When designing a luxury vanity, the materials and finishes you opt for make a major difference in the overall look and feel of the space, as well as impacting functionality. For example, a vanity design with a frosted glass countertop evokes a completely different vibe than one with a wood countertop.
The first step in selecting luxury vanity materials is knowing and exploring your options. The second is making smart choices about materials and finishes that align with your overarching aesthetic and bathroom design goals.
Luxury Vanity Materials and Finishes
When designing a vanity, you can choose materials and finishes for countertops, cabinets, side panels, and even handles.
Cabinet Materials and Finishes
Cabinets, drawer fronts, open shelving, and side panels are available in a range of high-end materials, including:
- High-pressure laminate (HPL): Waterproof, stain-resistant, and suitable to withstand variations in temperature and humidity, this material is an excellent substitute for natural wood, concrete, or stone.
- Lacquer: A painted finish that creates a beautifully smooth and durable surface, lacquer is available in a robust palette of colors in matte or glossy finishes.
- Soft-touch cabinets: A silicon-based paint finish that has a matte finish with a deep, opaque, rich color, soft-touch delivers a velvety, luxurious feel. The matte finish is smooth to the touch and resistant to both fading and scratching.
- Brushed metal: Metal-look cabinets create a modern industrial vibe that is also extremely functional and won’t rust or warp. Lacquer-painted with a black base coat and metallic top coat, these cabinets are hand-sanded to reveal the darker hue below and create a brushed metal effect.
Countertop Materials and Finishes
Depending on the material you choose for your vanity cabinets and the look you’re going for as a whole, you can design the countertop with coordinating, complementary or contrasting materials, including the following options:
- Porcelain: A classic look that is both exceptionally durable and sleek, porcelain is available in a wide variety of patterns, textures, colors, and stone- and marble-look finishes for countertops and some cabinetry.
- High-pressure laminate: Choose from wood-look, stone, and concrete styles with texturing to match the look.
- Solid surface: A natural material made from pressurized sandstone, solid-surface countertops are a modern alternative to marble and granite. They are available in matte, textured, or gloss finish and a large selection of colors to enhance any luxury bathroom design.
- Glass: A timeless and extremely durable material that is resistant to temperature and humidity fluctuations, and stains. Glass countertops can be glossy, frosted, or textured in a wide range of colors.
- Fenix: This durable matte material is resistant to scratches and fingerprints and has a clean, opaque appearance. Available in a variety of colors, Fenix pairs well with soft-touch cabinets.
How to Choose Your Ideal Luxury Vanity Materials and Finishes
With such a wide spectrum, it can be challenging to decide which materials and finishes are the right fit for your luxury vanity. Use these tips to narrow your choices, and work with a design professional for great results.
1. Match your desired aesthetic.
Certain materials pair better with various aesthetics. For example, rustic luxe benefits from wood-look cabinets and countertops, while minimalism shines with white-on-white, and industrial gets gritty with bold metal frames.
2. Plan for practicality.
Bathrooms undergo a lot of wear and tear, so it’s important to consider durability and maintenance. Opt for high-end synthetic products that match the look of wood, stone, and marble but are more durable and easier to maintain.
Also, think about how you’ll use your bathroom in the future. Do you need to consider rougher textures for aging in place? If you plan to sell, is your luxury vanity design universally appealing? Every situation is unique, so customize your luxury vanity to meet your personal needs.
3. Experience the materials in person.
Visit the showroom to see how various materials feel before you make a final decision. Touch the velvety texture of Fenix, or experience the unique warmth of wood-look countertops. You can’t get a sense of how the light plays on some materials without seeing them in person.
Luxury Vanity Design with Hastings
Not only does Hastings offer leading-edge materials, but we also have the expertise to help you craft a custom design. Our modular design approach allows you to tailor every aspect from the concept, drawer style, and orientation to the materials and finishes of every element.
The more you can interact with various materials before you finalize the design, the more confident you will be that your luxury vanity is perfectly personalized. Visit the showroom to see all of our vanity materials in action.
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