Vanity unit: which one to choose?

When carrying out repairs in the bathroom, sooner or later the moment comes when the main facing work has already been completed and it is time to install plumbing fixtures and furniture. One of the essential components of the furnishings of any bathroom is a cabinet under the sink, which not only hides ugly pipes, but also serves as a functional place for storing household items, cleaning and laundry products. And then the logical question arises as to what kind of cabinet that combines convenience and a pleasant appearance is best to choose.

Most bathrooms in modern apartments are not characterized by an abundance of free space; few can afford to install extra lockers for storing hygiene items and cleaning supplies. That is why a vanity unit is an excellent option, allowing you to profitably save space and use the space that is inevitably formed under the washbasin.

The undoubted advantage of this furniture is the ability to hide plumbing communications, pipes for water drainage. Thus, the cabinet becomes not just a functional unit, but also a decorative element that gives the bathroom and toilet room its zest.

It is clear that such pedestals, due to their location, must be made of waterproof materials, otherwise the furniture will very quickly fall into disrepair, and the service life will be greatly reduced.

It is in the selection of material that there are some disadvantages of such furniture:

• for example, earthenware, although easy to clean, is rather fragile and can crack in case of impact or other mechanical impact;
• marble cabinets, despite their very attractive appearance, are roads, easily dirty, prone to the formation of various chips;
• polymer products, on the other hand, with not very careful handling, quickly become covered with scratches and lose their appearance.

In addition to the fact that such bedside tables hide pipes and are a place where cleaning products and household chemicals are stored, all kinds of personal hygiene products can also be placed here. Many cabinets involve storing both clean linen (for example, bath towels) and dirty linen, if there is no room in the room for a free-standing basket for used linen.

The bathroom bedside table must be chosen in accordance with the dimensions of the room itself: if the dimensions allow you to place an additional wardrobe or cabinets, then it makes sense to purchase a smaller and sleeker model, if not, then we are talking about larger and more spacious drawers.

It is worth briefly mentioning the three main types of washbasins (i.e. sinks and vanities together):

• This is a consolidated washbasin in which the vanity top is an integral part of the bathroom fixtures;
• Overhead washbasin - in it, the sink bowl is simply installed on top of the bedside table and fixed on it;
• Cut-in washbasin - a recess is made in the cabinet, corresponding to the parameters of the bowl, into which the sink is placed.

Consider the main types of pedestals.

• The most popular option chosen by most owners is the classic floor stand.It is very easy to install: literally it is enough to bring the cabinet into the bathroom, install and connect the sink to the water supply system - no additional fixtures or tweaks are required. In addition, such a pedestal can easily move from place to place.

Due to its simple design, this option is characterized by increased stability. Most of these pedestals are capable of withstanding very heavy marble sinks, as well as items and products for cleaning and hygiene lying in drawers without additional fasteners. Due to their undoubted popularity, such cabinets are distinguished by a great variety of design solutions and decorations: pieces of furniture of various colors and sizes are presented on the market. It will not be difficult to find an option from a suitable material with the internal configuration that is necessary for the owner and tenants.

• Corner pedestals are a more compact option. They are located in the corner of the room, taking advantage of the usually empty space, do not protrude forward and at the same time remain sufficiently roomy. Plus, they look very stylish.
• For more spacious rooms, you should not be afraid to use large two-door bedside tables. They will fit all the necessary household cleaning products, personal hygiene items, towels and other bathroom accessories. Moreover, if you choose a cabinet with a table top, then it may well serve as a dressing table. Plus: a double sink can be attached to such a cabinet.

• A bedside table with a laundry basket can be a good and convenient option in its own way. It all depends on the owner's preference: the cabinet itself turns out to be small, but the laundry basket turns out to be quite spacious and you can store in it not only dirty laundry intended for washing, but also clean towels, bathrobes, etc.
• There are also semicircular cabinets, many designers are trying to make furniture of an irregular and therefore more interesting geometric shape, but such options, as a rule, take up a lot of space and are quite expensive, because they are made according to individual orders. The table top in them is usually much larger in size than the sink.

• In addition, the so-called washstands can be separately illuminated. They are a set that combines a cabinet, a cabinet that is installed under the sink bowl and a mirror. Outwardly, such designs resemble a small chest of drawers. Sometimes there may even be a built-in laundry basket - open or hidden (pull-out or drop-down) in one of the cupboards.

In addition to the forms, one more striking sign of dividing the pedestals can be noted: by their installation.

