Custom Vanities in Adelaide: Made to Measure

• What they are: a custom bathroom vanity is a basin cabinet built for one room: the box, the drawers or doors and a top that suits the basin, made to measure and fitted on site. Custom bathroom vanities follow your walls, door swings and plumbing positions instead of a catalogue width.
• Other names: vanity unit, vanity cabinet and basin cabinet describe the same piece. A custom vanity unit, a custom made vanity and custom built vanity cabinets are all made-to-order versions of it, and some makers say bespoke vanity or bespoke vanity units for the same thing.
• Wall-hung or freestanding: custom bathroom vanities either hang from the wall with the floor clear beneath, or stand on legs or a kickboard, which many suppliers call floor-standing or freestanding. The wall, the plumbing and the look decide which suits.
• What this page covers: the cabinet, its top and its storage, which together make up the bathroom cabinetry. The taps, waste, tiling and waterproofing belong to other trades and are covered only where they meet the cabinet.
• Price: left to the written quote, with no figures on this page. The cost guide lists the factors behind a total.
• Matching the house: the same doors and handles can carry through the kitchen and the laundry, and the custom built cabinet makers page walks through the stages of a job.

Pre-made bathroom vanities come in set widths, depths and heights from bathroom retailers, hardware stores and online shops. They suit a standard layout, but a fixed size can leave a gap beside the wall, an awkward door swing or a basin that sits off the plumbing. Custom bathroom vanities are made for the room instead. Listings use many names for the choices in between, so the table below sorts them out.

A custom floating vanity, also called a custom wall hung vanity or a custom wall mounted bathroom vanity, is fixed to the wall with the floor left clear beneath it. Custom floating vanity cabinets make a small room look larger and are easy to mop under. A freestanding unit sits on legs or a kickboard and usually gives a little more storage for the same width. A custom built vanity can be mounted at the height that suits the household, and bespoke wall hung vanity units work the same way, which the table compares.

The layout decides how many basins the room carries and how bathroom vanities meet the walls. Custom bathroom vanities come in six common arrangements:

• Single basin: a custom single vanity suits most main bathrooms and ensuites, with 750 mm and 900 mm widths among the most common.
• Double basin: a custom double vanity gives two people their own space. Custom double sink vanity designs need enough wall length for two basins, two taps and two waste outlets, and a double unit in a wall-hung form needs strong backing.
• Corner: a custom corner vanity fits a compact room where a straight run would block the door or the shower.
• Small bathrooms: custom vanities for small bathrooms work with shallower depths, so a small custom vanity or a custom narrow depth vanity keeps the walkway clear.
• Powder room: a custom powder room vanity is usually narrow with a small basin, sized to the wall it sits on.
• Makeup area: a custom bathroom makeup vanity or a custom vanity with makeup area adds a seated spot, often with power points and lighting.

Built in vanities run from wall to wall, with end panels that close the gaps. Built in bathroom cabinets and built bathroom cabinets can carry on that run into linen cupboards or a mirror cabinet, so the whole wall reads as one piece. Ask the maker to draw two layout designs when the room allows it, and compare basin space, drawers and walkway before you choose.

The basin decides more of the cabinet than any other part. Its shape fixes the cut-out in the top or benchtop, its depth fixes how much room is left for drawers, and its position fixes where the taps and waste must come out. Most buyers want a custom bathroom vanity with sink included, so the basin, the tap holes and the waste are planned together.

• Undermount basins sit below the top, so water wipes straight into the bowl, and an undermount basin suits engineered stone and solid surface benchtops, because the edge can be cut and sealed cleanly.
• Top-mount basins sit on the top and are simpler to fit, which suits a laminate top.
• Semi-recessed basins project past the front edge, so the cabinet can be shallower.
• Integrated basins are formed as part of the top. A custom vanity top with integrated sink has no join around the bowl, which makes it easy to clean.
• Tap positions differ for tap holes on the top, a mixer on the wall or a spout beside the basin, and a wall mixer changes the cut-outs again.
• Waste and trap space needs room inside the cabinet, so drawers are cut around the trap and the pipes. A custom bathroom sink vanity often uses a shaped top drawer for that reason.
• Single or double bowl: decide this before the tap and waste positions are set, because the two layouts need different rough-in.

