[kmcg]

I've got this kind of master bedroom/bath combo, and have been busy dividing the room with tall pantries in the Hallarum door style. Of course, this leaves me wondering if I should bite the bullet and replace the vanity, which sits about 15' from the cabinets. Opinions? The space is 55" wide, so my tenative idea is a 24" sink base flanked by two 15" base pullouts or drawer units. To go with the faux-shoji look, I could use the cream colored numerar cabinet. Or I could do a custom laminate, or (for the same price as custom laminate) a Baltic Brown granite.

I think I have to keep the faucet brass, because the mammoth jacuzzi tub a few feet awayhas brass faucet, and I'm just not prepared to change all that. I'm considering the Hollviken sink as a drop-in. But to complicate things, the tub is off-white, so I may have to go the more expensive route and get an off-white sink.

So I need suggestions! Leave it alone and save time and money, maybe re-staining the cabinets? Go for Hallarum cabinets? Be frugal and get a white sink that doesn't match the tub? (I assume that's a big faux pas) Granite or laminate counter? Color of counter?

Pix are below. The wall shelves are Ikea's Molger, which I stained to match Hallarum. The other wall has the Molger towel rack.

Thanks in advance!

Kathy

[DesignDiva]

LOL When I read this title I thought you meant vanity as in Vanity Fair type!

I think it's the doorstyle rather than the vanity itself. If you replace the doors and the countertop it will be a huge difference.

How about a glass sink? Maybe frosted glass to go with the shoji look?

Frame out the mirror too.

[jgsearls]

I like Eva's suggestions. I also think you could switch out the faucet and get something that incorporates the brass from the mongo jacuzzi tub but is mostly a more up to date finish.

[kmcg]

Thanks you guys! (Re the funny caption - I had to get your attention, right?) Isn't is awful how working on one part of a room makes the other parts look old and tired?

I really like your ideas. I thought about trying to add Hallarum doors to the existing vanity, but these are face frame cabinets so I can't really see how to cover the whole front without a lot of jerry-rigging. Plus the cabinet is disfunctional - 1 15" drawer and the rest is just a big cavern. Would love some organization! A vessel sink would be beautiful. As always, I'm starting off trying to keep this low key and inexpensive, but I'm loving the idea of a smooth countertop and lovely new sink/faucet.

Kathy

[climber_grrl]

I say if you have the funds rip out the vanity and go w/the Hallarum ones you described.I know that if I had everything else new that I'd constantly be looking at the one thing that wasn't.

I love the idea of a frosted glass to go w/the Shoji look. If you aren't into vessels, going with a sink color that would match the tub is probably a good idea considering it's one big room. You might be able to find something that's just perfect on eBay or Craigslist. Maybe even at theHabitat for Humanity ReStore. A vessel would be my first choice, though.

You'll probably cringe at this suggestion, but you might want to get rid of the oversized mirror. Framing it out as Eva suggested would be great, but as we all (well, at least me ) suggested for your tub area removing it and putting in a smaller mirror just over the sink might help update the look and eliminate a lot of reflection for parts of the room you just don't want to see from all angles.

Of course I just ripped apart my entire house, reconfigured walls, staircases, bedrooms, etc. so I'm just a "start over" kind of gal.

[GardenOfDarwin]

It's not YOUR vanity that I'm worried about...it's the previous owner's!! Geez Louise! Enough mirrors in the room? Any in any other telling locations? Is there a big round bed that rotates?

I agree that the old vanity should probably go. What is it they say? Rip it off like an old bandaid and move on. A nice floating Hallarum vanity with a frosted glass bowl...a great mirror and definitely a new faucet in keeping with your new asian inspired theme.

What color is the room?

Susan

[kmcg]

Okay, I've obviously lived here too long, because I never realized that mirror was annoying! Isn't that how it's done anymore? I thought mid-century modern meant a huge mirror over the vanity!That's how I grew up...

I wish you all could meet the PO. She was a very bleached, very tan 40-something single mother trying to be a hot young thing. The house was a FSBO that sat overpriced for a long time. Like a stalker, I waited her out til she accepted what I considered a reasonable price. I'm sure her valuation of all the glam elements didn't match up with potential buyers'!

Anyhow, can someone tell me my a floating vanity is better than a regular one? I haven't seen many, and I fear losing all that lovely storage space. Does anyone have pictures of one made of fridge cabinets?

The vessel sink seems to be winning here. I do like them, but I'm a little worried because the rest of the house isn't super modern in decorating style. My style is probably less Dwell and more Pottery Barn, antiques + folk art. Would it be too strange to push this room even more modern than the shoji screens do?

What about the counter. Baltic Brown granite for $250? (is granite out?) Numerar cream effect for$60? (would that look cheap?) Something else?

Thanks everyone - you're so good to help me with this!

Kathy

[DulcineaK]

kath,
i don't think floating vanities are out at all, however only if you have enough storage otherwise. i have such a lack of storage that all my bathroom vanities are getting my little "drawer at the bottom" modification.

imo granite will never be out. jmho. and vessel sinks increase your cleaning. i don't know that i'd do it in a master, maybe a powder. i tend to think they might look dated eventually, but what doesn't?

~Dulci

[chabuchie]

I think that with vessel sinks, you can go as modern or traditional as you like. I haven't found mine to involve any more cleaning than a traditional sink, but I used a porcelain vessel, not a glass one. I think the porcelaine sinks are also less likely to look dated in a few years, as they look more like what vessel sinks are supposed to look like - the simple bowls that served as sinks before indoor plumbing. If you keep it that simple, I don't think it will look like you have this ultra-modern bathroom in your Pottery Barn home (as a side note, I think there might be one or two vessel sinks in the new Pottery Barn catalog - or am I crazy?)

Oh, and I do not recommend refacing your old cabinets with Ikea doors. The new cabinet box is such a small part of the expense that you won't save that much money, and you'll just wish that you had all new drawer glides. At least that's how I feel about my kitchen.

[climber_grrl]

With regard to the floating idea.

I noticed you have carpeting. If you make your vanities float you'll have to figure out what to do w/the carpet that's missing underneath. That could be an issue if you weren't planning on redoing the flooring.

You probably all think I'm just imagining my new bathroom 'cause I keep saying I'll be using the over the fridge cabs as my floating vanities, but I just never seem to be able to produce any proof. I promise that's what I'm going to do, but I'm also going to have a shallow pantry cab at the end of the countertop so that all the real bathroom stuff that isn't going to fit in the 15" cab w/an undermounted sink will have somewhere to be stashed. If you don't have space for any more storage and you are concerned about not having enough, floating might not be the way to go. Just use the standard base cabs and enjoy the extra height and depth you'll get compared to a "regular" bath vanity.