Bathroom Vanity Units

Bathroom Vanity Buying Guide

Three decisions shape every vanity: how wide it is, whether it hangs on the wall or stands on the floor, and where the basin sits. The range below covers about 400mm to 2100mm wide, from powder-room units to double-bowl vanities for master ensuites.

Start with the wall and the pipes

Measure wall to wall where the vanity will sit. Do it at floor level and again at bench height, and work with the smaller number. Then take off room for the door swing, the toilet and any shower screen beside it.

Depth gets measured from the finished wall to the front edge of the basin, not the cabinet face.

Then look at where the water comes in and the waste goes out. If the tap hole and waste on the new vanity line up with what's already in the wall or floor, the swap is simple. If they don't, you're paying to move pipework. We'd rather you choose a vanity that fits your plumbing than fall for one that doesn't. And if the walls are open for a renovation, pick the vanity before the plumber and waterproofer arrive, so the basin and waste end up where they need to be.

One cheap test before you order: mark the footprint on the floor with painter's tape, stand in it, and swing the door. Then mime pulling a drawer. If it clips the toilet, go narrower.

Sizes, and the rooms they suit

We stock vanities from about 400mm to 2100mm wide. In practice, most bathrooms land in one of four bands.

• Up to 600mm is for powder rooms, guest toilets and tight ensuites. You get a basin and a drawer without losing the floor. The 400mm to 600mm range and our small vanities are the place to look.
• 750mm to 900mm covers most small family bathrooms and ensuites. A 900mm vanity is the most common width for a main bathroom because it fits a full drawer stack and still leaves bench space beside the basin. See 750mm, 800mm and 900mm.
• 1000mm to 1200mm suits a main bathroom with one basin and plenty of bench. A 1200mm unit can squeeze in two basins, but whether it's comfortable depends on basin spacing and drawer layout, so check the product drawing. Start with the 1200mm collection.
• 1500mm and up is double-basin territory, for shared family bathrooms and master ensuites. The 1500mm, 1800mm and 2000mm to 2100mm ranges sit here.

When a size looks borderline on paper, go narrower. A vanity 100mm short of the wall looks deliberate. One jammed wall to wall looks like a mistake.

Typical dimensions

These are the figures most Australian ranges work to. Individual products vary, so check the drawing before you order.

Depth is where small bathrooms are won or lost. Standard units run about 460mm to 550mm, with 500mm the most common. Slimline units under 460mm suit narrow ensuites, usually with a smaller basin and less storage.

Height and clearance

Floor-standing vanities generally finish at 850mm to 900mm. Wall hung units are set at installation, usually between 800mm and 900mm, so you can choose the height that suits whoever uses it most. Where an accessible bathroom is required, the basin rim sits at 800mm to 830mm with knee space underneath and no pipework in the way. Those accessibility rules don't automatically apply to a private home, so check what applies to yours.

Leave about 700mm to 750mm clear in front of the vanity so you can stand and move comfortably. Livable housing guidance asks for a 1200mm by 900mm circulation space in accessible bathrooms, so test the layout against that if it applies. And check the space above and beside the vanity for the mirror, any shaving cabinet, and power points.

Wall hung or freestanding

A wall hung vanity leaves the floor visible underneath. In a small bathroom that makes the room read wider and deeper, which is why it suits modern, minimalist and Japandi schemes. There are no legs or kickboards to work around, so the mop goes straight through. The cost is the dead space under the cabinet, and the wall itself: it has to carry the cabinet, the top, the basin and everything inside. Timber noggins or other solid framing go in before the wall is lined and tiled, which makes this a decision for the start of a renovation, not the end. The waste also has to come out through the wall, so existing floor plumbing may need to move.

Most of our range is wall hung. Start with wall hung vanities.

A freestanding vanity stands on the floor, on legs or a plinth, and needs no wall reinforcement. It also covers floor plumbing, so for a cosmetic update with the walls already finished, it's usually the cheaper and quicker job. It suits traditional, Hamptons and transitional rooms, and gives you more storage. The drawbacks are real, though. In a very small bathroom it can feel heavy. A kickboard that isn't water resistant will soak up mop water, and decorative legs collect dust that's awkward to reach. Our floor-standing range is listed under freestanding vanities.

Our rule of thumb: if the walls are open and the room is small, go wall hung. If the walls are finished and the plumbing comes through the floor, go freestanding.

One basin or two

About 1500mm is the practical minimum for two basins side by side. At 1800mm each person gets more elbow room and a little bench between the bowls. A 1200mm vanity can work as a tight double, but only after you've checked basin centres, tap reach and drawer clearance against the drawing.

If the room can't take that width, one basin on a wide top beats two cramped bowls. Our double vanity collection shows what's available, and the blog post on the advantages of a double sink goes through the trade-offs.

Bowl position and tap holes

Across our ranges the same width often comes in three layouts. A centre bowl puts the basin in the middle of the top, with bench either side. An offset bowl moves it to one side and leaves a clear run of bench on the other, which is handy for a toothbrush, a soap dish or a hairdryer. A double bowl gives each person their own basin, and it starts at 1200mm in some ranges and 1500mm in most. If you're torn between a centre and an offset bowl, count what lives on the bench each morning and choose the layout that keeps that stuff off the basin rim.

Tap holes are easy to overlook. Many vanities let you choose none, one or three. No tap hole is for wall-mounted taps, and a single hole is for a bench-mounted mixer. Three holes is for a separate spout and handles. The choice has to match the tapware, so pick the taps first or at least confirm the hole count before you order. Our bathroom taps and mixers are listed by type, so you can check what the vanity needs.

