By Andrew Hallinan

Today’s homes have bathrooms of varying styles and sizes, but an antique bathroom vanity is a great choice for updating any bath decor scenario. Antique vanities soften the sometimes sterile look and feel of bathrooms, offer greater storage options for couples and families, and are available in multiple styles and shapes to suit almost any space.

We all want a clean bathroom, but at times, the environment can feel cold and uninviting. Tile, the material in use in almost all modern baths, provides an easy cleaning surface, as well as a clean look, but it can be too severe. One approach to softening the look of a tiled bath is with an antique bathroom vanity. Dark, light, or warm wood brings comfort and warmth to the room and the contrast between the modern and familiar brings a welcome balance, allowing guests and family alike to feel at ease.

Bathroom vanities must be able to withstand regular exposure to water and moisture. A variety of surfaces are used to accomplish this. Antique vanities can be topped with granite, stone, travertine, or hard wood. Marble is a traditional vanity topper that is extremely resistant to breakage, cracking, and scratching. The vanity itself may be constructed in a variety of woods from deep mahoganies to lighter pines. Modern plumbing fixtures are easy to install, and can be purchased in a great variety of styles to match your antique vanity. Many vanities also help to hide exposed plumbing that many people find unattractive.

Bathrooms, by their very nature, require the storage of toiletries, towels, cleaning supplies, and other items that can lead to clutter. Antique bathroom vanities are beautiful focal points, and even conversation pieces, while also offering convenient space for storage. An antique bathroom vanity offers real furniture, rather than a laminate coated pressed board, along with ample storage space. A real wood vanity serves also replaces functional, but unattractive storage solutions such as bins, crates, and shelving that usually serve this purpose.

Todays antique bathroom vanities come in a wide selection of styles and sizes and can be used in so almost any size or style room. Ornately carved vanities can be paired with warm copper or jade colored sinks to bring an Asian flair to any bath. Plain, Shaker-style vanities can be paired with exposed, free standing sinks in copper or porcelain. Larger, two-sink vanities can be accented with framed mirrors to create a striking focal point for larger bathrooms. Antique bathroom vanities prove useful and attractive in smaller bathrooms and powder rooms as well. Vanities used in smaller spaces are more compact, but can feature more height than the traditional sink. Some of these vanities are only 23 inches wide, yet provide the same functionality of a much larger sink. Replacing a traditional laminate cabinet and sink combination with a free standing antique bathroom vanity can immediately open much needed floor space in a small area.

Antique bathroom vanities offer a way to bring your personal style and a sense of warmth and elegance into one of the most often used areas of your home. Antique vanities are surprising affordable as well. Sinks and vanities can be mixed and matched by the consumer allowing for a much more individual style approach to the bath.

Distressed furniture is a broad term that is used to describe furniture that has been altered to change its appearance to a more worn look. The distressed look is desirable by those who want to create a more casual aesthetic, those who wish to contrast highly architectural or modern styles with a more rustic feel, and those who do not want their furniture to appear “factory fresh”, but rather like a an heirloom piece or antique find.

Distressed furniture comes in a variety of colors and finishes. Natural woods may be distressed, as well as finishes, veneers, and painted surfaces. Milk-paint, a popular finish in many eras and settings, often accompanies a distressed appearance. Distressing may bring out the bare wood that lies behind the finished surface of a piece, or may reveal a tone used in the base paint of a piece when the top coat is sanded or otherwise removed. Again, this must be done very carefully because over-doing this type of modification can really be detrimental and you may need to start from scratch.

Cabins, lodges, and mountain homes are almost always associated with the rustic and lived in look of distressed furniture. But today, distressed furniture can be found in dwellings ranging from inner city apartments to Palm Beach mansions. One of the reasons for this trend is the desirability of a room that evokes comfort and ease. Distressed furniture evokes a casual and relaxed feeling that inspires guests to make themselves at home.

Furniture may be distressed to various levels. The distress on a piece of furniture may be as simple as sanding, whether applied to the entire piece or used in specific spots, or to create the look of natural wear and tear. Distressed furniture can also be created by striking the furniture with blunt objects or chains. The process, as you can imagine, can actually be dangerous, and getting the desired result tricky. The process of creating the look and feel that you’re looking for is similar to staining your furniture piece.

About the Author: Click here to learn more about distressed furniture. Andrew Hallinan is the owner of Tampa Search Engine Optimization company, and is Tampa Bay’s leading Search Marketing Specialist.

Source: isnare.com

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