Twenty Of The Best Affordable Bathroom Vanities

When more than a few people asked me about bathroom vanities when I did a Q&A on Instagram a few weeks ago, I knew there was more to say on the matter than I could do in a few story frames.

Just as I like non-kitcheny kitchens, I also like non-bathroomy bathrooms. By this I don’t mean that everything has to be hidden away, giving no clues as to the rooms use, but more that I like to think outside the box and not just go for the obvious bog-standard solution without exploring other options, and asking lots of questions first. Mostly, those questions should be, ‘do I actually like it’, ‘why’ and ‘how’.

These are questions that you should ask yourself all the time, when considering a new purchase, and when undertaking bigger projects, whether that’s a room or an entire house.

Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time), people choose things based on what they think they’re ‘supposed’ to choose, rather than because they like it. Don’t forget to ask yourself if you actually like it before going any further!

I think this is particularly relevant for bathroom vanities, because up until relatively recently, ‘affordable’ meant dull and down right ugly, and when there are no other options you kind of get conditioned to believe it’s ‘supposed’ to look a certain way, or ‘has’ to look that way. Wrong!

The bog-standard generic bathroom vanity has had its day. These days you can expect much more, and you don’t have to pay a fortune for it either.

Sometimes, asking the how and why questions (combined with MUCH googling!) leads you to the conclusion that you need to go bespoke, or perhaps it calls for a DIY.

I know that isn’t always a route that people want to or can go down, so today I’m focussing on ready to go options that are good looking and don’t cost an absolute fortune.

Whilst the terms ‘absolute fortune’ and ‘affordable’ are of course entirely subjective, and for that reason I often try to avoid them, for this blog post I’m calling ‘affordable’ up to £1500, however many options are considerably less.

There are definitely more options available now than there were even a year or two ago (and I would know, since I have been plotting my new bathroom for erm… a decade, and therefore I have a keen interest in these things!), but what is still lacking, is affordable, unpainted solid wood vanities.

I can only conclude that to use decent, solid wood is deemed too expensive to produce, or maybe there just simply isn’t enough demand yet for these styles for the market to be full of reasonably priced choices. I think this will change over the next few years as the trend for natural elements strengthens and remains.

However, there are actually some great products out there, more than I thought there would be when I first started researching this post.

I asked some of my favourite interior designers if they had any top tips to share on this subject, and this is what they said…

Oh, and do go and give them all a follow on Instagram - they all have fabulous taste, and beautiful, inspiring feeds.

Andrew Jonathan Griffiths of A New Day (@anewday_interiordesign):

'So many off-the-shelf options subscribe to the 'generic new-build' look of bathroom design, so I'd always get something made if you can. The world is then your oyster. If that's not an option, and you aren't a fan of an IKEA hack, tikamoon is definitely worth a look. They have some good value options like the Jill, and with a tin of paint and some great taps, some of them can be elevated into something special.’

Lucinda Faupel of Faupel & Daffern (@lucinda.faupel.and.daffern):

‘Bespoke doesn't have to mean thousands of pounds, so I would always explore that option if you have a good joiner you trust, particularly if you want a more traditional style. A good joiner will also be able to modify an old chest or drawers or ebay find for you. However, if your budget won't stretch to that, then I would recommend keeping it simple in terms of the style of vanity unit and pairing it with a showstopper sink, making that the focal point. Marble or Terrazzo are shorthand for luxe in a bathroom, so go for something like the Unik Stone Washbasin from Tikamoon, the Pietra Cararra Marble Basin from Lusso Stone, or for a pop of colour, this incredibly reasonable Arezzo Matt Green one from Victorian Plumbing for a more contemporary look.

Emma Merry of Emma Merry Styling (@emma.merry.styling):

We encourage clients to really work through the needs of each bathroom before we start to look at the vibes of the space, and first and foremost is always storage. Each bathroom space has different capabilities. For cloakrooms most guests will wash and go, and with space at a premium, there is no need for bulky deep units. Look for slim wall-mounted options to create a streamlined aesthetic. Family bathroom vanity units need to be robust, easy to clean, and have cavernous amounts of storage. The master ensuite is where we encourage the more delicate materials, like marble, vintage brass and real woods like walnut and oak. Paired with a tactile up-stand tile, the vanity unit will be the hero of the space.

Some brilliant advice from some brilliant designers , so take and consider what is relevant to your space and taste.

Pick and mix with deck top basins and vanities (three beautiful basin options included below), there are some great options out there, and I do highly recommend browsing through the linked sites if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for in my edit, as not only do they all have loads of other choices, but there are often different colours / finishes available too.

Next week I’m going to delve into the Ikea hack / DIY / Glow Up / Customising side of things to give you a few ideas, but for now, here’s a gorgeous selection of off the shelf options for those not DIY inclined or in a hurry!