Vanity measurement guide
Measure the available width at floor and bench height, check the door swing and drawer clearance, and confirm where the water and waste come out of the wall or floor before choosing between a floor-standing and a wall-hung vanity.
Measuring the space
- 1Measure the wall width at floor level and again at bench height.Use the smaller figure, then subtract 5–10mm so the vanity does not have to be forced into place.
- 2Measure the depth available from the wall out into the room.Common depths are 380mm, 460mm and 550mm.
- 3Check what the vanity has to clear: door swing, towel rail, skirting, architrave, window sill.A door that hits the vanity by 20mm is discovered on installation day, which is the worst time to discover it.
- 4Allow at least 600mm of clear floor in front for comfortable use.
Plumbing positions decide the vanity type
Where the water and waste come out determines what will actually work:
| Plumbing | Suits |
|---|---|
| Waste and water through the floor | Floor-standing vanity with a kickboard |
| Waste and water through the wall | Wall-hung vanity, or floor-standing with a cut-out |
| Waste through the wall, high | Check drawer clearance — a full-depth top drawer may foul the trap |
| Wall-hung on stud wall | Needs noggings installed before plastering |
Space planning tips
- Mark the vanity footprint on the floor with masking tape and live with it for a day before ordering.
- In a small bathroom, a 600mm wall-hung vanity reads far larger visually than a 750mm floor-standing one.
- Drawers are more usable than doors, but a drawer under a basin needs a U-shaped cut-out — check the product allows it.
- Tall mixers need clearance to the mirror or window above; check the spout height against the basin rim.
- Two basins need roughly 1500mm to avoid feeling cramped.
- Replacing only the basin? Measure the existing benchtop cut-out — width, depth and corner shape — before choosing a new inset or undermount basin.
- An above-counter basin adds its own height to the vanity: check the combined rim height suits the users, and that the tap spout clears the rim comfortably.
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