A wall-mounted tap comes out of the wall and leaves the top free. That is easier to clean and very calm in design terms, but requires early planning, because the concealed bodies must be set before tiling. The projection of the spout must match the depth of the basin exactly.

Which finishes are durable for taps is described in the article on choosing taps and mixers. Below the basin, though, the real gain waits: the storage.

Storage that really works

The greatest advantage of a made-to-measure vanity unit lies in the storage. These principles have proved their worth:

1. Drawers instead of doors: A drawer shows the whole contents from above. Nothing disappears into the back corner.
2. Working around the trap: A space-saving trap running close to the wall and a U-shaped cut-out in the upper drawer make almost the whole depth usable.
3. Two levels: A shallow upper drawer for small items such as toothbrushes, razors and make-up, a deep lower one for hairdryer, bottles and supplies.
4. Interior dividers: Wooden inserts keep small items in their place. They are planned to suit the contents.
5. Socket in the furniture: A socket in a drawer or compartment allows hairdryer or electric toothbrush to be stored plugged in. We agree position and execution with the electrician, because special protection rules apply in the bathroom.
6. Complementary tall cabinet or mirror cabinet: What does not fit at the vanity unit goes into a slim tall cabinet or a mirror cabinet recessed into the wall.

In our example, each person has their own upper drawer. On the lower level, hairdryer and straighteners sit in a compartment with a socket, and supplies in a drawer of their own. The shelf between the basins is empty, apart from a small dish of soap. Imagine the morning: you open your drawer and everything lies where your hand expects it.

Order in the bathroom is not discipline. It is a question of drawers built exactly for their contents.

If you want to transfer the principle to the whole home, the article on the storage concept for the whole home has further ideas. We also show our work on built-in furniture on the page built-in wardrobes. Storage is only as good as the material that carries it, so what lasts in a wet room?

Material and workmanship: what lasts in the bathroom

A vanity unit is in contact with water every day. That calls for materials and workmanship that can cope with moisture.

Carcass and fronts

For carcass and fronts we use moisture-resistant core boards that are veneered and given a waterproof finish. Veneer in oak, walnut or ash brings warmth to the bathroom. All edges are carefully sealed, because an open edge is where moisture gets in. Why veneer is often the better choice here than solid wood is explained in the article Veneer or solid wood?.

The top

The vanity top is the most heavily used surface. Proven materials are:

• Cosentino Dekton: very resistant to scratches, stains and chemicals, also possible with an integrated basin.
• Natural stone: warm and lively, but depending on the stone sensitive to acid. More on this in the article on natural stone in the bathroom.
• Ceramic: thin slabs in many looks, robust and easy to care for.
• Wood: possible if carefully treated and if you accept a certain patina.

The light

A vanity unit is only as good as the light above it. A mirror with side lighting and possibly a light strip beneath the floating unit are part of the plan. More on this in the article on bathroom lighting at the mirror. And how does a piece like this come to be?

From survey to installation

A made-to-measure vanity unit comes about in several steps:

1. Conversation: We clarify who uses the vanity unit, what is kept there and what habits there are.
2. Design: Dimensions, basins, tap, storage and material are brought together in a design.
3. Coordination with the plumber: The position of connections, trap and false wall is matched to the furniture.
4. Survey on site: After tiling, exact measurements are taken so that the piece fits to the millimetre.
5. Production: Carcass, fronts and top are made in the workshop.
6. Installation: The vanity unit is fixed to the false wall, connected and adjusted.

Because one person at Richard Atelier looks after planning and execution alike, the usual coordination between designer, joiner and plumber across three firms falls away. The cost of a made-to-measure vanity unit depends on size, material and specification and is usually part of the overall bathroom renovation. More on this on the pages bathrooms and bathroom renovation.