Your master bath is one of the most used rooms in your home. You may have considered updating or replacing your cabinetry. As one of the largest features in the room, an old, outdated, or just plain ugly vanity cabinet can really bring down the vibe. By freshening up the look of your cabinets, you will instantly boost the overall appearance of your entire bathroom.
Changing up your cabinets may also inspire you to make other changes to your bathroom, like applying a new coat of paint or decluttering and organizing. You will most likely have to remove everything from the cabinets during this process, so this is a great time to go through and get rid of any excess clutter.
When picking cabinets, keep the rest of your bathroom space in mind. For one, your shower or bath will be something that may not be replaced at the same time as your cabinets. If it has gold or silver trim pieces holding a shower door, you will want to be conscious of that when picking new cabinetry.
Furthermore, be aware of the space you have to work with. If you are repositioning cabinets in your bathroom, make sure to carefully measure and plan out the entire space. Some people choose to use a professional for this kind of work; however, swapping out a similar sized cabinet in the same space as your old one is a pretty straightforward DIY project.
1. Chest of Drawers
An antique or distressed chest of drawers is a great way to add a unique feature to your bathroom. These look great in country and rustic homes, as well as some luxury homes. More ornate and nicely finished dressers make great vanities in homes looking to achieve some victorian charm.
These vanities can be found at estate sales and antique shops and need to be customized to suit their new purpose. Some manufacturers create vanities with this or a similar look if you are not wanting all the work of restoring and repurposing an old piece of furniture.
2. Separate Vanities
Two sets of cabinets work well in larger bathrooms. They are generally set directly across from one another in a galley-style design. Having two separate areas allows the homeowners each their own larger personal space to spread out while still getting ready for the day together.
This bathroom features a built-in vanity area. To really elevate this area to the next level, add a LED-lit wall-mounted beauty mirror. This creates a great little corner for doing hair and makeup, open underneath, allowing for the use of comfortable seating.
Click here to see the LED Homcom bathroom vanity mirror on Amazon.
3. White and Other Neutral Colors
White cabinets look minimal yet elegant when paired with an all-white countertop and white or neutral wall colors. Deeper wall colors also look fantastic with white cabinetry and provide an interesting and bold contrast. Adding copper and gold hardware and surrounding accents to white cabinetry looks sophisticated yet inviting.
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Off white, beiges, and grays are other solid neutral color options to consider when looking for a bright and clean bathroom cabinetry look. If white is too bright for your liking, a light grey could be a great way to achieve a similar, yet toned-down look.
4. Open Shelves
Open shelving works great in larger master baths where you have the room to store necessities elsewhere. Keep as little as possible on the shelves and hide clutter in organizational totes if possible. Folded or rolled towels are not only functional but can look nice on open shelving bathroom cabinetry.
Baskets and bins are a great way to organize your open shelving cabinetry. This person used varying sizes and woven styles giving a more eclectic look. Organizing your things into totes will look cleaner and organized while keeping with the decor.
Click here to see these smaller wicker storage baskets for under counter organization on Amazon.
For larger spaces, here are some taller wicker storage baskets on Amazon.
5. Floating Cabinets
Floating cabinets add a sleek, modern look to your bathroom. They are clean to the eye and can be arranged vertically as well as horizontally along the adjacent wall to create a fun and somewhat futuristic design.
These types of cabinets are often done in laminate and wood. Plastics and metals are also commonly used. These cabinets have a modern and somewhat utilitarian look and feel to them, which works well in modern and homes with industrial interior design elements.
6. Mirrored or Glass Doors
Mirrored cabinet doors bring light into a bathroom space. These cabinets complement a large vanity mirror and give the overall illusion of more space. Of course, fingerprints and smudges may need frequent removal, and don’t place them across from the commode.
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If you like the glass look but don’t want a reflection from your base cabinets, you can use glass-paneled doors to achieve a look similar to open shelving. With glass doors, some people choose to use chicken wire or other material to partially obscure the view into the cabinets and add further interest and depth to the cabinet doors.
7. Blackout
Accenting with iron, glass, and slate works well with black bathroom cabinetry. A black accent wall behind your vanity creates depth but still allows for the lighter-colored surfaces and walls surrounding it to add some brightness to the space.
Adding small, decorative touches to your black vanity can soften it up a bit. A white countertop also looks great with black cabinetry and makes for a great contrast. Slate-colored cabinets are a sort of off-black. A very dark grey bordering on black adds the same depth with a bit of warmth.
8. No Base Cabinets
This look again works best in master baths where there are other storage options available. The complete lack of cabinetry keeps a clear floor space that appears bright, open, and clean. Smaller bathrooms can greatly benefit from the removal of large and bulky cabinetry.
If you choose this option, but require some additional storage space, you can use a small dresser or buffet cabinet to provide space while still keeping the floor space directly around and under your sinks open. This mobile storage solution can also be easily swapped out over the years to quickly and easily change up the entire look of the space.
9. Raw or Reclaimed Wood
Cabinetry constructed of raw or reclaimed wood gives bathrooms character and depth. This look works well in rustic and farmhouse homes. The wood should at least be treated with a water sealing treatment or wood wax to keep it safe from moisture, but some people choose to use a finish.
Click here to see this LinSheen raw Linseed oil for wood surfaces on Amazon.
Pair these cabinets with other natural-looking features, like glass, stone, and greenery. Sticking to natural elements for bathroom decor creates a great place to relax and rejuvenate. Add a luxurious bath for an in-home spa feel.
10. Table Top
Great in minimalist homes, this type of cabinetry, or lack thereof, helps homeowners keep their bathroom space appear more clean and organized. With no drawers for holding clutter, the only space to hold items is the vanity countertop.
The wide-open space where the cupboards and drawers are would normally be can be used for storage space by adding wire racks or other shelving, baskets, and bins. This will look similar to the open shelving concept mentioned earlier on.
11. Bathroom Blues & Bright colors
Yellows, blues, reds, and greens are all popularly used bright colors on bathroom cabinets. The cabinetry can be complemented by other brightly colored accents or can be painted to stand out all on its own. Pair bright colored cabinetry or vanities with black accents for a more bold and modern look.
Add bright colors throughout your bathroom decor to create a more cohesive look that is bright and cheerful. Using white to offset and help neutralize the vivid colors will add balance to the overall appearance of a brightly painted set of bathroom cabinets.
Update Cabinetry to Change the Entire Look of Your Master Bathroom
There is no better way to change the entire look of your master bath than to update or completely replace the cabinetry. Update paint, add decor, and/or replace damaged or outdated fixtures while changing out the cabinetry for a quick but dramatic master bath makeover.