Somewhere amidst the move towards more casual, contemporary design and the push for increasingly eco-friendly homes, natural finished wood has skyrocketed in popularity. Blonde and gray wood, reclaimed wood, and driftwood – both authentic and replica – have become must-have hot-ticket items for everything from floor boards to ceiling beams and all the furniture and furnishings in between. Driftwood bathroom vanities are at the forefront of this trend. With a lightly weathered appearance and sturdy construction, driftwood is the perfect combination of practical, casual, and beautiful.
Can You Really Build A Vanity Out Of Driftwood?
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It’s worth saying up front: not very many bathroom vanities are made from actual driftwood, or even reclaimed wood. While recycled or upcycled wood is great for a decorative accent, it’s a little too rough and porous for use in a bathroom. So keep in mind that most so-called driftwood bathroom vanities are actually new hardwood that’s been artificially weathered. That is to say, you’re getting wood with a finish that looks much older and more worn than it really is, but is durable enough for regular use.
What Are The Advantages Of Artificially Weathered Wood?
There are two big up sides to this. First, it’s much less expensive to build a vanity using new wood than it is to use reclaimed pieces. Any time you’re using second-hand wood, you have to hand select each piece for quality and regularity. Second, because the weathering is intentionally applied rather than organically acquired, the surface of the vanity will be much smoother (no splinters), and usually very well finished to prevent water damage. As a bonus, the finish itself will be more consistent. Though it might lack the individual character of furniture made from real driftwood, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting. Better still, it will stay looking that way for years to come, rather than fading with age.
A Versatile Look To Match Your Bathroom’s Style
Part of the reason driftwood bathroom vanities are so popular is that this simple finish works well with such a wide variety of different bathroom styles. On the one hand, a driftwood finish can help bring out the simple, natural aspect of a spa style bathroom. But it can also create the more rugged, earthy look and feel you’d want for a rustic bathroom. A weathered gray wood can feel homey in a cottage style bathroom, but help evoke a sandy, wind-swept look for a seaside style or maritime themed bath.
Get Transitional: Using Driftwood Vanities For A Timeless Appeal
Driftwood bathroom vanities have a much more casual look and feel than most other wood finishes (and particularly dark wood finishes). That means you can have a more traditional vanity style and not wind up with a vanity that looks dated or too formal. On the flip side, because they have that great natural appeal, they can keep a more modern bathroom from feeling too cold – again moderating a slightly more formal looking style so it’s more comfortable and casual to use.
A Good Neutral Choice For Long-Term Home Value
Because driftwood bathroom vanities are such chameleons, working equally well with traditional, modern, and contemporary bathroom styles, they have an amazing amount of crossover appeal…which can be great for your resale value. Even if a potential buyer’s taste is different from your own, a driftwood finish can be a relatively neutral point. Plus, a simple, bare wood finish gives almost any style bathroom a more warm, relaxed feel; a driftwood vanity can make a bathroom look more inviting to a wider variety of tastes.
Driftwood Vanities: A Low-Risk, Long-Lived Bathroom Trend
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The versatility of driftwood bathroom vanities also means they probably aren’t going away any time soon. Natural finished wood is hugely popular throughout the entire home right now in all types of furniture and furnishings. But most driftwood furnishings are very distinctive, like shiplap walls, wine barrels, factory style furniture, and so on. Unless you actually build a “vanity” out of a slab of driftwood, driftwood bathroom vanities are a much quieter offshoot of this trend. It’s the wood itself – rather than the design – that’s the star of the show. That means you don’t have to go wild with your design to get a natural wood look you’ll love.
What do you think of these driftwood bathroom vanities? Do you like the look of natural wood? Let me know in the comments!
