Marquis Marlo Vanities Buying Guide
The Marquis Marlo is a plain, flat-fronted vanity with no visible handles to break up the line. Each drawer opens on an inverted shark fin fingerpull, which casts a subtle shadow line and gives your fingers the grip. This guide covers the two mounting styles, the tops, the basin layouts and tap holes, and what to settle before the plumber arrives.
Marquis makes the Marlo in Australia. The basin and hardware come with the vanity, so the box holds a working unit once you have chosen the width, the top, the cabinet finish and the basin style. The sections below follow the order in which those choices are best made.
Wall hung or floor standing
The wall hung Marlo has two drawers and leaves the floor visible beneath the cabinet, which suits a smaller room or one you want easy to mop. The floor standing Marlo has three drawers and sits on a kickboard, so the plinth reads as part of the cabinet and nothing shows beneath it. Three drawers hold more, and the floor standing version is the easier match if the walls are already lined and the pipes come through the floor. A wall hung cabinet needs fixing to a support beam fitted between the studs, so the wall must be opened or already prepared. Our wall hung vanities and freestanding vanities collections show the wider choice in each style.
The choice often comes down to the stage of the build. If the walls are still open, a wall hung Marlo is simple to plan, because the noggins go in before the lining and the waste can leave through the wall. If the room is already tiled, a floor standing Marlo avoids cutting into finished walls and hides the floor pipes behind the kickboard. Choose by the condition of the room first and by looks second.
The shark fin fingerpull
The Marlo has no handle to buy and no knob to line up. The fingerpull is cut into the top edge of each drawer front, with the shape of an upside-down shark fin. Your fingers curl under the edge and pull. The cut also throws a thin line of shadow across the front, and that line is the only detail on an otherwise flat face. In a room with plain tiles and simple tapware, the shadow line gives the cabinet its character without adding a fitting.
A fingerpull suits a household that likes a clean line and wants nothing on the front to catch a sleeve or a towel. It also removes a decision, because you do not have to match a handle finish to the tapware. Wipe the groove with the same damp cloth you use on the rest of the front so soap film does not build up along the edge.
Choosing the top
Each mounting style comes with a Symphony solid surface top, or with a Caesarstone, Vasari or Dekton top. Symphony and Caesarstone are 20mm thick, and Vasari and Dekton are 12mm. A thicker top gives a heavier edge, and a 12mm top reads thinner and sharper. Choose the top first, because it sets the surface you wipe down every day and the look of the edge. Cabinet finishes come from the Duragrain range, and you choose your own handle style where a handle is used.
If you want the thinnest edge, the 12mm tops give it. If you want a bench with some visual weight over a plain cabinet, the 20mm tops give it. Compare the tops against the cabinet finish before you order.
The Marlo pairs a Verdelho cabinet finish with a Symphony top in Travertine Mist and an Ottimo white gloss basin. That combination is a useful starting point for a calm, light room. A darker Duragrain finish under a pale top gives more contrast, and a pale finish under a pale top gives a soft, single-tone look.
Widths and basin layouts
The Marlo runs from 600mm to 1800mm wide. A centre bowl is available at 600mm, 750mm, 900mm, 1200mm, 1500mm and 1800mm. At 1200mm, 1500mm and 1800mm you can also choose an offset bowl, which leaves a clear run of bench on one side for a toiletries tray, or a double bowl for two people at once. A 750mm vanity suits a small main or guest bathroom with one basin. A 900mm vanity is a main and family bathroom size for one basin and is not wide enough for two. A 1500mm vanity is the comfortable double, and 1800mm gives two users separation. Measure the wall first, then allow for the door swing, the toilet and any shower screen beside the vanity before you pick the width. The size collections for 750mm, 900mm, 1200mm, 1500mm and 1800mm vanities show how other ranges compare, and double vanities covers the two-basin layouts.