• In a bathroom, the most preferable is undoubtedly the option of a bedside table with legs. Firstly, it greatly simplifies the cleaning process, and secondly, it provides items stored inside in boxes with protection from moisture and flooding in the event of an emergency. It is best if the legs of the bedside table are stylistically combined with the overall design of the bathroom and furniture fittings in general.
• However, the monolithic design, which is installed directly on the floor, has its own advantages. It turns out to be more stable (which is important when installing heavy sinks). If such a structure is installed on a heated floor, then this will significantly reduce the risk of deformation of the lower parts of the walls of the bedside table, since moisture, which can cause swelling of these walls, will quickly evaporate.

• Another installation option is a special stand under the curbstone.It turns out to be effective if it is made of special materials designed to withstand increased moisture, temperature drops and heavy weight.
• An unexpected solution can be the use of hanging pedestals. They look very modern, and sometimes even futuristic - it all depends on the design and overall design of the bathroom. They take up relatively little space and, moreover, due to the effect of "floating" in the air, visually expand a small space.

The rest of the advantages of hanging bedside tables include, undoubtedly, the complete safety of the contents when flooded. The large space between the furniture and the floor also allows natural and free air circulation. This leads to the ventilation of the cabinet, which means that it reduces the risk of condensation accumulation on the surface and the appearance of harmful bacteria and microorganisms. Plus, the space under the bedside table can be easily cleaned.

But hanging pedestals are not devoid of obvious drawbacks. This is the difficulty of attaching the curbstone to the wall (only a load-bearing, very strong wall is suitable for this). Especially when it comes to installing a heavy marble or stone sink. To install such a curbstone, you will need to call a master, otherwise, if the owner of the apartment has insufficient skills, a poorly fixed suspension structure may fall due to its own weight.

• Quite rare options are roller stands - roll-out or roll-out. Unlike analogs, they are much more mobile and functional. These cabinets can be equipped with doors or drawers. They are placed under the sink, sometimes, if space permits, they are placed next to the sink. As a rule, the console itself with the sink remains suspended, and the cabinet exists separately from it.

The size of the cabinet depends primarily on the size of the bathroom. The height of such pedestals is usually equal to the height of the sink above the floor. Its standard parameter corresponds to the average height of consumers and is 85 cm. But it will not be difficult to choose higher or lower options, depending on the requirements of the apartment owners.

The width varies, sometimes it can only be slightly larger than the size of the sink bowl. Sometimes, if there is enough free space in the bathroom, the cabinet can turn into a real table and take up most of the wall. For very small bathrooms, you can find mini-versions of curbstones: corner or very narrow and elongated structures are suitable.

The base unit with a square or rectangular washbasin is ideal for any classic bathroom. Double hinged doors are considered classics, however, for narrow small-sized rooms they may not be very convenient, but no one forbids purchasing a bedside table with one door.

An unusual option would be a round or semicircular pedestal - the first is suitable for spacious rooms, the second is more versatile. The Provence style bedside tables look like real works of art and give the bathroom a luxurious yet captivating, playful look.

For apartments made in the loft or modern style, you can find metal cabinets of non-standard shapes, they will make the room unique and stylistically consistent.

There is a great variety of materials from which bathroom cabinets are made today. The most popular are still cabinets made of wood or chipboard. However, it is important to remember that wooden products generally tend to deteriorate in conditions of high humidity and temperature changes, therefore, in order to extend the life of the product, it is very important that the boards from which the cabinet is made are covered with moisture-resistant compounds.

Chipboards are initially covered with a layer of laminating film or plastic on top, sometimes they are simply painted. In any case, even with a moisture-resistant coating in a bathroom with wooden furniture or wooden elements, it will be necessary to provide active ventilation. Naturally, cabinets made from chipboard are several times cheaper than products made from natural solid wood. Also, a good way to prevent the accumulation of excess moisture will be high-quality heating of the bathroom.

Speaking of water-repellent coating, it is also worth considering the different types separately.

• Laminating film is one of the highest quality materials, but in factories it is manually applied to the facade of the furniture. In addition, the laminating film can be mechanically damaged during transportation, and other defects can appear in the event of a sharp and unstable temperature regime in which the lamination process took place. All this means that it is impossible to exclude the possibility of defects in such products.
• The situation is different with painted surfaces: the painting process is carried out in factories automatically, the human factor here is reduced to almost zero, therefore, the probability of stumbling upon a defective product is lower. During the painting process, the product is covered with at least five layers.

• Plasterboard is also actively used in the manufacture of bathroom cabinets. Sometimes you can find glass and tile furniture. Of course, the glass used is impact-resistant, the most popular is matte.
• We should also pay attention to the fittings: if it is metal, then the metal must be protected from high humidity, the same applies to any forged elements.

Given the high demand, manufacturers and designers strive to please even the most fastidious owners. On the market, you can find many varieties of the most unexpected and, at first glance, inappropriate colors for the bathroom: black, red, brown, blue, green, etc.

