Bathroom Cabinet Ideas

Formal Without the Fuss

In this bathroom, a symmetrically balanced arrangement of sinks, mirrors, and cabinetry looks graceful and elegant, formal but not fussy. The cabinetry features exposed legs, which gives it the appearance of freestanding furniture. The central storage unit separating the two sink areas features an arrangement of cabinets and drawers that can hold hand towels, hair dryers, toiletries, and more.

Warm Minimalism

This bathroom is all about simplicity, with the tiled vanity wall offering a textural counterpoint to the marble flooring and wall of windows. The vanity is reduced to a straight line of flat-front wooden drawers that benefit from a dark, warm wood grain. Floating the drawers above the floor emphasizes the gravity-defying vanity as a focal point.

A Federal Case

Furniture-style feet on this built-in vanity trace their roots to the Federal Era. Crown molding and raised-panel doors define the tall cabinets flanking each side of the vanity as traditional, while recessed-panel door fronts and drawers in the central portion look a bit less formal. Painting the entire unit white also gives the traditional-style cabinetry a more relaxed appearance.

Arts & Crafts Inspiration

This built-in vanity, stained a medium brown, evokes the warm oak furniture made popular by the Arts and Crafts movement at the end of the 19th century. Slender molding outlines doors and drawers—which are punctuated by round metal knobs—create subtle surface variations. Furniture-style feet on the vanity suggest the look of an old dresser. Arts and Crafts cabinetry works especially well in bungalow-style homes or those where the decorating emphasizes natural materials, stained wood, and rustic simplicity.

Bathroom Cabinet Storage

Trick out your bathroom cabinets with these clever storage ideas.

High Contrast

Decorating with white and other light neutrals is a surefire way to expand the look of a small bathroom, but sometimes the lack of color leaves the space feeling washed out and cold. This nearly all-white bathroom benefits from a dark wood vanity topped with a marble countertop. A panel of shallow drawers between the two sink areas provides varied storage for bathroom necessities.

Chic Statement

Inspired by the idea of converting furniture into a vanity, this bathroom combines a thick marble countertop and integrated sinks with clean-lined storage units below. The result is a sophisticated, glamorous look. The marble is repeated along another wall and in the shower surround, which lends cohesion to the space. The combination of stone and wood, along with glitzy chrome accents, gives this bathroom a highly-styled look.

Small but Mighty

A wall of tiny mosaic tiles is punctuated by a dark wood vanity cabinet in this small bathroom. The cabinet's deep construction allows for plenty of storage despite the necessary undersink plumbing. A medicine cabinet hung above the countertop features a thick wood mirror frame and provides additional storage for small toiletries and soaps. The sculptural stone vessel sink atop the cabinet ensures the countertop always stays clutter-free.

Contemporary Elegance

Long gone are the days when contemporary meant cold. Flat-panel drawer fronts and sleek brushed-nickel pulls define this bathroom vanity as contemporary, while the cabinetry's warm wood finish and tile backsplash add comforting warmth. Undermount sinks reinforce the contemporary look by not interrupting the smooth plane of the countertop.

Midcentury Modern

This bathroom cabinetry is elegant and modern with brushed-metal pulls and handles lending subtle variations to the crisp white cabinetry surfaces. A slender cabinet outfitted with a frosted-glass panel stretches all the way up to the ceiling, which helps the airy unit look sturdy.

Country Revival

In this bathroom, a pair of weathered wooden cabinets lends traditional country style and plenty of storage capacity. Outfitting your bathroom with recycled and repurposed components makes sense environmentally, and it allows you to create a look uniquely yours.

Black and White

Although many people shy away from using pattern and dark colors in small spaces such as powder rooms, this shows how to do it successfully. To prevent the geometric wallpaper pattern from overwhelming the entire space, the small bathroom cabinet was given a fresh coat of crisp white paint. The cabinet's light finish and bracket-style feet lend a feeling of airiness.

• See how to add smart storage ideas to your bathroom with these budget-friendly ideas.

Designed to Fit

This bathroom's ultra-tiny construction called for creative storage solutions. The small vanity was constructed using a store-bought cabinet base and a birch plywood countertop. The countertop's curved shape allows the door to open into the small bathroom but still manages to squeeze in more storage. The ring-shaped cabinet pulls are small, but they add a dash of vintage charm.

Asian Inspiration

An antique Asian altar table functions as a focal point in this open and airy bathroom. A crisp white vessel sink atop the unit preserves the limited drawer space below, which would have been swallowed up by other sink models. A buffing of paste wax once a month keeps water rolling off the weathered wooden surface of the table.

Open & Shut

A mix of open and closed storage in the bathroom provides decorative and functional options. Drawers offer accessible storage for toiletries and medicines, while cleaning supplies are best stashed out of sight under the sink. Here, open shelves filled with wicker baskets, put towels within easy reach. and make a decorative statement. The cubbies also break up the wall of cabinetry, adding a sense of depth and preventing monotony.

French Impression

Inspired by ornately carved 19th-century designs, this cabinetry sports a decorative paint treatment that mimics the look of weathered wood. The marble countertop and gold mirror frame blend well with the vanity's dramatic design. Brushed gold accents throughout the room, such as the faucet and wall sconces, also blend with the vanity's antique character.

The Unfitted Bath

Like the unfitted kitchen, a bath outfitted with individual pieces of furniture rather than with built-in cabinetry avoids a cookie-cutter look and stakes a claim to individuality. In this spacious bathroom, two freestanding cabinets on each side of the airy console sink are used for storing toiletries, linens, and other bathroom necessities. The upper cabinet on each unit was outfitted with a panel of glass, which keeps the bathroom feeling open and inviting.

Heavy Metal

This bathroom proves that stand-alone storage can blend with just about any bathroom decorating style. Here, a stainless-steel cabinet brings a splash of funky, industrial appeal to an otherwise cottage-style bathroom. Glass shelves in the upper portion of the unit prevent it from looking too heavy and allow for display space.

Modern Glamour

A sleek, dark-stained cabinet raised on metal legs adds a whiff of Hollywood glamour to the contemporary styling in this bathroom. With modern-style cabinetry, beauty comes from the grain and finish of the wood and the relationships between functional parts—drawers to doors, pulls to handles—rather than from carving, paneling, or applied ornamentation. A sleek-lined vessel sink atop the cabinet lends another splash of contemporary appeal.

Custom Crafted

Custom-designed cabinetry allows you to freely express your personal style. In this spacious bathroom, a dark-stained, furniture-style vanity rests on exposed legs, creating an airy, freestanding look. The color of the vanity not only grounds the piece in place, but it also matches the bathroom's plentiful window trim, creating a cohesive look. A hefty slab of limestone atop the unit lends a textural contrast to the dark wooden base and nickel door and drawer pulls.

Transitional Style

The combination of recessed flat-panel doors, which convey traditional style, and slab or flat-panel drawers, which reflect contemporary style, gives this bathroom cabinetry a transitional look. Simple round knobs lend themselves to both traditional and contemporary styles, reinforcing the blended effect. Crisp white marble used for the countertop, backsplash, and floor puts an emphasis on elegance.