Do You Need a Custom Vanity?

What kind of vanity unit should you buy for your remodel? Custom made or prefab? Well, if you’re installing a luxury bathroom, you’ll, of course, be looking to put in high-end cabinetry, so you’ll almost certainly be drawn to having an artisanal vanity. But are custom built vanities worth the money compared to what’s readily available from a bathroom showroom? Our handy guide should help you to make the right decision for your bathroom.

Atlanta Solid Oak Wall Mounted Vanity Unit with Corian® Colour Toronto Double Basin

How much does a custom bathroom vanity cost?

A handmade vanity unit is – of course – going to be more expensive than its off-the-shelf cousin. On average, pre-built vanities range from around £100 to around £2,500, while artisanal vanities range from around £500 to around £5,000. However, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Handcrafted by artisans who work for the love, not just the money, a custom-made vanity unit will be designed to your exact interior design specifications from exceptional materials. So, it’s an investment based on a combination of design, build quality, prestige and suitability to the space.

Wall Mounted Vanity Unit - Riluxa

What are the benefits of custom-made vanities?

It’s not just that artisanal vanity units tend to be somewhat better built, better looking and better suited to the individualist taste of anyone fitting a high-end bathroom than pre-made cabinets. The main benefit of a bespoke vanity unit is that you can have it sized and shaped to the unique specifications of your bathroom space.

Perhaps there’s a strange corner in your bathroom that needs to be taken into account or you’d like one end of the vanity to be wider than the other. Maybe you just want it that bit deeper than standard models or, indeed, not quite so deep to suit your personal taste. Whatever the circumstances, a made-to-measure vanity is going to give you options an off-the-shelf one won’t.

Refresh Corian® Double Basin + Gaia Classic Wall Mounted Vanity Unit - 4 drawers

Should you buy a vanity with or without the top?

There are some truly beautiful combined vanity units on the market – including prefabs! However, by choosing a bespoke vanity base without the top, you then have the flexibility to choose whichever vanity top you like from whichever kind of material – Corian®, solid surface, marble... The world is your oyster. And if you’re able to get a custom-made countertop that fits your individual specifications, too? So much the better!

The shape, material and style of your washbasin is incredibly important in ensuring your vanity unit feels as though it fits perfectly in your bespoke design. So it’s really a case of shopping around between customisable, modular vanities and bespoke, artisanal bathroom sinks and cabinets to see what best suits your needs.

Corian® Colour Carthage Excelsior DuPont™ Wall Mounted Vanity Unit

How much does it cost to install a custom vanity?

How much you pay to have your new custom vanity fitted largely depends on whether it’s freestanding or wall mounted. Also, how big will your new vanity be and how fragile and heavy? If your construction team has to carry a large piece of solid surface up 100 steps to your house, you can be sure it will cost less than if they can put a relatively lightweight piece of MDF in the lift to your apartment.

Looking for something else to read? Check out our article that asks and answers that ever-popular DIY question: Can I fit my own bathroom?