Drawers, doors or both

Drawers are the most common layout in our range. You can see everything at once, and a drawer can be notched around the waste pipe, which a door can't. Doors alone leave a taller open cavity, which suits bulky things like spare toilet rolls and hair dryers. Some vanities combine the two.

Whichever layout you pick, look at what the plumbing takes away. A drawer cut around the waste holds less than its width suggests. In a wall hung unit, how the inside is organised matters more than the total volume. Full-extension runners and soft-close hardware earn their keep here, because a bathroom drawer is opened and shut dozens of times a day. And check that drawers and doors open fully without hitting the toilet, a shower screen or the bathroom door.

Basins and benchtops

An inset basin drops into a cut-out so the rim sits flush with the bench. An above-counter basin sits on top like a bowl, which shows off its shape and frees up cabinet space beneath. An undermount basin is fixed under the top, so you can wipe water off the bench straight into the bowl. Our post on above-counter, undermount and semi-recessed basins compares them properly, and the full basin range is separate. One practical point: wide-rim basins want a deeper vanity, so there's somewhere to put a toothbrush beside the bowl.

Tops come in three main families. Laminate is the budget option, available in plenty of colours, though it copes less well with heat and scratches. Engineered stone and similar solid surfaces don't absorb water, resist stains, and suit a busy family bathroom. Timber and veneer tops bring warmth but need a good seal against humidity. Some ranges let you order the cabinet with no top at all, or with a 12mm porcelain top in finishes such as pure white, Calacatta, Carrara or veined greys. Check what the top is made from, and whether the basin comes with it or separately.

What the cabinet is made of, and how it's finished

Look for a moisture-resistant carcass, usually marked MR or HMR board, over standard particleboard. Moisture gets in at the edges and the underside first, so check those are sealed. For a timber-look front, textured laminate copes with damp better than unsealed veneer.

Matte and satin fronts hide fingerprints better than gloss, which tends to show surface flaws over time. Very dark finishes need decent light, so think twice in a bathroom without a window. Our range covers white, black, woodgrain and grey, and many vanities come in more than one colour.

For natural timber, see solid timber vanities. For the easiest match with other finishes, white bathroom vanities are hard to fault. Either way, hold your tapware, handle and tile samples up to it before you commit. The vanity sets the colour for everything around it.

Shapes and styles

Three shapes come up more than any others. Fluted vanities have vertical grooves on the doors or drawer fronts, which add texture to an otherwise plain cabinet. Curved vanities round off the ends or front, which helps in a small room where a square corner gets in the way. Ensuite vanities are sized for the tighter footprint of an ensuite.

Beyond shape, our catalogue is tagged by design style. Coastal, Japandi, Traditional, Boho, Scandinavian and Mid Century Modern are the most common. If you're gathering ideas first, the blog post on bathroom vanity ideas and styles is a reasonable start.

What a vanity costs

Price follows size, top, basin count and how the unit is made far more than it follows style. A compact laminate vanity sits at the accessible end of our range, and a wide double with a stone top sits at the other. Four things move the number most: wall hung or freestanding, size and weight, one basin or two (a second basin adds plumbing), and the cabinet and top materials. Even at the same 900mm, a laminate top and an engineered stone top can land a long way apart. Compare like with like by filtering on size and finish first.

When you're replacing an old vanity, the installer's time can include taking out the old unit, reconnecting the plumbing, patching and repainting the wall behind it, and electrical changes for lighting or power. Many renovators set aside about 10 to 15 percent of the whole bathroom budget for the vanity as a starting point.

Standard sizes and made to order

Most of our vanities are made to order. That gives you room to choose a size, top or finish for the space instead of taking what's on the shelf. It also means lead times can run longer than for a stocked item, so build that into the renovation schedule and don't book the plumber and tiler until you know the vanity's arrival date. If no standard size works for an awkward wall or a particular tap hole position, look at custom vanities. For a custom or made-to-order unit, confirm the finished height including basin and benchtop before you order. Just over half of the range is Australian made.

Replacing and installing

You can usually swap a vanity without touching the rest of the bathroom. No retiling, and the shower and toilet stay where they are. The catch is that the new vanity's plumbing positions have to match the old ones, or the pipework has to be adjusted. Check the waste type and its centreline before you buy, because that's where replacements most often go wrong.

A licensed plumber should do the plumbing. Have them confirm the fit before you order, and again at install, when they'll check the tap and waste connections and that the work meets Australian standards, which also protects your warranty. If you're unsure whether the basin needs an overflow, our post on overflows in basins and vanities explains it.

For a wall hung vanity, have the installer locate the studs or confirm the blocking before the cabinet goes up. For a freestanding one, check the floor is level and allow for small adjustments at the base so the top sits flat. Seal where the top meets the wall or splashback with bathroom-grade silicone.

Taps, mirrors and the rest of the room

Match the tap finish to your handles and accessories. Finishes like brushed brass and brushed nickel sit well with most vanity colours.

The mirror and lighting positions depend on the vanity width and the power points, so plan them together. If you're tiling at the same time, tiles let you choose splashback and floor as a pair. And if you'd like a second opinion on the layout, The Blue Space's design team can help.

Looking after it

Wipe splashes and standing water from around the basin and tap, especially at the edges of a timber or veneer top. A soft cloth and a pH-neutral cleaner do the job. Bleach and abrasive pads dull and scratch surfaces. Once a month, look over the silicone around the basin and bench. If it's cracked or lifting, redo it, because that's how water gets into the cabinet. Our guide to cleaning and caring for a bathroom basin covers the basin itself.

More from our blog: common bathroom vanity sizes, choosing the right vanity and designing a powder room.

Shop by brand

If you already know the range you want, the brand vanity collections are Timberline, Otti, ADP, Marquis, Turner Hastings, Ingrain and BelBagno.