Bathroom vanities with tempered glass vanity tops have always been a personal favorite of mine. They have a bold, striking look that you don’t get from any other material, and are a great way to add a modern feel to your bathroom. But while aqua has long been the go-to option (and sometimes only color available!), for glass-topped bathroom vanities. lately I’ve been seeing this trend coming back with a twist: replacing that classic blue-green with sleek, smooth black glass.
How Is Black Glass Different?
The best news is that the only difference between traditional tempered glass vanity tops and ones that have been tinted black is the color. That means that black glass vanity tops come with all the same benefits you’d expect from this look: they’re easy to clean and totally non-porous, so they won’t stain or be damaged by standing water or spills. A little spray glass cleaner and a good wipe down will keep these counter tops looking great without any of the fussy maintenance needed for stone vanity tops.
That said, the difference in color is actually a pretty big one. Traditional tempered glass vanity tops are such a striking color that they’re immediately eye-catching, but the style of black glass comes more in the form of contrast. Either used to offset a light-colored vanity or to make a very solid black vanity, black glass is most striking when set against a different color, rather than standing out on its own. On the flip side, while aqua glass is often frosted and milky to make it opaque, black glass creates a perfectly smooth, dark, mirrored surface that will make it feel like the gem of your bathroom.
How Do Vanities With Black Glass Tops Differ In Style?
For a long time, aqua-colored tempered glass was used as the anchor element of vanities it was used on. That meant floating vanity tops, integrated or vessel sinks, and unusual configurations designed to highlight the glass itself. This is less common with black glass vanity tops, which tend to be pretty simple and solid, usually paired with a vessel sink in a different material rather than one that’s integrated or made of matching black glass – though the latter aren’t unheard of.
That isn’t to say that black glass isn’t used to dramatic effect. While it’s often paired with lighter vanities to offset them (where aqua glass is almost always paired with a simple espresso finish), you can also find solid black vanities designed to pack a punch by virtue of contrast. Like the tempered glass vanities they’re derived from, these are meant to stand out by being a little unexpected; in a market dominated by white and light wood bathroom vanities, a solid, dark color immediately draws attention to itself – especially if it has a glossy or even glass finish!
Vanities with black glass tops also tend to incorporate slightly more subtle accents into their designs. Rather than the single-piece elevated vanity tops common on older vanities in this style, they use transparent glass and the space beneath the sink in more innovative ways – like creating a sort of shadow box beneath the vanity top. Of course, some black glass vanity tops are simply opaque, but it’s worth checking to see if there’s a decorative element to it that you might have missed at first glance.
What If I’m Still Not Sure About Having A Glass Vanity Top?
The biggest drawback of tempered glass vanity tops has always been their fragility. While they’re made to be durable and safe, they aren’t immune to chipping – and it can be hard to shake the story you heard from someone who knew someone whose cousin’s glass sink or counter shattered. Tempered glass is about as likely to shatter (into harmless pieces, not dangerous chunks) as a stone vanity top is to crack in half, but if you can’t get past the nagging worry, consider polished black manufactured stone vanity tops instead. They produce a similar level of solid black and gloss and a similar ease of cleaning, plus that little extra peace of mind.
If you’ve always loved the look of tempered glass vanity tops, but weren’t quite ready to go all-in for a look that modern, black glass offers a lovely compromise between the two – a striking, easy-to-clean vanity with a slightly more subtle modern elegance.
