Home Bathroom Design 28 Bathroom Vanity Ideas To Elevate Your Storage Space From color to hardware to cabinets, get inspired by these bathroom vanity ideas. By Abby Fribush Abby Fribush Abby Fribush is the Editorial Fellow at Southern Living and joined the team in 2023. She is a writer and editor with almost 5 years of experience in lifestyle content for local and international magazines. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 11, 2024 Close Photo: Dane Tashima; Styling by Raina Kattelson In almost any bathroom, the vanity serves as a focal point as soon as you walk in. A piece of furniture where you groom yourself, like brushing hair or washing your face, the vanity is an important functional element of any bathroom. It is where your personal toiletries, like makeup, skincare, and soaps, are stored, and it serves as a pedestal or base for your sink. And although beautiful tiled showers often get the spotlight (and most of your funds) during a remodel, the vanity is often what spearheads the style and aesthetic of the entire space. From bold paint and hardware to unique cabinetry and countertops, your bathroom vanity can speak to and illustrate your personal style. Are you an old soul? Find a vintage piece. Love earthy vibes? A stone sink basin is perfect. Check out these bathroom vanity ideas, from the primary suite to smaller guest spaces and powder rooms, to inspire your bathroom design. 01 of 28 Accent Your Vanity With Sweet Scallops LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE It's no secret that Southerners love the scalloped look. This stunning yellow vanity from the 2022 Southern Living Idea House incorporates a charming scallop design for a lovely vintage feel. Adding to the charm are the stripped tile backsplash, which also serves as wainscoting, and the colorful wallpaper. 02 of 28 Match With The Mirror Annie Schlechter Bathroom vanities and the mirrors above them go hand-in-hand. In this bathroom, designer Fran Keenan made sure to match the colors of the mirror and vanity to create a professional look in the space. Small accents, like the art and a potted plant, complement the color scheme. 03 of 28 Install One Wide Sink Brie Williams; Styling: Kendra Surface For a more unique take on a double-sink vanity, go for one long sink instead of two smaller ones to give your bathroom a true farmhouse feel. The industrial-looking brass faucets, wood tones, and flower vase give the space a rustic charm. And the shiplap finishes the look. 04 of 28 Go For Green Elegance Spacecrafting; Design: Bria Hammel If you're looking for a moody aesthetic for your bathroom, a dark green is a great option for a vanity color. The richness of the shade matches well with black and gold features to make for a cohesive, bold room. This look works great for jewel box powder bath, where a little bit of drama goes a long way. 05 of 28 Embrace 'Pretty In Pink' Brie Williams; Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene Some designers have declared that pink is the new neutral. We at Southern Living couldn't agree more. This bathroom vanity uses a darling shade of light pink to make for a bright, feminine space perfect for any girly girl. 06 of 28 Choose A Dark Wood Stain Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins A dark wood stain adds an element of sophistication to furniture. Plus, the dark wood hides stains and scuffs. This bathroom vanity from the 2021 Southern Living Idea House uses a dark cocoa brown color on the wood cabinetry to get that refined effect. 07 of 28 Hand-Paint Some Florals LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE Don't be afraid to experiment with motif designs on your vanities. These seafoam green vanities by Oomph in the main bathroom of the 2022 Southern Living Idea House were hand-painted by Madison Mauck of Mauck Made Art. The result is a bold, artful statement that's not too heavy-bearing. 08 of 28 Welcome Wicker LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE For a charming, breezy look, choose a wicker vanity. In the 2022 Southern Living Idea House on the coast of North Carolina, designer Charlotte Harris Lucas updated a retrofitted vintage wicker vanity with a coat of paint to make a sweet statement in the guest bathroom. Paired with flower-shaped sconces, blue-stripped tile, and a seashell mirror, this is the beachy bathroom of our dreams. 09 of 28 Add A Decorative Frame Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins For a smaller vanity, adding a decorative frame around the countertop is a great, cost-effective way to create a unique visual element to the space. The color, too, adds more interest to the room. Plus, the frame catches any splashes from the sink. 10 of 28 Paint It Bold Teal JAMES RANSOM; STYLING: Veronica Olson Bathrooms are the perfect place in your home to go bold with color, and this bathroom with a gorgeous, rich teal vanity, which matches the wainscoting on the wall, takes that to heart. Don't be afraid to mix in textures and patterns, too. The contrasting wallpaper and sconce lampshades here elevate the look and give the space a collected feel. 11 of 28 Remember Towel Storage Annie Schlechter; Styling: Page Mullins Storage is key to having a clean bathroom. This vanity features slots meant for bath towels that displays them in a neat, organized fashion. You'll never be stuck in the bathtub without a towel in this space. 12 of 28 Opt For An Agreeable Light Gray Color Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason It's hard to go wrong with a light gray color in the bathroom. The color is both elegant and nondescript, allowing other features of the room to take centerstage. For example, this bathroom uses a beautiful, understated gray shade for a calming vanity that emphasizes the view from the windows. 13 of 28 Choose Dark Navy Blue For Something Bolder Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kathryn Lott Blues are a color that has yet to go out of style. Navy blue, especially, appeals to all ages, styles, and genders. This bathroom vanity uses a dark navy for a sophisticated, refined look in the space. 14 of 28 Double The Vanity For Symmetry Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kathryn Lott With a double vanity, picking the right cabinetry is important. It's what makes the bathroom look put together. This vanity uses a mirroring technique on the cabinets so there is perfect symmetry as well as added space. 