James Martin

How the James Martin range is organized

James Martin vanities are named in a consistent way: series, nominal width, single or double, and finish, as in Brittany 30 inch Single Bathroom Vanity in Black Onyx. Vanities make up the largest part of the range, and around them sit the pieces that complete a bathroom: mirrors, backsplashes, vanity tops, stand-alone vanity cabinets, console and metal bases, hutches, drawer units and wall brackets.

The vanities are split by format in James Martin single vanities and James Martin double vanities, and the mirrors have their own collection in James Martin mirrors.

Choosing a vanity top

Most James Martin vanities are sold as a cabinet with a choice of top, listed on the product as Top Options. The first option, Select Your Top, is the cabinet on its own, for anyone supplying a top from elsewhere. The others are 3 cm tops in Silestone, the quartz surface made by Cosentino, in colors such as White Zeus, Eternal Jasmine Pearl, Ethereal Noctis, Victorian Silver and Charcoal Soapstone, with a Carrara White option on many models.

Some tops also come in versions drilled for a single-hole or a widespread faucet, and some include a matching backsplash. The cabinets are built around a 3 cm top, the thickness of the tops offered with them.

James Martin series

Brittany comes in nine finishes, more than any other James Martin series in this catalog, and is covered in Brittany. Breckenridge, Lorelai, Bellshire, Bristol, Chicago, Myrrin, Brookfield and Laurent are among the other series, and many smaller series fill out the range.

A series fixes the door style, the hardware and the proportions, and within it the width, the number of sinks and the finish change. A house with several bathrooms can therefore use one series throughout, in a different width for each room, and the vanities, mirrors and storage pieces will still read as a set.

Nominal width and actual width

The width in a vanity's name is its nominal size, and the cabinet itself usually measures a little less, with the exact outer dimensions given in each product description.

James Martin vanities come in the common nominal widths from about 20 to 72 inches, with 30, 36, 48, 60 and 72 inches the most common. Widths of 60 inches and up are offered as both single and double vanities: one basin centered in a long counter, or two basins side by side.

Vanity widths for different bathrooms

A powder room usually takes a 20 to 30 inch vanity, since there is little floor and the vanity is mostly a place for a basin. A typical family or guest bathroom fits 30 to 48 inches. Two basins need room for two people standing side by side, which is why double vanities generally start at 60 inches and why 72 inches is a common size for a primary bathroom.

Depth matters as much as width in a narrow room, and it is listed with the outer dimensions of each model.

Wood and finishes

Most James Martin cabinets are built from yellow poplar, a stable hardwood that takes paint evenly, which is why it sits under the painted finishes such as Bright White, Glossy White, Black Onyx and Smokey Celadon. Ash veneers carry the wood-grain finishes, including Light Natural Oak, Honey Oak and Mid-Century Walnut, and some series use parawood.

The finish names describe color, not species: Honey Oak and Mid-Century Walnut are finishes applied to the cabinet's own wood. The descriptions state the construction for each piece, typically solid wood with veneers, and note the moisture-resistant coating on the inside and outside of the cabinet. Hardware differs by series, from satin nickel knobs to champagne brass pulls, and drawers and doors typically close on soft-close glides and hinges.

Freestanding, floating and dual mount

Most of the range stands on the floor on legs or a plinth. Floating vanities hang on the wall with open floor beneath, which makes a small bathroom feel larger. Dual mount vanities can be set either way: standing on their legs, or hung on the wall with a French cleat.

Dual mount suits a remodel where the look may change later, since the same cabinet can move from standing to floating. The two formats are gathered in James Martin floating vanities and James Martin dual mount vanities.

Matching mirrors and backsplashes

Many series have mirrors made in the same finish as the cabinet, such as the Addison mirror in Mid-Century Acacia, so the frame and the vanity read as one piece of furniture. The backsplashes are 4 inch high strips of the same 3 cm Silestone as the tops, in the same colors, which lets the top continue a short way up the wall.

The backsplashes are listed in James Martin backsplashes. For vanities from other makers and in other materials, the full range is in bathroom vanities.