A Look at Bathroom Sink Cabinets

Bathroom sink cabinets are very useful furnishings that are also a major part of the decor of today's bathrooms. These built-in cabinets come in many different styles and are usually constructed out of various types of wood. They usually have a countertop that has a drop-in sink. Sink cabinets came in when modern plumbing was developed, and they have been around ever since.

The predecessor of today's sink cabinet was simply a bowl or washbasin that stood on a piece of furniture. A faucet or valve above the bowl provided the water for the basin. There was no plumbing to carry the waste water away, so it was necessary to dump the water out of the washbowl after it was used. Before that arrangement for washing, there was a washstand that held a pitcher of water and a washbowl.

Modern plumbing changed all that and the bathroom sink cabinet became a permanent built-in fixture in the bathroom. Permanent plumbing attached to the sink both brought water to the basin and carried waste water away. Many kinds of cabinet tops are used to hold the drop-in sinks. Granite, tile, laminate, wood, and other materials are all used as tops. One-piece sinks and countertops are also available.

The cabinets themselves are usually made out of wood, and many types of wood are used, so you can find a cabinet that matches your bathroom's decor. Since the bathroom is a separate room, it can have a unique look, and the cabinet material and style do not have to be the same as the other rooms in the house. Oak is a wood commonly used for bathroom cabinets. Pine, hickory, maple, walnut, elm, ash, and several other types of wood are also used to make attractive cabinets. The wood can also be finished in several ways to give different looks. The cabinets can be left with a natural finish or they can be stained. Staining brings out the natural beauty of the grain in the wood. Because of the moistness in the bathroom, it is important that the cabinets have a finish that will protect the wood.

Sink cabinets are made in many sizes, so you can find one that will fit the available space in your bathroom. The cabinets are generally eighteen to twenty-one inches deep. The shorter cabinets are eighteen inches long and you can have yours custom made in a length that will fit your bathroom. Most cabinets contain drawers and have doors. Your bathroom toiletries can be stored in the drawers and in the area behind the doors. The sink and the plumbing are installed behind the doors. The doors can be simple square doors or they can have routered edges and corners. They can be raised or flat paneled or they can be solid and flat. Because of their usefulness and their essential function, bathroom sink cabinets have become a universal fixture in American houses today.