• The most popular are delicate light shades: if not white, then beige or cream, gray, pale blue, light green, etc.

• Very often there are white cabinets in stores. They are the most versatile and easily fit into almost any interior. Dim and discreet, but very cute and soothing look. In addition, do not forget that white color is able to visually expand the room, which makes it very attractive when choosing furniture for small and narrow bathrooms. However, there is a dangerous extreme: if the bathroom itself is made in light colors, then white furniture will visually diminish the room.
• An interesting color scheme will be the choice of a black vanity unit. Decorating a bathroom in this color generally looks very stylish and unusual; black interior elements can contrast favorably with white fixtures. The combination of black and white can look minimalistic or, if the cabinetry is made in gilding, luxurious and rich.

There are several leading manufacturers of a wide variety of bathroom furniture on the market, which stand out among competitors in high quality and have positive reviews among consumers. Owners with a high level of income and increased requirements for the quality of furniture can take some European manufacturers for consideration.

• For example, a German-Austrian company Villeroy & Boch makes original cabinets of unusual shapes and colors in a wide variety of styles - from retro to hi-tech. At the same time, designers care not only about the appearance, but also about the functionality of their furniture. Its surface must be laminated and covered with moisture-resistant varnish or enamel. Each piece of furniture comes complete with all the necessary components and a set of fittings.The furniture of this company is distinguished by a long service life, but it is quite expensive, and, unfortunately, there is no extensive network of dealer stores in Russia.

• Noteworthy is the Spanish-Russian company Roca Group... The furniture of this company is made of high-quality moisture-resistant chipboard, which is very easy to clean and does not deteriorate under the influence of chemicals: no hand marks will remain on the lacquered surface of the furniture. The fittings of the products (brass or chrome-plated) are also of high quality: they do not darken, do not lose their original color and do not corrode. In addition, the bedside tables of this company have adjustable legs, which allows you to install furniture at the desired height for the owners, and this property will also be a useful and pleasant bonus for bathrooms with uneven floors.

The Roca Group produces three main brands of furniture - Roca, Laufen, Jika. All bedside tables are presented in a huge selection of stylish models, each of which has a number of functional and useful details. They are wear-resistant and durable. Many models are quite cheap and, most importantly, there is an extensive dealer network in Russia, with the help of which you can easily purchase the products of this company.

• Another company whose product range includes sink cabinets is Cersanit... The products of this company are also made of chipboard laminated or painted with moisture-resistant paint and are distinguished not only by their resistance to high humidity, but also by their smoothness. Thanks to this, greasy stains are practically not formed on the surface, and dirt is easily washed off with soap and water. The fittings of this furniture are not subject to corrosion, are made of aluminum or steel and are galvanized.

This company offers a fairly wide range of products: furniture has different dimensions, which facilitates the process of choosing a cabinet for rooms of different sizes. Prices vary, you can find both very cheap pieces of furniture and expensive ones. The service life and warranty are slightly less than that of the two companies listed above, but still quite long - at least two years. Of the minuses: some models will have to be processed (for example, shorten the length of the shelves) in order to place and freely connect plumbing communications.

Do not forget about Russian manufacturing companies.

• Firm Triton is known primarily as a manufacturer of various baths and showers, but since 2010, bathroom furniture has been added to their range. In production, laminated or enameled chipboard is mainly used. The body of such furniture is moisture resistant and easy to clean. The dimensions of the furniture (since the manufacturer focuses primarily on the domestic manufacturer) are mostly small, although it itself remains sufficiently roomy. The color line is mainly light, delicate tones - white, light green, blue, etc.

Pleasantly pleased with the variety of furniture models produced by this company: among them there are even pendant cabinets, which are almost never found in other domestic manufacturers. The warranty period of such furniture is three years, which is also pretty good. But there are also a few downsides. Firstly, at the joints, the chipboard sometimes swells, this is due to a manufacturing defect and an insufficient degree of varnishing. Secondly, in such pedestals, you will have to additionally cut holes in order to place plumbing communications in them.

• Moscow company "Aquaton" at the moment it is one of the largest manufacturers of bathroom furniture in the territory of not only Russia, but also the CIS. The range of furniture produced by this company is quite wide and is updated annually: designers strive to create, first of all, comfortable furniture, all products are presented in four main sizes.

The surfaces of the cabinets are, as it should be, covered with varnish, enamel or glaze and are easy to clean. All fittings are chrome-plated, they do not rust or corrode due to exposure to water.The warranty period is three or more years, the company's dealer network is very wide, in almost all large cities and regional centers you can find a service center where you can not only purchase new products, but also repair the already purchased ones.

Unfortunately, in comparison with the above-mentioned manufacturers, Aquaton furniture turns out to be less resistant to high humidity: chipboard can let water through and swell. In addition, some models are not universal and are not suitable for every bathroom: sometimes they can be simply uncomfortable.

