Custom Bathroom Vanity Cabinetry: A Homeowner’s Guide

The bathroom vanity is the cabinetry centrepiece of any bathroom renovation — and the component that most determines how the finished bathroom reads in terms of quality, storage function, and resale value. Custom bathroom vanity cabinetry — built to the exact dimensions of your space with the specific storage configuration you need — is a fundamentally different product from the stock and semi-custom vanities sold at home improvement retailers. Here’s what GTA North homeowners need to know before they specify a bathroom vanity.

Types of Bathroom Vanity Cabinetry

Floating (Wall-Hung) Vanity

A vanity cabinet that mounts directly to the wall studs with no floor contact. The space below the vanity is completely open floor — creating a visual sense of space and making floor cleaning straightforward. Wall-hung vanities require reinforced wall blocking (typically 3/4″ plywood mounted between studs) installed during the renovation framing phase before drywall. DKC coordinates the blocking specification with the renovation contractor. The open floor space below a floating vanity is a strong visual cue for a contemporary or spa-style bathroom.

Floor-Standing (Freestanding) Vanity

A traditional vanity cabinet that sits on the floor. Toe-kick at the base covers the gap between the cabinet bottom and the floor. Does not require special wall blocking. Available in any width from 18″ to 120″+ in a custom build. The enclosed toe-kick area provides a visually grounded, furniture-like look that works in traditional, transitional, and Shaker-style bathrooms. The most common vanity configuration in GTA North primary and secondary bathrooms.

Furniture-Style Vanity

A vanity designed to look like a piece of furniture rather than a cabinet — with visible furniture legs, a furniture-style toe-kick, or a console-style open base. Typically found in guest bathrooms and powder rooms where the bathroom is smaller and the vanity serves as a design statement. DKC builds these with solid wood legs and a plywood or solid wood vanity body.

Double Vanity

A single vanity cabinet run with two sinks — the standard for primary ensuite bathrooms in 4+ bedroom GTA North detached homes. Double vanities can be built as a single continuous cabinet (most common) or as two separate vanity units with a gap or tower between them. Storage zones — drawers and cabinet sections — can be configured to each user’s side independently in a custom build.

What a Custom Bathroom Vanity Should Include

• Under-sink cabinet: The primary storage zone below each sink. Configured with a door (single or double) and interior shelf. Custom builds work around the P-trap and supply lines — stock vanities often sacrifice usable interior space to plumbing obstructions.
• Drawer tower: 3–4 stacked drawers in a dedicated section of the vanity for everyday items — toiletries, makeup, hair tools. The most functional storage element in a primary bathroom vanity.
• Medicine cabinet or mirror cabinet: A recessed or surface-mounted mirror cabinet above the vanity counter provides accessible everyday-use storage without requiring a separate linen closet or tower for items used at the sink.
• Linen tower (optional): A full-height tower unit at one or both ends of the vanity run. 12–18″ deep, with shelves above and a hamper section below. Solves the linen storage problem in bathrooms without a dedicated linen closet.

Bathroom Vanity Materials

Bathroom cabinetry requires moisture-resistant materials and finishes. DKC builds vanity boxes from 3/4″ plywood (birch or maple core) rather than MDF — plywood tolerates the humidity cycles of bathroom environments substantially better than MDF, which swells and delaminates with repeated moisture exposure over time. Door fronts are painted MDF (with a sealed, moisture-resistant finish) or solid wood. Vanity countertops are quartz or porcelain (not wood or laminate) in bathroom applications.

Bathroom Vanity Pricing (CAD, 2026)