Mirror, Mirror on the Bathroom Wall

When is vanity a positive thing?  When it refers to  that  essential piece of  furniture for the bathroom.

The good news is that the sky’s the limit when it comes to available vanity styles and product offerings.  If you can imagine the bathroom of your dreams, you can probably find it in the showroom.

And, that’s also the difficulty. Too many great choices. How do you identify the right fit for your personality and your lifestyle when design websites and showrooms present a dizzying array of possibilities. How do you narrow it down? 

It can be helpful to conduct a careful assessment of your household’s BPQ (Bathroom Personality Quotient) before taking the plunge.

The Look and Feel

Do you want a masculine or feminine feel to the room? 

Do you envision dark woods, light woods, or no wood at all?

Would you call your basic fashion style classic, traditional, fashion forward?

Would you describe your preferred “influence” as European, Asian, early or classic American, other?

What design style currently predominates in other rooms in your home?

What about materials? Consider glass, stone, ceramic even metal. And of course, you need to settle on a sink style – vessel, pedestal, apron.

Word Association

When you think of the perfect luxury bathroom, what words/phrases come to mind? Classic, functional, tranquil, high-tech, elegant, fun/energizing?  Come up with your own descriptors, the more on-target to your style, the better.

Practical Considerations

Ø  Size does matter. Any style will look “off” if the vanity and mirror are out of proportion with the room.

Ø  Who regularly uses the bathroom?  Is it shared by the household, mainly for guests, or one person’s domain?

Ø  How do you/other household members use the bathroom vanity?   Strictly splash and dash. Brush my teeth, fix my hair and go. Major grooming station.

Ø  What kind of storage is necessary? What kind of storage would be ideal?

Color Your World

And finally, consider the color accents you can use to enhance your luxury bathroom theme. You may want to paint a wall or simply add color statements with easily changed accessories such as towels, flowers, soap containers or rugs. That also allows you to refresh your look, as the mood dictates.