Dark Wood Bathroom Vanity
Buy the best dark wood bathroom vanity selected and recommended by interior designers. By Mia Jones.
A bathroom vanity is synonymous with classic bathroom design and serves as a utilitarian statement piece. Each piece has its characteristics, but dark wood is a firm favourite for durability and uniqueness. It exudes warm tones by absorbing light, adds a subdued yet plush tone to any bathroom, and is often considered an easy-to-maintain material choice.
Dark Wood Bathroom Vanity
Buying Guide
Mia Jones
Interior Design Expert
Mia is a freelance bathroom designer and writer with over a decade of professional experience. From space planning, cabinetry, storage solutions, and tile design to hardware and fixture selections, she knows a thing about creating baths that strike a perfect balance between functionality and aesthetics.
Wall colors that go best with dark wood vanities are lighter neutrals with cozy warm undertones that bring out the warmth in the dark wood finish.
Creamy white, beige, greige, and taupe are ideal colors to surround a dark wood vanity. These soothing colors lighten up interiors and also soften the aesthetic of dark furniture. You’re not looking for a contrasting effect but a way to blend all the pieces of the room. For this reason, avoid crisp, pure whites as this will create an overly dramatic effect.
More subtle white shades can warm up different types of wood. For instance, ivory with a bluish tint serves well with walnut while pinkish-white complements maple.
Additional options for wall colors include an elegant pale grey and pastel blue shades for tranquility. If your vanity is made of a super dark wood, like black walnut, try painting your wall with a rich ochre color.
A dark wood vanity is a stunning focal point in your bathroom, and it looks even better with a large wall-mounted mirror hanging above it. When it comes to selecting the best mirror to match your dark wooden vanity, there are two options.
If you choose a mirror with a dark wood frame that exactly matches the stain on your vanity, this pairing ties the two pieces together and gives your finished bathroom a cohesive look. However, if you already have other dark features in the bathroom besides the vanity, you may want to use your mirror to open the space up more instead.
In this case, opt for a frameless mirror, or choose one with narrow, silver metallic edging that blends with the mirror itself. This look creates a brighter area above the vanity, preventing your bathroom from becoming too dark and enclosed.
Quality is by far the most important factor to consider when selecting a dark wood vanity. And, with high quality comes a high price, durability, and longevity.
Cherry wood is the best choice, given that it’s hard-wearing, takes dark stains very well, ages beautifully, and darkens as time goes by.
Another option is alder. This type of wood’s natural grain can be seen through the stain and may sometimes look blotchy when not stained evenly. Furthermore, alder is a fairly soft hardwood, so you may want to steer clear from alder if children will be using the vanity. Nonetheless, dark wood vanities made of alder have a rustic look that can give your bathroom a cozy and welcoming vibe.
If you want a vanity with a dark stained finish that’s a bit more affordable than cherry, consider maple wood. It’s versatile, incredibly durable, yet much cheaper than most types of wood.
Another attractive wood known for its superior quality is walnut. This wood is available in both medium brown and dark chocolate finishes, so you can choose between various tones and easily pick one that best matches your aesthetics.