Furniture & Vanity Units
Bathroom cabinets, floor-mounted and vanity units are essential for storing towels and toiletries but more than simply adding practicality and convenience, bathroom furniture can also enhance the feel of the entire room by creating a harmonised and styled look.
Start by measuring the space you have carefully and work out exactly where you want the furniture to go. Make sure you allow for the full opening of any drawers or doors and consider employing the services of a fitter or handyman if installing wall-mounted units. There are a wide range of both traditional and contemporary styles available, plus, furniture and vanity units are a great way to add a splash of colour to a predominantly white bathroom.
Vanity Unit
A Vanity Unit (also known as basin cabinet, bathroom sink cabinet or under sink cabinet), is an item of bathroom furniture that combines a basin with a cupboard underneath. It provides storage in a key part of the bathroom, often includes drawers or doors and is useful for hiding pipework! As well as being functional, a vanity unit can be very stylish from traditional to ultra-modern and works well in any bathroom.
Wall-Hung Unit
As with the freestanding vanity unit, wall-hung units come in a range of styles, finishes, colours and materials to work with the look and feel of your bathroom. They are mounted on the wall so there is no pedestal taking up floor space. This gives a feeling of space in a smaller bathroom, allows items such as bathroom scales to go underneath and has the bonus of being to able to clean fully under and around the basin and unit.
Freestanding Floor Or Wall Furniture
Freestanding furniture, whether on the floor or mounted to the wall, is essential for housing towels, cosmetics, toiletries and even cleaning materials. Wall mounted cabinets are particularly useful for bathrooms with limited floor space – consider the option of a mirrored cabinet which can be placed above the basin. When choosing bathroom furniture, it’s best to match the style of the furniture to the rest of the bathroom so that the look is consistent throughout. Double check all measurements making sure that any drawers or doors can be opened fully.
Combined Basin & Toilet Unit
These units combine a basin and storage cupboard with a back-to-wall toilet and hidden cistern. This unit is ideal for smaller bathrooms, en-suites and cloakrooms. The overall look is tidy and streamlined creating a feeling of space. These units come in a wide range of sizes and finishes and work well in both traditional as well as more contemporary bathrooms.
Fitted Bathroom Furniture
Increasingly popular in more contemporary bathrooms is fitted bathroom furniture. Not dissimilar to a fitted kitchen, fitted bathroom furniture is bespoke to your bathroom, provides the bathroom with a clean, uncluttered look and feel that has integrated bathroom counter tops, plenty of storage space and a cohesive matching look. Combine this with some simple shelving and your bathroom is complete.
Bathroom Furniture Materials
Melamine Or Particleboard
Bathroom furniture made of melamine or particleboard is popular as it is readily available and inexpensive. Made with wood particles pressed and laminated with different decors - white, anthracite, walnut, beech, pine etc., the melamine can be lacquered with modern paint - blue, green, aluminium etc. - and can be finished in metallic, satin or matt. Most of the bathroom furniture that comes ready-to-assemble is made of particleboard. It is very light, easy to clean but can warp around the edges if overly exposed to moisture.
Bathroom Furniture Materials
Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)
MDF is a heavy and stronger composite material than melamine. Consisting of wood fibre and a binder, MDF is subjected in its manufacture to high pressures and temperatures. Like melamine, the MDF is covered with a decor and mostly lacquered. MDF is more expensive to buy, is a better quality and comes in a wide range metallic, coloured and aluminium finishes and is better suited to more contemporary-styled furniture.
Bathroom Furniture Materials
Solid Wood
Solid wood furniture can be made from a number of different woods, but there is a dominant position with exotic woods for their intrinsic properties. Exotic woods are easy to maintain and highly recommended in moist environments because they are rot-proof. Most solid wood bathroom furniture is composed of teak, eucalyptus, mahogany or bamboo. However, it is advisable to apply the appropriate oil or vanish in order to protect and ensure longevity.
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