James Martin Single Vanities

James Martin Single Bathroom Vanities

A single vanity is the right answer far more often than people think. Two sinks in a 60 inch cabinet leaves neither one with usable counter space, while a 60 inch single gives you one basin and a metre of clear surface either side of it. Unless two people genuinely get ready at the same time every morning, the single is the more usable piece.

The range here runs from 12 inches, which is a cabinet for a cloakroom where nothing else fits, through 24, 30 and 36 inches for guest baths and standard bathrooms, up to 48, 60 and 72 inch singles for primary bathrooms where the wall is long but only one basin is needed. Every one is sold with a countertop choice, and the sink is included with the top.

Choosing a width

• 12 to 20 inches: powder rooms and cloakrooms, wall hung or on a metal base
• 24 to 30 inches: guest baths and small primary bathrooms, the most common sizes
• 36 to 48 inches: room for drawers either side of the plumbing, the sweet spot for storage
• 60 to 72 inches: a single basin with generous counter, often paired with a tall linen cabinet

Storage, and where it actually is

The trap under a sink takes the middle of the cabinet, so on anything under 36 inches most of the storage is behind a door rather than in drawers. From 36 inches up you start getting real drawer banks either side, and that is the point where a vanity begins to hold the things a bathroom needs it to hold. If you are under 36 inches and short of storage, pair the vanity with a linen or base cabinet rather than fighting for space inside the box.

Styles across the range

The same width comes in very different clothes. Brittany and Bristol lean traditional with tapered legs and shaker doors. Chicago and Milan are flat fronted and contemporary. Breckenridge and Hudson sit between the two, and Boston and Chianti are the compact options built for small rooms. If you want two sinks after all, double vanities starts at 60 inches, and floating vanities covers the wall hung versions.

Finish the room with a matching mirror and a backsplash cut from the same slab as the top.