The cabinet is drawn after the plumber confirms what can move, so it fits the pipes that are really in the wall instead of forcing the pipes to fit a catalogue unit.

The top is the surface that takes the water, the soap and the daily wiping, and some suppliers call it the vanity benchtop. Custom vanity tops for bathroom use come in six main materials, and each suits a different look and budget:

• Engineered stone: custom quartz vanity tops use engineered stone, which is hard, non-porous and available in many colours. An engineered stone benchtop is the most common choice.
• Natural stone and marble: a custom stone vanity top or custom marble vanity tops give real veining, and natural stone may need sealing, so ask the supplier how to care for it. Marble can mark more readily than engineered surfaces.
• Porcelain and sintered stone: a custom porcelain vanity top is non-porous and resists stains, and it suits modern rooms.
• Solid surface: a custom solid surface vanity top can be cut and finished around an undermount basin or formed with an integrated bowl.
• Laminate: a custom laminate vanity top is the affordable option, and every cut-out in a laminate benchtop must be sealed against water.
• Timber: custom wood vanity tops need every face fully sealed, and a timber benchtop suits rooms with good ventilation.

On a custom built vanity, a top is measured on site once the cabinet position is fixed. A custom made vanity top, whether engineered stone or laminate, is cut to the cabinet and drilled for the taps, and custom vanity tops with sink include the basin. A custom double sink vanity top spans two basins and needs extra support under the span.

Pre made vanity tops come in set sizes. Custom order vanity tops and made to order vanity tops are cut after the measure, and a custom cut vanity top gives an exact fit around walls that are not square. Tops are normally supplied by a stone or laminate fabricator, so confirm who orders, measures and fits the benchtop, and who will install it.

A bathroom is a damp room, though it is less demanding than a laundry. The carcase, edges and finish still need to cope with steam and splashes, and the same wet-room rules described on the laundry cabinets page apply: a moisture-resistant board, sealed edges and a base that sits clear of the floor. The most common failure point is the cut-out around the basin, so ask how each opening is sealed. Plywood suits heavy loads and holds fixings well, which helps a wall-hung unit, and a moisture-resistant board with a melamine face suits most carcases. A plywood carcase costs more than board, so ask which is quoted.

• Solid timber: a custom timber vanity shows real grain. A custom wood vanity in oak or walnut, such as a custom oak vanity or a custom walnut vanity, needs kiln-dried timber and complete sealing on every face. Some Adelaide timber specialists work in American oak and Tasmanian oak. A custom solid wood bathroom vanity should be finished on the back and underside as well as the front, and solid timber moves a little with humidity, so sealing and ventilation decide how it ages.
• Painted finishes: a custom painted vanity is usually sprayed two-pack polyurethane, which gives a smooth sealed surface, and shaker doors suit it well. A custom white vanity is the most common colour choice.
• Laminate and melamine: printed surfaces on moisture-resistant board are hard-wearing, affordable and easy to wipe.
• Veneer: a thin layer of real timber over a stable core, which suits flat-panel doors when the edges are sealed.

Style is a separate choice from material. A custom modern vanity suits flat-panel doors and finger pulls, and a modern custom vanity can run to a clean floating profile. A custom mid century bathroom vanity uses timber, tapered legs and slim drawers, and a custom rustic vanity uses textured timber with a visible grain. Moisture-resistant hinges and soft-close runners matter in any style.

