Bathroom - Will I regret not putting in Vanity Units?

[FishfingersAreOK]

Doing the bathroom (well the whole house really) and have in mind clean lines, no fuss. It is a 1930s house so thinking to keep things a contemporary/traditional look.

So this basin with the towel rail (for some reason DH & I just love this) www.bathstore.com/products/euro-mono-600-basin-1041.html with matching loo. We are going to have double ended bath with shower over and these taps. www.homesupply.co.uk/twyford-rival-monobloc-basin-mixer-tap=RL5526CP.htm

Pants - stupid tablet - anyway - was going to say and slate/slate effect floor. White tiles with a few stripes of black/white mosaic going through in t triple stripe pattern (to match the triple paneled '30s doors and triple spindles 30's spindles.

So, sorry - my question. Will I really regret not adding one of these vanity units that are everywhere in the showrooms.? They don't feel rights for the look I think I want (almost a stark look IYSWIM). I would love the storage - but from what I see you don't get that much in many of them . Will I regret it?

Never done a bathroom before and in our old bathrooms we got by with just a small cupboard in each bathroom. Should I go with gut and not bother? Or try to build something into the design?

Yes, unless you have other places to hide tampons, cotton buds, razors etc etc etc
Understand the hotel look you are going for, but no one lives in a hotel....

Yes. You will definitely regret not having storage.

What about a simple mirrored cabinet?

I wasn't that keen on getting a vanity unit under the sink when we refitted our bathroom. I'd never had one before and didn't really see the point. But I was persuaded, and very pleased to now have one - great for hiding everything away!

We put a vanity in the main bathroom and not in our ensuite. And I really regret not doing the ensuite as everything is hidden neatly away in the main bathroom

Yes bathroom storage is key to an uncluttered look. In our bathrooms at our house in Spain we have one bowl type basin set on a lovely base unit and a base unit with an inset sink in the other - no stuff on display. My bathroom here is a tip and awaiting refitting when son goes back to uni - can't wait (for the bathroom refit that is!)

Going to have some open shelves built into the gap at then end of the bath (bath under the window but doesn't quite fill the space -across IYSWIM) So was not going to be storage free (sorry to drip feed) But not masses of storage - the space is too small for a tall/narrow freestanding but was just going to put a few shelves in facing the bath... the tampons thing has made me think though....maybe get part of that should be behind doors...

And you are right Bounty - was aiming for the hotel look without even realising it .

I think I have harped on about storage space in so many other areas of the house I have just lost the plot! So maybe the childish stamping of feet may be regretted! Do they take much "stuff" though? Really? OH BUGGER! Should have bought a sodding new build with all this stuff decided for me by some architect/accountant team in an office.....

Have redone main bathroom and ensuite in past year and like clean minimal look. Have vanity unit with drawers under basin in both bathrooms and would definitely recommend if you don't want a lot of clutter around. Lots of the units hold a fair amount of bits and pieces.

I have just put that basin and full pedestal into my new bathroom.
I didn't want a vanity unit so went for a large but slimline mirrored cabinet over the basin.
Plenty of room for ear buds, toothpaste and other bathroom clutter.

sorry

but I strongly advise against putting a cabinet or shelf over the basin

Women like to put heavy glass jars or bottles there, sooner or later one will fall off, or be dropped by slippery wet hands, and the basin will be chipped or cracked.

Plumbers usually advise their friends not to do it, though it is a valuable source of repeat business from customers.

Glass bottles will not be put in the cupboard over the basin then - very good point thank you!

www.google.co.uk/#q=recessed+bathroom+storage+cabinet&hl=en&tbo=u&source=univ&tbm=shop&sa=X&ei=FPcKUNOfO8qX0QWzu-jlCg&ved=0CHsQzAMwAg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=8d3f41210eeb75a6&biw=1024&bih=672

How about a cupboard recessed into the wall cavity?

I regret not putting more storage in my beautiful new bathroom..... It's amazing how much you need.......

These are brilliant - thank you! DH and discussed and agreed we did need something but the undersink vanity unit thing was a no no. But we are prepared to keep stuff to the necessities in the bathroom and store the extra bogof shower gels/loo rolls etc elsewhere. We will get some shelves put in at the end of the bath and something like this would be brilliant too. I may yet get my hotel-1930's-blackandwhite bathroom...

If you are fond of DIY joinery you can put a door in the bath panel at the head end, and keep your BOGOFs in there. You can have a cupboard behind the door and it will be less dusty.

I had the joiner build bespoke floor to ceiling shelving in the main family bathroom where I had a 45cm gap between the end of the bath and the wall which was then painted. So I have a huge amount of storage space for less than the price of a much smaller vanity unit.

I also took into to account that my lovely toddler daughter would grow into a teenage girl with all that stuff in the bathroom. Lucky for me I put in storage as at the age of eight she already has her bottles of shower gel etc and it is all nicely hidden away.

How old are your DC? We have open shelving under the sink & at the end of the bath put in by previous owners (who had 4 DC under 9 so you would have thought they should have thought about it) and its a nightmare as toddler DD likes nothing better than to have a good ferret around in the shelves whenever she gets a chance - emptying all the tampons; opening random bottles; giving things a good shake. Also, there's no where lockable for medicines, bleach etc so they're all downstairs which is a pain in the middle of the night when she needs a dose of calpol.

DC are 4 & 6 and pretty good tbh - never really hidden things away. Think we will forgo the undersink vanity unit and have open shelves at the end of the bath for things being used and a cupboard built into the gap between the end of the bath and the wall. Possibly a mirrored cupboard over the sink too, Will largely just be stuff for DC as we have ensuite. Though also tempted by the recessed cupboards Ivanahumpalot linked to - one of those definitely going in downstairs loo!

And thank you everyone for your continued input - really valuable points here...especially about the fact my DD 6 will turn into a teenager at some point.... buries head in sand about my baby having toiletries beyond a bit of washable nail varnish