400mm to 600mm Vanities Buying Guide
Vanities in this range suit powder rooms, tight ensuites and compact secondary bathrooms. Two measurements decide whether one fits: the width along the wall and the depth out from it. Most people shop by width, but in a narrow room the depth is often the number that matters, so this guide covers both, along with the plumbing, the basin and the layout choices that go with a small vanity.
Widths in this range
The collection runs from 400mm to 600mm wide. The sizes in this collection are 400mm, 480mm, 550mm and 600mm, and there is no 500mm unit, so if your wall is about 500mm, compare the 480mm and the 550mm and decide which side of the gap you can live with. As a rough guide, 400mm to 500mm wide suits a powder room, 500mm to 750mm a small ensuite and 750mm to 900mm a small main bathroom. A width of 600mm to 900mm works for many small bathrooms, and 600mm or 750mm are the safest starting points.
600mm is the smallest mainstream size, and it suits powder rooms, compact ensuites and secondary bathrooms. A 465mm unit is for a powder room only, and 600mm is the stated minimum for daily use in a main bathroom or ensuite. If the wall allows, a 750mm vanity gives more bench and drawer space, and 900mm is the most common width for a main bathroom. See 900mm vanities before you commit to the smaller size.
Depth is the other number
A standard vanity is usually between about 450mm and 500mm deep, and a shallower unit of about 360mm to 400mm suits a small room. Slimline units go shallower again: powder room units are about 220mm to 350mm deep, and a 600mm to 900mm wide slim unit is often about 360mm to 370mm. In this collection the slim units run from about 220mm to 280mm deep, with one slim unit at 390mm, which is the closest to 400mm, and a standard depth of 500mm on the larger ones. A shallower unit gives up some storage and usually takes a smaller basin, so choose it for the walkway you gain and not for the look.
In a narrow room that difference decides whether you can walk past the vanity. Measure depth from the finished wall to the front edge of the basin, because that is the distance you will actually stand in front of. For more slim depths, see slimline vanities.
Test the footprint before you order
Mark the footprint on the floor and wall with painter's tape, stand in it and swing the door. If you have to turn sideways to get past, the vanity is too wide, too deep or both. Sizing by the length of the wall alone is a common mistake, because a thick benchtop, large handles and a dark, bulky cabinet all add visual weight that a tape measure doesn't show. Leave about 700mm to 750mm clear in front of the basin so you can stand and open the drawers, and keep at least 450mm from the centre of the toilet pan to the nearest fixed obstruction, which includes a vanity.
It also helps to look at the room as a whole. Moving a toilet or changing a shower screen can free up the wall run for a wider vanity, and that is a far easier change on paper than after the tiles are down.
Wall hung or floor standing
Most vanities here are wall hung, because floating the cabinet leaves the floor visible and makes a small room read larger. A wall hung unit needs solid backing in the wall and the waste pipe through the wall, so decide early in a renovation, ideally at the framing stage. The cabinet should be fixed through the back at the top and bottom into at least two support beams. See wall hung vanities for the fixing detail.
Some of the range stands on the floor, on legs or a kickboard, and that includes 600mm floor standing vanities. A floor standing unit suits finished walls and floor pipes, because the cabinet covers the pipes. Freestanding vanities lists them. At this size a floor standing vanity is also the one that keeps the most storage, since the cabinet runs to the floor.
Plumbing in a small space
The waste may come through the wall or the floor, and which one you have decides which layouts will work. A freestanding vanity on a kickboard covers floor pipes, and a wall hung vanity needs the waste to come through the wall. All plumbing work must be done by a licensed plumber, who can confirm the pipe positions against the inside of the cabinet before the vanity is fixed. The installer should note the clearance behind drawers where the water supply fittings sit, and in a narrow cabinet that clearance is tight, so a drawer under the basin may be cut away around the waste.
The holes for the pipes are drilled in the back panel or base of the cabinet with a hole saw, so give the plumber the product drawing early. Check the waste type and its centreline before you buy, because that is where replacements most often go wrong.
Bowl position and tap holes
Some narrow vanities come with a left or right bowl option, which pushes the basin to one side and leaves a clear run of bench on the other. That is the option to look for in a tight layout, because it keeps the basin clear of the door swing or the toilet. Check the options on the product page for the exact vanity.
