When selecting a vanity table and stool, you should pay attention both to their looks and level of comfort. In this article, you’ll discover valuable recommendations that will help you to make the right choice.
A beautiful vanity table will add charm to your bedroom or bathroom. You can use this furniture item to apply makeup, style your hair, store your jewelry and cosmetics. From this article, you’ll get to know how to choose a dream vanity table and a stool for it. These recommendations should come in handy for people with any budget and style preferences.
How Large Should an Ideal Vanity Table Be?
Most makeup vanities that you would come across in shops range from 30 to 50 inches in width. But if you want a slightly smaller or larger one, you should be able to find it effortlessly. They’re as high as an average writing desk and have one or more drawers. When measuring the space where you’ll put your vanity table, you should remember that you’ll need to open the drawers. Plus, you should allow some extra room to pull out the stool and sit on it comfortably.
Which Types of Storage Does a Vanity Table Offer?
Typically, such tables offer the following types of storage:
- A single drawer, usually in the middle
- A row of smaller drawers
- A few extra drawers next to the mirror
- More drawers coming down on one or both sides
The size of your vanity table should depend on the number of makeup products you use. Ideally, you should have a separate drawer for each type of product: lip gloss, mascara, foundation and so on.
You might want to keep some items hidden and others in the open. Some tables have attractive storage units on their tops. Others offer enough space for you to place the storage.
In case you have a lot of jewelry, you should pick a large vanity with as many drawers as possible. The most convenient way of storing rings, earrings and necklaces is to put them in drawers next to the mirror.
To be able to store long and bulky hair styling tools, your table should have big deep drawers.
What Is the Best Material for a Vanity Table?
A typical modern vanity table is made of wood. It might be natural, stained or painted. This versatile material never goes out of fashion and can easily fit any interior. Top brands such as Presotto Italia, Tomasella, Tonin Casa or San Giacomo offer their unique interpretations of wood. However, such surfaces have a significant shortcoming: they can get stained too easily.
Mirrored surfaces are much easier to clean — but you’ll need to do it very often. Besides, they can add light and air to the room. On the flipside, mirrors are more fragile and pose a hazard for young children.
What About the Mirrors?
Most vanities have the following types of mirrors.
- Standing. Most likely, it will be the first thing you see when you enter the room. Such mirrors are good for premises with abundant natural light.
- Lighted. If there is not enough natural light, a traditional movie mirror with lightbulbs around its frame can make up for it.
- Tri-fold. When applying makeup, you’ll be able to check the result from different angles.
- Adjustable. It will also provide you with more flexibility when applying your makeup. Normally, such mirrors are oval-shaped.
- Flip-top. Thanks to such a mirror, your room will look less busy.
Not all vanities have mirrors. If the table you like lacks a mirror, make sure to firmly attach the mirror that you buy separately to the wall.
How to Create Optimal Lighting for Makeup?
If possible, try to place your makeup vanity next to a big window. Professional makeup artists will assure you that nothing compares with natural light. Otherwise, consider a bulb with a CRI of 90 or higher — that should enable you to see more colors. You can either place a lamp overhead or buy a lighted mirror with natural white light. Avoid fluorescent or yellow lighting because they would distort your perception of colors and textures.
A Vanity Stool or Ottoman: What’s the Difference?
A stool has a back while an ottoman lacks it. The former is more suitable for people who sit at their vanities applying makeup for long periods of time. The latter might be more visually appealing but less comfortable.
An ottoman is a low, square or round footstool that is often used as decorative seating. It can look incredibly chic in a modern bedroom. It might offer extra seating when guests arrive and maybe also extra storage inside. But it’s not too practical and you might struggle to clean it.
When choosing a stool, you can opt for a leather or vinyl top — no matter what you spill or drop on it, you should be able to clean it in a couple of seconds. If you check the assortment of ottomans on sale, you’ll see that most of them have textile surfaces that easily absorb dirt and other substances.
What to Pay Attention to When Choosing a Vanity Stool?
You don’t need to pair your vanity stool with any other type of seating in your house. Moreover, you can turn this item into a standalone accent of your interior. If the walls of the room are creamy and neutral, a tan or leather chair will look stunning there. A golden stool will become a good match for a premise with a grey and blue color scheme.
If you don’t have a bedside table, you can choose a vanity stool that can double as this piece of furniture.
For a large bathroom, an accent armchair would be perfect. You might want to place it in the corner as long as it is far away from the shower and sink. This should make your bathroom look more sophisticated.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article came in handy and now you know how to choose a perfect vanity table and a stool for it. Both these items need to be not only stylish but also highly practical. Thanks to them, you should enjoy every minute of applying makeup and styling your hair.