Basins and tap holes
The basin is included and can sit above the counter or semi-inset. An above-counter basin stands on top of the bench and takes a taller tap or a wall spout. A semi-inset basin sits partly into the top, so the front of the bowl shows over the edge and the bench looks lower. The tap hole count is set when the top is made, with 0, 1 or 3 holes available. Choose 0 holes for wall-mounted tapware, and pick the taps before you order so the holes match. Bathroom taps and mixers lists the mixers and wall spouts.
The three hole counts suit three kinds of tapware.
- One hole takes a single basin mixer, which has one lever and one spout in a single body. This is the usual choice for a plain modern bathroom. Our basin mixers collection holds the options.
- Three holes take a three-piece set, where two handles and a spout are fitted separately. This suits a more traditional look, and the holes are spaced for the set.
- No holes suit wall-mounted tapware, where the mixer and spout come out of the wall above the basin. The top stays clear and the bench is easier to wipe. See spouts for wall-mounted options.
An above-counter basin raises the rim of the basin well above the bench, so the tap needs enough height to clear it. A tall basin mixer is built for that. A semi-inset basin sits lower and takes a standard height mixer. On a double bowl Marlo you need one tap position for each basin, so order the tapware as a pair and confirm the hole count applies to each side.
Height, mirror and lighting
A floor standing vanity usually finishes around 850mm to 900mm above the floor, and an above-counter basin adds roughly 100mm to 150mm on top of that. Check the finished height against the tallest regular user before you order, and against the supply point on the wall. A wall hung vanity is hung on site, so you set the height to suit the household. Most are hung between 800mm and 900mm to the top of the bench.
A mirror hangs best when it is slightly narrower than the vanity, about 50mm to 100mm in from each side. Hang it about 100mm to 200mm above the bench or basin rim so it clears the tap. A single basin vanity suits one mirror, and a double bowl suits either one mirror over each basin or one wide mirror across both. Our mirrors, LED mirrors and mirror cabinets collections give the choices. A flat-fronted vanity pairs well with a frameless or slim framed mirror, because both keep the lines plain.
Care and cleaning
Daily care is light. Wipe the cabinet front with a soft cloth and a weak solution of non-abrasive detergent, and dry any spilt water. Keep scouring powders and abrasive pads away from the Duragrain finish. Solid surface and Caesarstone tops clean with a soft damp cloth, and a mild detergent lifts basic marks. Both resist heat and chemicals better than many surfaces, but a hot hair tool should not sit directly on the top, since extreme heat can mark any top. A soft damp cloth and mild detergent also suit the Vasari and Dekton tops for daily wiping.
The basin cleans with the same soft cloth and mild detergent. Glazed ceramic does not repair if it is scratched, so keep abrasive cleaners away from it. Check the seal around the waste and the silicone where the basin meets the top, and renew any that has lifted.
What to confirm before you order
- The width and the basin layout: centre, offset or double bowl.
- Wall hung or floor standing, and whether the wall behind a wall hung cabinet is ready.
- The top: Symphony, Caesarstone, Vasari or Dekton, and the edge thickness that goes with it.
- The Duragrain cabinet finish, checked against a sample in the room light.
- The basin style: above-counter or semi-inset.
- The tap hole count, matched to the tapware you have chosen.
- The waste and water positions, checked by your plumber against the product drawing.
- The mirror size and height, and any power point for a lit mirror.
Questions buyers ask about the Marlo
Does the Marlo come with a basin?
Yes. The basin and the hardware are included with every Marlo, and you choose between an above-counter and a semi-inset basin style.
Can I use any tap with the Marlo?
Any tap that suits the hole count and the basin style you choose will fit. A one hole top takes a single mixer, a three hole top takes a three-piece set, and a no hole top takes wall-mounted tapware.
Which Marlo suits two people?
The 1500mm or 1800mm double bowl Marlo suits two people. The 1200mm double bowl works where space is tight, and the 1500mm gives each user more room.
More from Marquis
For the full brand range, see Marquis vanities, and for vanities from every brand and size, the bathroom vanity guide. The Marquis Camden and Marquis Reef ranges show other Marquis fronts for the same bathroom plans.