The tap hole is set when the top is made, so choose the tapware before you order the top. Most ceramic tops take one tap hole for a basin mixer, and some stone tops allow the hole at a 10 or 2 o'clock position only. A top with no tap hole is for wall-mounted taps, and then the pipework has to be planned into the wall in advance. Bathroom taps and mixers are listed by type.
Basins and tops at a small size
Some units at this size include a basin top and others are sold as a cabinet only, so the basin and top are chosen separately. Check what is in the box before you compare options. A smaller unit leaves less bench around the bowl, so the basin type matters: an inset basin drops into the top and keeps the bench flush, an above-counter basin sits on top and frees up cabinet space beneath, and an undermount basin is fixed under the top. The full basin range is separate. Materials in compact units include PVC, MDF and water-resistant plywood, and a ceramic top can vary in size by a few millimetres because of the way ceramic shrinks as it is fired.
For a separate basin, check that the waste fits the hole, fit a thin foam washer under the waste neck on a ceramic basin, seal it with non-acidic silicone, and tighten it by hand only, because overtightening stresses the basin. If a basin won't hold water, the usual causes are debris such as soap scum or hair, a plug that isn't locked in, or missing silicone under the waste rim.
Drawers or doors
Most of these vanities have drawers, some have doors, and some combine the two. Drawers show everything at once, and a drawer can be cut around the waste pipe, which a door can't. Doors leave a taller open space, which suits spare toilet rolls and cleaning bottles. In a narrow room, check that drawers and doors open fully without hitting the toilet, a shower screen or the door.
Doors and drawers have height, side-to-side and depth adjustment, and the installer makes the final adjustments after the cabinet is fixed, because transport and installation can knock them out of line. If a drawer won't close, the usual causes are an obstruction such as plumbing or a tap hose, an installation fault, or a cabinet that isn't level and plumb.
Styles and finishes
The range comes in white, black, woodgrain and grey, and many vanities offer more than one finish. In a small room a simple white finish bounces light around, and matte and satin fronts hide fingerprints better than gloss. For natural timber, see solid timber vanities, and for the easiest match with other fittings, white bathroom vanities. For shape and texture, look at curved and fluted vanities, and for ensuite-sized units, ensuite vanities. Small vanities covers compact units across a wider range of widths.
A smaller vanity takes up less visual space, so a bolder colour, a textured front or a distinctive handle can lead the room without overwhelming it. If a standard size doesn't suit an awkward wall, custom vanities offer a choice of sizes and finishes to build around the space.
Heights, mirrors and lighting
A floor standing cabinet is about 830mm high before the top and basin go on, and the finished height is usually 850mm to 900mm. A wall hung vanity is set on site, usually between 800mm and 900mm. A stone or timber top adds about 30mm to 50mm and an above-counter basin adds roughly another 100mm to 150mm, so a cardboard mock-up held against the wall is a quick way to test a height.
A mirror about 50mm to 100mm narrower than the vanity, set in from each side, looks balanced, and a single-vanity mirror is typically 600mm to 900mm wide. Hang it about 100mm to 200mm above the bench or the basin rim so it clears the tap handles. Plan the lighting at the same time, because the light and power point positions depend on the mirror and the vanity width.
Installation, tiling and care
Installation should be done by a qualified tradesperson, and the warranty may be void if it isn't installed to the maker's instructions. It asks for tiles to run behind and beneath the furniture and doesn't recommend tiling in around it, because moisture and mould can build up and damage the material. The cabinet materials are moisture resistant, not waterproof, so keep the vanity at least 300mm from wet areas such as a bath and out of shower spray, and seal every edge where the cabinet or top meets the wall with a continuous bead of neutral cure silicone.
For care, a soft cloth and a weak solution of non-abrasive detergent do the job, and any water spilled on or inside the cabinet should be dried. Ceramic tops and basins want the same cloth and detergent, and a scratch in glazed ceramic can't be repaired. In a small bathroom, good ventilation matters more than usual, because high humidity leads to permanent dampness and mould. Look over the silicone around the basin about once a month, and redo it if it is cracked or lifting.
Finishing the room
A small vanity leaves room for the rest of the bathroom to work, so match the tap finish to the handles and accessories, and if you are tiling at the same time, tiles let you choose the splashback and floor as a pair. Our bathroom vanity guide covers the choices that apply to every vanity, and the 1200mm collection covers larger rooms.
Shop by brand
If you already know the range you want, the brand vanity collections are ADP, Marquis and Timberline.