A basin cabinet is the main storage in most bathrooms, so what goes inside matters as much as how it looks outside. These are the parts that custom bathroom storage usually includes:

• Drawers: wide drawers hold more than a cupboard, and a shaped top drawer wraps around the waste. Soft-close drawers, inserts and dividers stop small items from sliding about.
• Doors and cupboards: deep base cupboards suit bulky items, and a custom vanity base can mix doors and drawers in one cabinet. Under-basin cupboards need cut-outs for the plumbing.
• Tallboys and linen cupboards: a tall cabinet beside the basin run holds towels and spare supplies. A custom bathroom storage cabinet of this kind is sized to the wall and often matches the doors. Linen cupboards and shelving are also covered under custom joinery, and a hallway or bedroom storage wall on the built-in cabinets page.
• Mirror and shaving cabinets: mirror cabinets, sometimes called shaving cabinets, add hidden storage at eye level, and a recessed one adds depth without protruding into the room.
• Lighting and power: the mirror, lighting and power point positions are planned with the electrician so everything lines up.
• Whole-bathroom sets: custom bathroom cabinets and vanities can be built as a set, so custom built bathroom cabinets carry the same doors, handles and design across the basin run, the tallboy and the mirror cabinet. A maker who builds custom kitchen and bathroom cabinets can carry one finish through both rooms.

Custom bathroom vanity cabinets are drawn with every drawer and shelf, so nothing is left to guess at the quoting stage. Custom bathroom vanities, custom cabinetry for towels and spare supplies, and a mirror cabinet can all be drawn together, and the bathroom cabinetry then reads as one design.

Good design starts with how the bathroom is used and what the plumbing allows, not with a catalogue. A maker works through the same steps on every job:

1. Plumbing. Mark where the waste, the taps and any wall pipes sit, and ask the plumber what can move.
2. Basin and top. Choose the basin type and the top material, because they set the depth, the cut-outs and the drawers.
3. Size and design. Decide the width, the height and whether the cabinet is wall-hung or floor-standing, using the typical sizes above as a starting point.
4. Storage by use. Everyday items sit in the top drawers, and bulky ones go lower down or in the cupboards.
5. Finish last. Painted, timber or laminate, flat-panel or shaker doors, and handles or finger pulls come after the layout works.
6. Sign-off. The measure on site confirms every size, the drawing lists each drawer and opening, and the price comes from that drawing.

The design drawing shows the plan, the front view and the side view, and some makers add a rendered picture. A full bathroom set is drawn the same way. Check every dimension and drawer against how you use the room before you sign, because a design change on paper costs little and a change after boards are cut costs a good deal. Adelaide homes range from older houses with uneven walls to new builds with square rooms, so the design should start from the walls you actually have. Custom built vanities in older houses often need scribing to uneven walls.

Custom bathroom vanities are installed in a set order, because the cabinet, the top and the plumbing all meet in a small space. Most jobs follow a similar sequence:

• Preparation: the old unit is removed if it is being replaced, and the plumber confirms the waste and supply positions.
• Backing: for a wall-hung unit, solid backing is fitted or confirmed in the wall before the cabinet goes up.
• The cabinet: a custom built vanity is levelled, fixed and scribed to the wall, and the drawers and doors are adjusted.
• The top: the top is fitted once the cabinet is in place, or templated from it if the top is cut to measure.
• The plumbing: a qualified plumber connects the taps, the waste and the trap, so the basin works and the seals are checked.
• Finishing: silicone, splashbacks and the matching bathroom cabinets, such as the mirror cabinet, go in last.

Ask your maker who will install each part, and what happens if the room turns out different from the design drawing. The answer shows how errors are caught before they reach the workshop.

Most problems come from a handful of causes, and nearly all of them can be settled on paper before anything is built. Bathroom vanities tend to fail in predictable places:

• Swelling at the basin cut-out. Water reaches the board through an unsealed edge around the basin or the taps, which is a particular risk with an undermount basin, where the cut edge sits close to the water, so ask how every opening is sealed.
• A basin that fights the drawers. The trap and waste take up room, so a deep basin can leave a drawer too shallow to use. The drawing should show the pipes and the drawer together.
• Doors and drawers that clash. A door that opens into a toilet, a shower screen or a wall wastes the position. Check the swing and the drawer travel against the real room.
• A wall-hung unit without backing. The cabinet, the top and the contents are heavy, so the wall needs solid support behind the fixing points.
• A top that sits too far from the taps. Reach to the taps and the overhang past the front edge affect daily use, so confirm both when the top is drawn.
• A permanently damp room. Without an exhaust fan or a window, no material copes well, which is why ventilation belongs in the brief.
• Finishes picked before the layout works. Colour and style are easy to change on paper and hard to change once the boards are cut.

