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Colorful sinks, funky hardware, or a bold countertop are a few ways you can spice up a rectangular bathroom vanity, but if you really want to broaden your horizons, look no further than the custom unit Robert McKinley created for a client’s house in Montauk, New York. The designer thought outside the box (literally) and added a bench to the live-edge mahogany structure.
“There’s always a shortage of seating in a bathroom,” says McKinley, who tasked local architectural millwork shop Anders Jensen Design with the project. “Sometimes you just need a place to sit, take off your shoes, or paint your toenails.” The whole structure, which measures around 10-feet-long, isn’t all that tricky to install—there just has to be strong farming in the wall to anchor the vanity. Chic wood stumps and colorful stools have become recent staples for pampering, but while they’re great for displaying scented candles and essential oils, have you ever actually sat down on one and relaxed?
This all-in-one perch and its white cushion are right next to all the action, aka the double-basin marble sinks (fabricated in Italy) and a matching wood-framed mirror. So even on days when blow-drying your hair seems like a real effort, there’s a place to relax—or on busier days, get organized.
Whether you’re doing your makeup on the fly, folding clothes, or going through your surplus of products, having the space to spread out and sit down is a life—scratch that, time—saver.
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