A Custom Mid-Century Modern Vanity + Cabinet

Project: Retro Garden View

Photos: Kate Raines

When I was designing a new bathroom for my clients, none of the vanities we looked at felt right for the space. If you look at photos of the most beautiful bathrooms, most of their vanities fit the space perfectly because they’re custom. Fortunately, I can design custom furniture, so my client got exactly what they wanted.

There are a few key things that I prioritized per the clients’ needs while designing this vanity and complimenting wall cabinet.

A Shallow Depth

This bathroom redesign offered many challenges, one of which was the space between the vanity wall the side of the alcove tub, less than 4.5 feet. So I knew a vanity with a shallower depth would be appropriate. In my drawings, I accounted for the countertop overhang and I gave the client some more countertop space by specifying a wall-mounted faucet.

Drawers Without the Pipe Cutout

If you look at mass-produced vanities online, most of them have a dummy drawer at the top, swinging doors or a combination of both. This is because the plumbing from the sink needs somewhere to go. That being said, the top drawer is usually shallower than the bottom drawer, or has a cut out. Since I look at projects from a holistic standpoint, I kept the plumbing in mind and specifically designed the plumbing so that my clients would not sacrifice any storage and have two full drawers without a cutout. This detail had to be coordinated with the cabinet maker and contractor.

Wall Cabinet Outlet

The first thing I noticed when I did a survey of the old bathroom was that my clients had wires stretched across long spans to reach outlets. In a space with water that spells one thing for an interior designer—danger! Plus, let’s be honest, it looks messy. When I designed the wall cabinet I drafted a cutout at the back so that items like an electric razor or electric toothbrush could be charged inside the cabinet.

Aesthetic Details

I specified walnut wood without sapwood, overlay drawer fronts and rounded cutouts in place of any hardware. I also specified the direction of the wood grain on the vanity and wall cabinet.

The Execution

I have a running list of professionals—contractors, sub-contractors and craftspeople that I prefer to work with. However, who I reach out to is completely dependent on the type of project because everyone has their specialties. Once the design of this vanity and cabinet was finalized I knew exactly who to call—David Wing. David is one of those people that you present a design to and then he takes it up a notch. If you look closely at the vanity you’ll notice that the grain is uninterrupted and wraps around the drawer front to the side of the vanity. If you look at the wall cabinet, David lined up the knot on-center with handle cutout. These are the types of details that craftspeople and designers swoon over. The end result is absolutely beautiful and my clients are so happy.

Thinking one of your spaces needed a standout custom-piece that meets your needs? Schedule a free design strategy session.