Vanities · Los Angeles
Bathroom vanities, from the wall blocking to the light at the mirror
A vanity is furniture, plumbing and lighting in one piece. We plan the cabinet, the top, the sink and the wall behind it together, so the drain lines up, the drawers clear the trap and the light falls on your face rather than the ceiling.
Types
Four ways to build a vanity
Floating, wall-hung
Mounted to the wall with open floor below. It makes a small room read larger, simplifies floor cleaning and lets tile or radiant heat run wall to wall. It needs solid blocking in the wall and a clean plan for the drain and supply lines, because there's no toe-kick to hide them.
Freestanding
Sits on the floor on legs or a plinth, like a piece of furniture. It suits period homes, works well on older walls that can't easily take heavy wall-hung loads, and can often be selected ready-made. The plumbing is more visible from below on leggy designs.
Custom millwork
Built to the room: exact widths, drawer layouts around the plumbing, integrated outlets, matched veneers or painted finishes. It's the answer for odd alcoves, long walls and primary bathrooms where storage matters most.
Double vanities
Two sinks need room to be comfortable, with enough counter between them and each basin centered on its own mirror or light. If the wall is short, one wide sink with two faucets or a single sink with generous counter can work better.
If you're weighing the first two, our comparison of floating and freestanding vanities covers the trade-offs in more depth.
Tops and sinks
Countertop materials
The top takes water, toothpaste, cosmetics and hot tools every day. Each material handles that differently.
- Quartz
- Engineered stone: consistent, non-porous and low-maintenance. A reliable default for busy bathrooms. Can be sensitive to direct high heat, so hot tools need a mat or tray.
- Marble
- Beautiful and soft. It etches with acids and can stain, so it suits people who accept patina. Honed finishes hide etching better than polished.
- Porcelain slab
- Thin, large panels with stone or concrete looks that resist stains and scratches well. Edges are usually mitered to look thicker, and fabrication takes a specialist.
- Solid surface
- A cast acrylic-type material that can be formed with an integrated sink and no seam. Warm to the touch, repairable, and softer than stone, so it can scratch.
- Integrated sinks
- Sink and top as one piece, in solid surface, cast stone, porcelain or fabricated quartz. No rim to clean around. A sink damaged later means replacing the top, not just the bowl.
- Undermount, vessel, drop-in
- Undermount sinks give a clean edge for wiping; vessel sinks raise the basin and affect counter height and faucet choice; drop-in sinks are simple and forgiving on existing tops.
What happens inside the wall
Vanity problems usually aren't about the cabinet. They're about a drain that lands in the middle of a drawer, a supply valve that blocks the pull-out, or a wall-hung unit anchored into drywall alone. We sort these out at rough-in, before the wall is closed.
- Blocking for wall-hung units. Solid wood blocking between studs at the mounting height, sized for the cabinet plus a loaded stone top and someone leaning on it.
- Drain height and position. Set to suit the drawer layout: often higher and tucked back for floating vanities, and positioned so a U-shaped drawer can wrap the trap.
- Supply valves. Placed where they're reachable but out of the drawer path, with finishes that look right if they show.
- Wall-mounted faucets. If the faucet comes out of the wall, the valve body goes in at rough-in, at a height that suits the basin depth and spout reach.
- Outlets inside cabinets. Useful for toothbrushes and hair tools. We confirm locations with the electrical plan.
Above the counter: mirrors, cabinets and light
Recessed medicine cabinets
Set into the stud bay so they sit flush or nearly flush. They need a clear bay without plumbing vents or wiring, which in older LA homes isn't always a given. We check before committing to the location.
Light from the sides
A single fixture above the mirror casts shadows under the eyes. Sconces at about face height on either side, or a lit mirror, give even light for shaving and makeup. A dimmable overhead handles the rest.
Mirror proportions
A mirror slightly narrower than the vanity usually looks settled. On double vanities, two mirrors centered on the sinks read better than one long piece when the wall has sconces between.
Vanity or full remodel?
A vanity swap on its own can be straightforward if the new unit matches the old footprint and the plumbing is in good shape. It gets bigger when the new vanity is a different size (exposing unfinished floor or wall tile), when it switches from floor-standing to wall-hung (needing blocking and new drain heights), or when the drain and supply lines behind it turn out to be old galvanized pipe. In those cases, it often makes sense to fold the vanity into a small bathroom remodel or a complete renovation.
In primary suites, the vanity wall is often the centerpiece: long custom millwork, a stone top and carefully placed lighting. That's where our luxury bathroom work usually starts.
What affects vanity cost
Custom millwork generally costs more than stock or semi-custom cabinets, and stone or porcelain slab tops with mitered edges cost more than simple quartz. Changing from floor-standing to wall-hung adds wall work. Wall-mounted faucets, in-cabinet outlets and new lighting circuits add plumbing and electrical time. See how we estimate a remodel for how these come together.
Moving plumbing or adding circuits may require a permit. Confirm current requirements with LADBS or your city's building department, and with your HOA if you're in a condo.
Vanity questions
Can any wall take a floating vanity?
Most framed walls can, once proper blocking is added. That means opening the wall. Plaster over lath in older homes, or masonry walls, need a different fixing approach, which we work out on site.
What height should a vanity be?
It depends on who uses it and the sink type. Many people prefer something taller than older standard vanities. Vessel sinks need a lower cabinet. We'll set a height with you rather than defaulting to a number.
Do you install vanities we buy ourselves?
Often, yes, as part of a larger scope. We'll want the specification sheet early to plan drain and supply positions, and we'll check the unit on delivery before installing.
Is a double vanity worth it?
If two people get ready at the same time and the wall is long enough, usually yes. On a shorter wall, a single sink with more counter and storage often works better day to day.
Vanity installation near you
We plan and install vanities across Los Angeles, from Beverly Hills primary suites to Pasadena period bathrooms.
Call us
Talk to us about your bathroom
Call and tell us what isn’t working in the room. We’ll talk through scope, materials and timing, then set up a visit to measure and see the plumbing and structure.
Call for a consultation
(213) 566-7696Open daily, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Tell us whether it’s a house, condo or ADU
- Describe which bathroom and what you’d like to change
- We arrange a visit to measure and look at the room