Bathrooms are clearly a space you will be spending a significant amount of time in, so it is important that it is pleasing to your eyes as well as functional.
One of the easiest ways to sort and organize bathroom fittings and fixtures is to mix and match. This brings us to the question,
Do bathroom vanities need to match?
Yes and no. It depends on the owner and the aesthetics they wish to go for. However, bathrooms that flow better and match with the overall vibe and visuals of the house have a better resell value. You can mix and match, but it should have a consistent look and feel with the rest of the house.
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In the end, it is your house and your rules as to how you want to decorate it. If you plan to resell it later, maybe focus on general aesthetics so potential clients find it attractive.
But if it is your forever home, you have complete reigns to do whatever your heart desires.
As long as you take care to keep it consistent and complementary to your aesthetics and lifestyle, you will have a bathroom you would not want to redesign and remodel ever so often.
Mix or Match Bathroom Vanities Explained:
Confused as to when you should mix and when you should match? Hopefully, the ideas below will help!
When should you mix your bathroom vanities?
Knowing when you want to mix your bathroom vanities can be a great help when remodeling your space. You can mix things up by changing up the doorknobs, faucet finishes, or even the bathroom vanity itself.
Layers
If you want a bathroom that is more multidimensional than it is one-directional, mixing the vanities will allow you to create a look that is more layered with visual depth.
Central focus
If you found a piece of furniture or fitting you want to be the central focus of your bathroom, mixing will help more than matching, for it will make the object pop more, therefore easily becoming the center of attention.
Functionality
The vanity needed for the master bathroom is understandably going to be different than the one needed for the kids’ (oftentimes shared) bathroom. Keeping that in mind, it is better to go for functionality than for duplicates.
If the dimensions for each bathroom are different, it will not make sense to use the same furniture you may or may not have space for. Choose the size of your vanity according to your space in bathroom.
When should you match your bathroom vanities?
Contrarily, knowing when you match your bathroom vanities will help if you have a solid plan or goal in mind. As mentioned earlier, homes with a coherent theme have a better resale value, so knowledge is definitely power in this case.
Shared space
If you are opting for a shared bathroom, it is better to have a vanity (or two) which match than to have them mismatch. The matching will also make it easier to style the rest of the elements of the room.
Stylistic themes
Let’s say you have traditional home aesthetics, full of rustic style and antique details. A home with such elements will not work with a bathroom that is rather modern and sleek.
In fact, it will stick out like a sore thumb, which is why it would be better to have vanities that match the overall aesthetics. Keeping it complimentary is key which can be made easier by keeping the same vanity in each bathroom.
Whether you end up mixing or matching your vanities, as long as you are happy with it, and it makes sense to you and your esthetics- that is all that matters in the end. There are no hard and fast rules, so the world of bathroom fixtures is basically your oyster.
Should your bathroom vanity match your trim?
It depends whether you should match your bathroom vanity with the trim on a couple of design elements such as
- Is it close to the window or door adjacent to the trim the same? Color or material-wise?
- What about the stain on the door and windows? Will it match or be an eyesore?
- Does it make sense to match it? Or it looks better mismatched?
Most people tend to agree that matching the vanity with the trim makes it a coherent idea and should be nudged towards.
Your decision will ultimately depend on the color scheme, design theme, and what you want the focal point of the space to be.
Does a linen cabinet need to match the bathroom vanity?
Same with the trim, if you want to match the linen cabinet with the vanity, you need to keep color and thematic scheme in mind. You should also keep in mind if works together or fights the overall flow of the visuals of the house.
If you want a more cohesive look, go for matching it. If you want only one to be the focal point, then let it not match and bring all focus on itself due to the contrast.
Does a bathroom mirror frame have to match the vanity?
While mirrors are a big part of a bathroom, they are oftentimes underlooked. Which means bathroom mirror frames are even more neglected. However, when you start designing, you realize how important they are.
If the mirror is adjacent to the vanity, it is suggested to make sure that the materials of the bathroom vanity and the mirror frame at least are complementary to each other. This means they don’t have to match necessarily, but they should at least be cohesive.
For example, the shade might not be a complete match, which will feel off if they are so near each other. In that case, it is better to pick a neutral or contrasting frame or color, so they complement each other instead of clashing.
Does the medicine cabinet have to match vanity?
While the common choice is to keep them all the same, you can absolutely get away with making your medicine cabinet be different from your vanity.
As mentioned before, as long as it makes sense thematically, anything goes. This means, if you have a white framed vanity, you can pick a black or neutral or even darker blue shaded medicine cabinet that will balance each other out.
What is the most popular bathroom vanity color?
Each season, manufacturers are coming up with new and newer models in an array of designs, colors, and finishes. That being said, there will always be a few colors that are more popular than others.
While green, greige (the perfect shade between gray and beige), dark blue, and navy blue are great choices that will work with most themes, the most popular vanity color is gray.
A gray vanity is neutral enough to stay in the background if you want to enhance other features of the bathroom, but it can also be the focal point in a room that has dark accents everywhere else.
Which explains why it is a popular choice amongst homeowners, to be honest, to have that option and freedom to be one or the other.
Should bathroom countertops match the floor?
As repeated throughout this article, it all depends on the preference you are going for.
Matching countertops with the floor will make sure nothing pops out when you are entering the room, it will also bring a unit of cohesiveness that makes it easier to style.
This will work the best if the room is a dark color and the furniture is light-themed, or vice versa.
On the other hand, if you mismatch the bathroom countertop with the floor, you make sure it becomes a focal point. The contrast might be the exact thing you are going for, which will make the room have layers and depth.
So basically, it can be a sandwich of colors if you mix it, or it can be a homogenous unity if you do not.
A reminder: You can design your bathroom (and so your house) however you want to; it is, after all, yours. The only advice to keep in mind is to keep it complimentary in one form or the other.
Even contrasts can be complimentary, so there is no rule that everything has to be matched, and nothing can be mixed.
Bathrooms are quickly becoming one of the most exciting rooms to remodel, for they can transform a normal space into one of relaxation and tranquility.
When redesigning or remodeling, you may come across the age-old question of whether to mix elements and finishes or to keep it all matched- hopefully, this article will help in that regard.