I'm getting serious about the bathroom vanity upgrade. I want to do this soon, next few months if possible.
Not only is the existing acrylic since sink scratched so that it can never be completely cleaned, and difficult to clean even ignoring that. The vanity is too low and I'm hurting my back using the sink and faucets. The faucets themselves leak water when running and need to be replaced, but why do that when I need to replace the entire sink and vanity too?
Here's a farmhouse style vanity from Home Depot. I like the farmhouse style because it will catch all the drips from your hands. But in this case, the farmhouse sink does not extend far enough out to cover the handles on the doors below. It does look like it offers SOME protection for the wood doors below, but drips may still roll down the porcelain to the horizontal beam supporting the sink.
Plus it's not wide enough (I need 60 inches) and looks a bit cheap. So I'm not seriously considering the above but posting it as a reference point.
Here's the link from Build.com.
Cleverly, and fairly unique to this one model, the center of the vanity is recessed inwards a couple inches in the center where the sink is. Meanwhile the top extends out above this recess, providing some protection from drips on the cabinet doors and handles. This this accomplishes the drip prevention better than the farmhouse sink above. (But there will still be drips on the quartz top in front of the sink. Those should not be hard to clean.)
It's made out of "birch and birch veneers." Birch is among the best woods for vanities and doors. But what is "birch veneer" veneered over???
I also like maximizing the drawer space. I've come to the conclusion that drawers are far more useful than cabinets, but you still need (and will almost always get) at least one door for taller items under the sink. Most vanities give you as much door as drawer if not even more, which is wasted space.
Like most premium vanities, this one is pretty high at 35 inches, about 5 inches higher than my current vanity, and one inch lower than my kitchen counters. I was thinking I wanted even higher, but this might actually be the perfect choice. Most cheaper vanities are shorter, 32 or 33 inches.
IMO the electrical stuff, barring a more complete electrical solution (like for example 15 outlets) is simply a waste. I will continue to use a wall mounted strip like the Tripp Lite I have right now, connected to the GFCI bathroom circuit. I probably won't even hook up the electrical and USB outlets offered by the vanity as that would be a significant expense by itself and just wasted. James Martin doesn't seem to offer this same vanity without the electrical features.
The price is pretty high as these things go, but it looks like about the best quality you can get at normal "premium" levels. I'm considering it as an "acceptable" choice and have chosen the Pearl Jasmine Quartz top and wider mirror.
I like the way this fully covers up the floor, just like my current vanity. Most other premimum vanities don't cover the floor anymore. That means you'll have to keep it clean, which may be difficult. Plus having the floor open means I'd have to replace the entire bathroom floor
The problem however is that it's white and my bathroom has gone for "almond" and similar colors. White wouldn't really work. Here's a different James Martin vanity in a color I'd like. But I'm not sure about the rest. It's an inch shorter (less optimal). It has a wood backsplash (bad idea IMO). It doesn't have the special recess for the door under the sink, but it helpfully looks like the entire top has about a one inch overhang over the cabinet, which is decent. I think I like the 6 drawers of the DeSoto better than the 4 drawers, including deeper ones, of the Bristol, but deeper drawers might have some use too.
So it might work, though I like the DeSoto design better, just not the one color it is offered in.
The other James Martin vanities lack the "full plinth" covering the floor which I now think is essential.