Custom bathroom vanities avoid most of these problems because the drawing starts from the room, the plumbing and the way the space is used. Bathroom cabinets bought off the shelf can still work well, provided you check these same points against the real room.

Bathroom cabinets last longest when the room around them is looked after. These habits matter most:

• Ventilation: an exhaust fan or window that clears steam protects every material. A permanently damp room is hard on timber, board and hardware alike.
• Spills and standing water: wipe splashes from the top and the cabinet face, and do not leave water pooled around the basin or the base.
• The seals: check the silicone and the sealed edges around the basin and the taps from time to time, because that is where moisture most often gets in.
• The top: follow the supplier's cleaning advice for the material, since stone, porcelain, laminate and timber each need something different.
• The finish: ask whether a painted or timber finish can be repaired or re-coated, and keep a note of the colour and product.

Little of this takes time, and it protects bathroom vanities far more than any single material choice does.

Ask for a written quote that names every item, so quotes can be compared one line at a time:

• The cabinet: the board, the edging, the doors, the drawers and the hardware, all named in the design drawing.
• The top: whether the benchtop is supplied, who measures it and who cuts the openings for the basin and taps.
• Mirror and tall cabinets: whether any matching bathroom cabinets are included in the same quote.
• Fitting: who delivers and installs, and whether the old unit is removed.
• Other trades: the taps, waste, drainage, power points, tiling and waterproofing belong to a qualified plumber, electrician, tiler or waterproofer, so ask how the trades are sequenced.

Custom vanity cost is explained, in general terms, on the cost guide, which lists third-party figures as guides only. Before you enquire, gather photos of the bathroom, the basin and tap choices if you have them, rough wall lengths and any plumbing drawings. Bathroom cabinetry in Adelaide is quoted from drawings, and custom built vanities are no exception, so a precise brief gets a closer quote.

Bathroom cabinet makers in Adelaide range from workshops that build every piece in-house to retailers that order from elsewhere. Whether you search for bathroom cabinet makers, bathroom cabinet builders, bathroom vanity cabinet makers or a custom vanity builder, the questions are the same:

• Do you build the cabinets in your own workshop? A bathroom vanity maker should say which stages happen in-house.
• Who comes to measure? That person should be able to explain the drawing.
• Which board, edging and finish will be used? The wet-room specifics should be written down, not left as "standard".
• Who supplies the top, and who fits it? The top is often a separate supplier, so the quote should say who coordinates it.
• Who installs, and when? Ask whether the maker's own team fits it, and how that sits around the plumber.
• What have you built that looks like mine? A portfolio of similar bathrooms says more than a general gallery.

A good maker answers these plainly. If you are comparing vanity cabinet makers, send each the same brief and use the answers, not just the price, to choose.

• If the bathroom is square and the plumbing is standard, a pre made unit may do, and a quote for both routes shows what going made-to-measure adds.
• If the walls are out of square or the plumbing is off-centre, custom made vanities and custom built vanities avoid filler panels and gaps and put the basin where the pipes are.
• If the room is small, ask about a wall-hung unit, a slimline depth or a corner design, and check the door swing of any tall bathroom cabinets.
• If two people share the bathroom, ask for a double design drawn at two widths, and confirm the wall can carry it.
• If the bathroom should match a new kitchen, start with the custom kitchen cabinets page and carry the door, handle and benchtop finish across.
• If budget drives the decision, the custom cabinets cost guide explains what moves a total, and your range is worth sharing before drawings start.
• If the bathroom is in a townhouse or flat, ask about lifts, stairs and building rules, and read how Adelaide areas differ before you plan the delivery.
• If you have not settled on a starting point, the overview of custom cabinetry across Adelaide shows each room, and a few photos are enough to begin.