15 of 28 Skirt The Sink Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox For a classic, vintage farmhouse feel, use a long curtain under your sink. This will cover up any storage in the vanity. It also gives the room a playful, feminine feel. Plus, you can easily change out the curtain whenever you want a new look in the space. 16 of 28 Try Long Cabinet Fronts Dane Tashima; Styling by Raina Kattelson Wood is a safe option for almost any bathroom vanity. And using a piece of furniture for a vanity ups the space's sophistication and custom look. This vanity from Suzie Williams' Houston home is a stunning distressed wood with long cabinet fronts for a classic, homey look. 17 of 28 Add Accents To The Wood Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Wood vanities don't have to be perfectly smooth. This wood bathroom vanity from the 2018 Southern Living Idea House has unique accents carved into the drawers for an interesting and understated visual element in the space. For a cheaper version, you can buy trim from the hardware store and stain it to match the wood. 18 of 28 Choose A Cool Wood Pattern Hector Manuel Sanchez Patterns don't have to be saved for your walls and towels. In fact, leaving those neutral and allowing your vanity to be the star is a great way to ensure your bathroom always looks its best. After all, towels get replaced more often than your vanity. This bathroom vanity uses a herringbone pattern on the cabinets to make a subtle yet eye-catching look in the space. 19 of 28 Pick Small (But Many) Cabinets Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins With multiple people sharing a bathroom, personal space is imperative for a workable space. In this guest bathroom from the 2021 Southern Living Idea House, the vanity has six small drawers instead of fewer, larger ones. This lets everyone have a drawer for their own personal uses. 20 of 28 Pick A Pleasant Sky Blue Color Tria Giovan, Stylist: Elizabeth Beeler Sky blue is one of the most popular paint colors in homes around the world, and for good reason. It's a perfect way to incorporate color into your home while still maintaining a natural, agreeable look. This bathroom vanity uses a lovely light blue shade to add a soft color to the neutral palette. 21 of 28 Source Retro Cabinetry Alison Gootee; Courtesy of Nomita Joshi Interior Design Wood isn't the only material you can use for your vanity. Look for antique or vintage furniture pieces to add some age and patina to your bathroom. This bathroom vanity uses a retro-inspired material to make a groovy statement in the bright space. 22 of 28 Install Statement Hardware Dustin Peck; Courtesy of Miretta Interiors Hardware is an easy, cost-effective way to change up your bathroom vanity to make it more unique. On this vanity, ring pulls were used instead of typical handles for an interesting, bold look. That bold look from the hardware is perfectly juxtaposed with the more traditional toile wallpaper. 23 of 28 Go Bold With Neons Laurey W.Glenn Embrace the opportunity to get extra creative in your bathroom by incorporating bold colors throughout the space. Take this neon yellow bathroom vanity. The bright vanity certainly makes a statement, but the coordinating mirror frame, wallpaper, trim, and even the vase of flowers pull it together in a finished look. 24 of 28 Expose The Pipes HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ; STYLING BY: HOLLY SMITH If you're lacking in space, then don't overpower your small bathroom with a large vanity. Instead, opt to expose your sink's pipework. Doing so gives the space a vintage, industrial look that always feels fresh, like in this Chattanooga powder room. 25 of 28 Choose A Stone Raised Sink Robbie Caponetto; Styling: Kendra Surface Whoever said your sink had to be inset in your vanity? Raise the sink up, and choose a beautiful stone basin, like of marble or of quartz. This gives your bathroom a modern, organic refresh while maintaining some traditional elements. 26 of 28 Float The Vanity For A Modern Style Tria Giovan For a cool, modern look, choose a vanity without legs and install it directly into the wall. The space below can be used for extra storage or you can install underneath lighting for those middle-of-the-night bathroom visits when the overhead light is just too dang bright. Bonus: It's easier to clean. 27 of 28 Pick A Beautiful Countertop Kelley Kish; Courtesy of Peter Spaulding Any boring cabinet can be immediately elevated by a beautiful counter. Go to your local stone yard to source a new topper. Or, if that's out of the budget, try cultured marble. 28 of 28 Don't Forget About The Backsplash Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Just like the kitchen, a backsplash is essential to protect your walls from water, spit-up, toothpaste, or other spills. You can use this to add some more visual interest to your bathroom, while also providing function. Also, the backsplash can help pull the eye up the wall. Frequently Asked Questions Is it cheaper to buy or build a vanity? In general, it is cheaper to buy a pre-fabricated vanity than to build one from scratch. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot customize your vanity. Give it a personalized touch with a new paint job or hardware. You can also save money of with a pre-fab vanity cabinet and then splurge with a custom countertop in an interesting material, like marble or butcher block. What can I use instead of a bathroom vanity? If you really don't want to use a prefab vanity, don't! Vanities can be anything you want them to be. You can thrift an old hutch, desk, side table, or cabinet for your vanity, and just drill in holes for the sink's pipes. You can also source an antique vanity table, with a mirror already attached, that's generally meant for a bedroom and place it in the bathroom. What is the most timeless bathroom vanity color? While many opt for neutral vanity colors, like whites, grays, blacks, or earthy greens, if this list tells you anything, it should be that the world is your oyster when it comes to colors. Let your vanity—and your whole bathroom, for that matter—show off your personality in whatever color you prefer. It can accent your walls or floor tile, or match them if you’re aiming for a dramatic, color-drenched jewel-box look. However, you should opt away from high-gloss finishes, which could look too shiny in such a small space. 31 Beautiful And Tranquil Beach House Bathrooms Inspired By The Coast Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit