There’s a big difference between a bathroom that’s small and a bathroom that’s tiny. In a small bathroom, there’s not much room for furniture. In a tiny bathroom, there isn’t much room to stand. The latter are usually half bathrooms that are only used by guests – or when all the other bathrooms in the house are occupied. But when efficiency sized bathrooms are used frequently (or even primarily), micro bathroom vanities quickly become a must have.
Ordinarily, in a very small half bathroom, I’d recommend installing a wall mounted sink and calling it a day. For an infrequently used space, wall mounted sinks offer the perfect combination of compact size and functionality. But if you use the bathroom for more than just hand washing, a bare bones sink won’t cut it. At the very least, you need space to store a toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap. That’s where micro bathroom vanities come in. When there’s no room to add more counter space, it’s time to add a cabinet.
Wall mounted bathroom sinks work well in tiny bathrooms because they’re designed specifically to be both narrow and shallow. That means they sit close to the wall and can be installed almost anywhere. Bathroom vanities generally have to be much larger because they accommodate a full-sized sink and faucet, not to mention the plumbing and cabinet. But micro bathroom vanities take a page from the wall mounted sink’s playbook. Offsetting the faucet and slimming down the sink means the whole vanity protrudes less than a foot from the wall.
Now, any cabinet that will fit on a sink that small won’t be anywhere near one you’d find on any full sized (or even relatively small sized) bathroom vanity. But it will provide the basic storage that wall mounted sinks simply don’t have. The best of these very small bathroom vanities aren’t any wider or deeper than an equivalent sink, and don’t take up any extra space in the dimensions that matter. Although the inclusion of a cabinet obviously makes the vanities much taller, it’s space that would otherwise go unused.
On the inside, these cabinets are rarely more than a simple ledge that’s less than a foot deep. But because the vanity itself is relatively shallow and flat,, items stored it are easy to reach and totally accessible. Occasionally you might find one of these micro bathroom vanities that has a shelf on the inside. Generally, though, the whole vanity is so small that a shelf can be overkill. Especially on shorter vanities, you have enough room to stow a few toiletries, but not much more than that.
If you have a long, narrow bathroom, you can find these low profile bathroom vanities in slightly wider sizes. Keep in mind, though, that making the vanity wider will usually make it a bit thicker as well. The difference may only be a few inches, but can be enough to block a tight walkway. If you have the space to spare, these vanities are a bit less minimalistic, with a greater quantity and variety of storage, and even a little smidge of counter space.
All that said, unless you really do have a truly tiny bathroom (or if you’re a hardcore minimalist), you probably want to skip on this particular style. As cute as they may be, they’re really designed for efficiency rather than comfort. The sinks are very, VERY small, and the storage space is at an absolute bare minimum. The smallest models are based on the kinds of vanities you’d find on a small boat or in an RV. As such, they should really only be used in bathrooms with similar space constraints. But if you don’t have room for anything bigger and need a place to stash your toothbrush, one of these will serve you well.
Do you have a very small efficiency style bathroom you’re looking to furnish? Do you like the added functionality of these micro bathroom vanities, or would you stick with a more compact wall mounted bathroom sink? Let me know in the comments!
