Ideally, in a master bathroom you want to have two separate sinks and two separate storage spaces – enough room for two to peacefully share a single space. That can mean a big double vanity with enough drawers that there’s no need for an argument over his/hers, or two entirely separate vanities to ensure there’s no room for dispute. Unfortunately the reality is that not everyone has room for either. But even small master bathrooms still have to be used by two – sometimes simultaneously. These are a few of my favorite storage smart bathroom vanities that can help keep the peace.
Start Small
For the truly small bathroom, you don’t want bathroom vanities much bigger than 30 inches wide, but you also don’t want to go much smaller than that, either. There are plenty of bathroom vanities that are smaller than that (in many cases, much smaller), and quite a few that I could wholeheartedly recommend – but maybe not for two. That said, if your master bathroom is more like a closet, look for something that’s both compact and crammed with storage, like this Copper Cove vanity from James Martin. It clocks in at a lean, mean 26 inches wide (which is slightly smaller than most standard “small” sized bathroom vanities), and has three working drawers plus towel bars on both sides of the vanity, which will free up your walls for additional storage cabinets.
Divide And Conquer
No matter how much or little space you have, the first best thing you can do to keep the peace in a too-small master bath is make sure each of the people using it has their own separate space – even if it’s only a little space. I particularly like this Bliss vanity from Kubebath, which has his and her drawers that are divided both left and right and top to bottom. You might think the wall mounted design would mean losing storage space, but there are quite a few reasons I think they’re a better choice, not the least that the space you have is better organized and more accessible. Better still, it has just a smidge of clean clear counter space (something many bathroom vanities in this size range lack). Why does that matter? It gives you room for things like his electric razor or her curling iron you’d need a workaround for otherwise.
Symmetrical Storage
Of course, things get a little more comfortable if you have a little more space to spare. Once you’re able to meet or exceed the 36″ mark, you start to see bathroom vanities that have storage on both sides rather than just one. I particularly like this Dolce vanity, which opts for two half cabinets rather than one large one – one on either side for personal storage for two – plus two full-sized drawers and a little bit of counter space on either side. Enough room for an electric razor and a curling iron!
Why Drawers Matter
Reading this post (or any of my other posts about storage smart bathroom vanities) you’ll probably get the impression that I like bathroom vanities with drawers. It’s true through and through, but not without reason: in a bathroom, drawers are perhaps the most efficient form of storage. Think about it. They’re great for keeping small things from getting lost, one thing separate from another (say, his from hers), and everything in them easily accessible and roughly at waist height. This Bainbridge vanity isn’t just jam packed with storage, it also comes with built-in outlets. That means you can power everything from a hairdryer to your phone without cluttering your countertop with plugs and cords.
Make Your Vanity Multi Task
Of course, having enough drawers isn’t the only element that goes into building a peace-making bathroom vanity. For those couples more inclined towards sharing, this Portland vanity has is designed with two banks of smaller drawers, plus a larger shared cabinet with a pull-out shelf in the middle. This is great for keeping small items separate while leaving ample space for larger toiletries and towels. More importantly, making room for drawers on either side also means you’ll have a little more counter space on either side of the sink than you’d typically find on a vanity in this size range, making it a little easier to spread out.
If You Can’t Stand To Share A Sink
Now, if you really absolutely cannot possibly stand sharing a sink with your lifemate – whether because she leaves toothpaste in the sink or he can’t clean up after he shaves or whatever your reason – you might want to consider opting for a teeny tiny double vanity. You can get more mileage out of one of these than you can with any two small bathroom vanities (possibly excepting pedestal sinks, which are a nightmare for storage), and some of them are, well, almost ridiculously small. You won’t have a lot of elbow room, but you will have your own sink, and usually separate storage cabinets (and sometimes drawers) as well. I particularly like this Gloria Vanity because not only does it have a shelf inside each cabinet, but the mirror does double duty with two storage ledges.
Designing a small bathroom is never easy – especially if you have to make two people happy. But choosing the right bathroom vanity can go a long way towards making peace in the master bathroom.
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