The bathroom vanity is one of the most impactful millwork elements in a New York City apartment bathroom. In small bathrooms, a well-designed vanity resolves storage problems, defines the aesthetic character of the space, and — in the case of a floating vanity — visually enlarges the floor area. Here's a guide to the options.
Floating vs. Floor-Mounted Vanities
Floating (wall-mounted) vanities expose the floor beneath them, making small NYC bathrooms feel measurably larger. They're also easier to clean underneath. The tradeoff: they must anchor to solid blocking within the wall (which requires planning — either original construction with blocking, or a pre-installation carpentry step to add it). In drywall construction, this is straightforward. In original plaster walls, more careful assessment is required. Floor-mounted vanities are easier to install and provide maximum storage volume, but they close off the floor visually, making small bathrooms feel tighter.
Materials for NYC Apartment Vanities
Painted MDF is the workhorse material for custom bathroom vanities — it accepts paint beautifully, is dimensionally stable in humidity with the right topcoat, and is cost-effective. Rift-cut white oak is the premium choice for wood-finish vanities — it's increasingly popular in contemporary NYC bathrooms and works beautifully with both tadelakt and microcement surrounding finishes. Lacquered MDF (factory-applied lacquer in custom colors) provides the smoothest possible surface with extraordinary color depth — appropriate for high-specification bathroom renovations.
Storage Considerations
In NYC apartment bathrooms where storage is perpetually inadequate: specify full-height side cabinets alongside the vanity, drawer stacks rather than doors (dramatically more functional for bathroom storage), and pull-out interior organizers for plumbing cabinet areas. The medicine cabinet above the vanity can also be custom-built to maximize storage and provide integrated lighting — far better than standard recessed medicine cabinet boxes.
Cost in NYC
- Simple floating vanity (36 in, painted): $2,800 – $4,500
- Double vanity with storage columns (60 in, oak veneer): $6,500 – $11,000
- Full custom vanity with integrated medicine cabinet and lighting: $9,000 – $16,000