Now that you know what style cabinets you want, what materials the manufacturer will use to make them, and how they will fit into your budget, you can go forward with extra details. These extra details are things like the finish on the exterior of your cabinets, specifications for drawers and doors, and the hardware you will use on the drawers and doors to make the vanity cabinet a functional part of your bathroom.
Regardless of whether you choose an RTA, stock, semi-custom, or custom bathroom vanity cabinet as part of your bathroom renovation project, it is important that the well-constructed cabinet have a sturdy drawer. The drawer should have a bottom that is at least 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch thick. A thicker drawer bottom has less of a chance of warping due to the heat and moisture found in a bathroom, especially one with a bath or a shower.
The drawer should pull out and push back in quietly and smoothly, not fitting too snugly or getting stuck, sagging down in the front when open, or wobble back and forth as they glide. Either of those issues could cause problems once someone takes a hot bath or shower and your bathroom fills with humidity. This will be truer if you chose a RTA bathroom vanity cabinet that is nothing more than particleboard stapled together and covered with cheap laminate.
The Proper Finishing Touch for a Vanity Cabinet
More than any other room in your home, the bathroom takes on a lot of wear and tear. Everyone in the family uses this room, and depending on their lifestyles and schedules, family members could use it around the clock. Therefore when you choose a new vanity cabinet when remodeling your bathroom, you need to make sure that the finish can withstand and hold up to this kind of treatment from constant and frequent use.
Although the choice of finishes increases with the price point of your budget, you will find that there are plenty of manufacturers who offer a wide range of finishes including distressed, stained, glazed, painted, and antiqued. These finishes are available across a broad expanse of laminates and woods that are sturdy enough to hold up to the wear and tear your bathroom receives. A word to the wise, avoid veneers. In a bathroom, over the years following your renovation veneers will peel up and expose the substrate.
How to Accessorize Your New Bathroom Vanity Cabinet
How you choose to accessorize your bathroom vanity cabinet will make or break the completed look of your bathroom. First is the style of door. Before choosing the door style, look at the rest of the room. Is there a pattern on the backsplash behind the sink or tile along the bathtub wall that you want to complement with the door style? Maybe you want a door with an interior design that complements the wainscoting on the wall.
Will you pick one with an interior panel that looks like a piece of antique furniture updated for the trendy look of your family’s newly renovated bathroom? You will find that panels inside the vanity cabinet door could be arched, rounded, squared, or slightly elevated with an interior frame. Maybe you will choose a door that is sleek and modern, that can last through many changes of décor styles and trends.
7 Basic Questions to Ask Before Making a Final Selection
Before you make your final selection, there are some basic questions you should ask. This will save time when talking to your contractor or the retail showroom attendant, because it is things they are likely to ask you during your consultation. These questions include, but are not limited to, the following:
- How big is the bathroom that you plan to renovate or remodel?
- What size is your current bathroom vanity cabinet?
- Do you want a bigger, smaller, or same sized replacement?
- What is your budget and the maximum you can spend on a cabinet?
- Have you selected a countertop for your bathroom vanity cabinet?
- What kind of sink do you plan to put in your bathroom vanity?
- How many people will be using the bathroom being remodeled?
Now you are ready to start planning your bathroom remodeling project of switching out or replacing the vanity cabinet. Do not hesitate to ask questions along the way, because the more you know about the project, the more at ease you will feel during the construction period, even if there are slight delays or hold ups that nobody expects to happen.
