Bathroom Vanities

Start with the practical requirements: the available width and depth, bathroom layout, plumbing position, storage needs and how much clearance you need around doors, drawers, toilets and shower screens. Then consider whether a wall-hung or freestanding vanity suits the room, followed by your preferred basin, vanity top, colour and finish.

For busy family bathrooms, storage and durability may be the priority, while a smaller ensuite or powder room may benefit from a compact or wall-hung design that keeps the room feeling open.

Measure the available wall width, but don't choose a vanity based on width alone. Also check the vanity depth, door and drawer clearance, shower screen or bathroom door movement, nearby toilets and the location of
your existing plumbing.

Common bathroom vanity widths in Australia include 600mm, 750mm, 900mm, 1200mm, 1500mm and 1800mm, although many other sizes are available. The best size is the one that provides enough storage and bench space without making the bathroom feel crowded.

A wall-hung vanity is fixed above the floor, creating visible floor space underneath. This can make a bathroom feel more open and also makes the floor underneath easier to clean. However, the wall needs to provide suitable structural support, and the plumbing position must be considered carefully.

A freestanding or floor-mounted vanity sits on the floor and can be a practical choice where maximum storage is important or where the existing plumbing configuration is better suited to a floor-mounted cabinet.

Neither option is automatically better — the right choice depends on your bathroom layout, wall construction, plumbing and preferred style.

Before ordering, check where the hot and cold water supplies and waste pipe enter the existing vanity. Pay particular attention to whether the waste comes through the wall or floor, its distance from the side walls and floor, and where it sits in relation to the new basin.

Modern drawer vanities can have specific plumbing cut-outs, so an existing pipe that is too far off-centre may interfere with drawers or internal shelves. We generally recommend customers only consider an all-drawers vanity configuration when they are doing a full bathroom renovation and have opened up the walls, as this allows plumbing to be repositioned properly. Otherwise, in partial renovations, the drawer cut-outs often cannot align with existing pipe locations, which can create installation limitations.

In most cases, vanities with all doors, or a mix of doors and drawers, require less adjustment, as they generally provide more clearance and better accommodate existing plumbing positions.

We recommend comparing your measurements with the product specification or technical drawing and discussing the rough-in position with your plumber before purchasing.

The main options include integrated, inset, undermount and above-counter basins.

An integrated basin vanity top provides a streamlined appearance with fewer joins to clean. An undermount basin sits beneath the benchtop and leaves a clean, uninterrupted surface. An inset basin is installed into the benchtop with part of the basin or rim visible, while an above-counter basin sits on top and creates a stronger design feature.

If choosing an above-counter basin, remember to consider the additional basin height and whether you need a tall basin mixer or wall-mounted tapware.

There is no single best vanity-top material — the right choice depends on your preferred appearance, basin style, maintenance expectations and budget.

Ceramic tops are popular for their easy-care surface and are commonly available with integrated basins. Stone tops offer a
more customised, premium appearance and can often be repaired if chipped or deeply scratched, making them a practical long-term option, especially when paired with above-counter basins. Solid-surface, porcelain, and sintered stone tops provide additional contemporary design choices, each with different textures, thicknesses, and performance characteristics. Based on our experience, we generally do not recommend matte-finish solid surface tops (unless they are genuine Corian or equivalent high-quality solid surface), as they can easily absorb stains and are often difficult to restore once stubborn marks set in.

Always check the care instructions and specifications for the individual vanity top you are considering.