To choose a vanity unit for a bathroom sink, there are a few key points to consider.

• First of all, it is best to decide what price of the pedestal will be optimal, and already starting from this, consider various brands of manufacturers in general and individual options in particular.
• It is equally important to determine the size of the place in which it is planned to put the bedside table in the future, this is especially important for small bathrooms with limited space, where even an extra centimeter can become decisive whether the furniture will fit in the space allotted for it or not.

• When the price category and dimensions are determined, you need to think about the material. It is worth remembering that glass cabinets will cost significantly more than other counterparts. In addition, as it was clearly shown above, you should not be afraid to buy a cabinet made of wood or chipboard, these materials are carefully treated with waterproof compounds, varnished or enameled. The only thing worth remembering when purchasing a wooden cabinet: if during the installation process it became necessary to cut or saw off the walls, then the cuts must be covered with a layer of varnish, which blocks the access of moisture to the tree.
• Also, when choosing a curbstone, you should pay attention to its internal filling. It is worth giving preference to a model with a large number of shelves and drawers - they definitely will not become superfluous, because both cleaning products and items for personal hygiene can be stored there.

If you have carpentry experience and your own ideas, it is quite possible to make a cabinet under the sink yourself. Sometimes making furniture with your own hands is not a whim of the owner, but a necessity, because by no means always the room of a bathroom fits into standard frames, and making furniture to order is quite an expensive pleasure.

The set of tools that will be required to make a bedside table is quite extensive:

• drill;
• screwdriver;
• hacksaw;

• jigsaw;
• chisel;
• hammer;

• a screwdriver;
• pliers;
• tape measure;
• machine for grinding.

In addition, at the final stages of work, you will need screws and accessories - hinges, handles for cabinets and drawers.

According to a drawing prepared in advance, the necessary parts are cut out for the box of the future bedside table. They must be carefully processed: the places of the cuts are cleaned with a grinding machine or sandpaper, all elements are thoroughly covered with moisture protection agents and primed. After that, the frame is assembled, on which the walls are attached using self-tapping screws and waterproof glue (in those places where the walls are connected to the frame, corners may be required). All seams must be sealed.

The table top is made depending on the further idea of ​​the master: either it will be an overhead sink, or a panel with a recess into which the sink will be placed. When the box is ready, it's time to tackle the inner contents of the bedside table: shelves, doors, fittings, legs or a flat bottom are installed.

After that, it remains only to install the curbstone in its proper place and, if there is such a need, fix it. Finally, communications are connected.If desired, the bedside table can be additionally decorated with paint, varnish, etc.

The bathroom can be decorated in different ways. Most people, choosing a vanity unit under the sink, prefer light tones and shades, and manufacturers are guided by the same: most of the products on the market are made in white, beige, turquoise, blue colors.

• A play on contrasts always looks interesting: a white bedside table will go well with black details in the rest of the bathroom interior. And vice versa: a black bedside table in combination with a black door, lamp and, for example, a rug will be in perfect harmony with white walls.
• In addition, a sliding black cabinet with gold-tone handles or, for example, a gold-colored faucet, will help create a sense of luxury in the bathroom. All this, of course, should be supplemented with appropriate wall tiles and fixtures. A round or oval cabinet, by the way, will fit well into an oriental interior.

• Corner pedestals provide a huge scope for the imagination of designers and owners who decided to independently arrange their own home. They can be triangular, often such models have a rounded edge. The pentagonal cabinet will look interesting: the main cabinet can be located in it, and on the sides, for example, built-in laundry baskets.
• Cabinets with laundry baskets are a very organic and functional option for almost any bathroom. The baskets can be hidden and located directly inside the box. Another equally attractive option is baskets, which are located on the outside of the cabinet.

• Glass cabinets are very effective, although they are rather fragile and expensive. In addition, the owners will be forced to keep the inner space of the curbstone in a constant order due to the transparency of the structure.
• The glass for the curbstone can be tinted or matte. Mirror and mosaic options, reminiscent of stained-glass windows, look interesting, the engraving on the glass looks very elegant and stylish. Such pedestals are usually used in the decoration of rooms in the modern or high-tech style.

• Wooden cabinets can also be decorated in a variety of ways. These are patterns that can be made both in the form of drawings and carvings on the doors, and inlay. Mosaic decoration is sometimes used, but the mosaic must be planted with waterproof glue that will not soften over time, otherwise the elements will begin to crumble.
• Backlighting is not only a decoration method, but also a functional element, especially for large furniture. Wood and plasterboard products will fit perfectly into bathrooms, whose owners strive to create a country or Provence-style room.

You will learn how to make a bathroom cabinet yourself in the next video.