Designing your new home interiors can be a challenge. Even though many furniture retailers provide eCommerce shopping experiences, purchasing a piece of sight unseen can be a crapshoot. How can you ensure that you’re happy with the piece in person as you are on the website? Online shopping is supposed to make it easier for busy consumers, but there are some things that you really can’t choose without knowing what it really is like in person.
You’re in luck because I’m here to help you avoid taking that trip to the showroom!
Restoration Hardware is a high-end furniture retailer with showrooms around the country. They specialize in high-end, design-minded consumers who are looking for high quality, custom pieces for their homes. RH employs experienced interior designers, who help consumers create the spaces of their dreams. As such, many of the pieces that they carry are highly customizable, giving consumers a variety of options to create a truly custom piece. In fact, many pieces are handmade to order.
To save you a trip and provide you with salient information about what the furniture looks like in person, I spent hours in the Restoration Hardware showroom in Austin, Texas. I spent hours to test each vanity in their showroom to provide you with information on how durable it is, what it really looks like in person, and what type of styling I think would work best with each piece.
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Methodology
Before I tackle the actual experience I had at Restoration Hardware, let me give you a little background on what I like. Preference and style is a personal choice, and you may not agree with my options. So in the name of full transparency, I’ll give you an idea of how I approached this review, lay out what’s important to me, my home, and my family, as well as the style I want to create in my bathroom.
Both my wife and I have a ton of products, so storage is going to be key. We also like everything to look neat and clean on the outside, so we don’t want our products just hanging out on a shelf. A dual vanity would be ideal, and of course, we need some counter space.
What’s more important to us, however, is the style. While I’m looking for a vintage feel to my primary bath, reminiscent of bed and breakfast in the New England countryside, I’m also very aware of the resale value of my home. I want to make sure that the pieces I bring in function in a wide variety of different styles and vibes so that 1.) I won’t get bored of it, as I do like the change interior styles often and on a whim; and 2.) since the vanity is something that typically stays with the home when you sell it, I want to make sure it can appeal to different styles as well.
Now that that’s out of the way let’s get to the vanity reviews!
RH Vanity Reviews
Hutton
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Washstand and floating styles also available
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 6
- Available hardware choices: 6
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- Medicine cabinet
- 71” bath cabinet
- Open hutch
- Glassdoor hutch
- Wall mirror
- Stool
Overall Impression: Now, even though I want something that will go with a lot of different styling, I still want a little personality. The Hutton is not that vanity. It’s very plain and boxy with really no details on it whatsoever. The white is very clean looking, but it is too contemporary for what I’m looking for. While I think this would be the right choice if you wanted a spa-like bathroom, I’m not a fan.
Also, I don’t understand the darker color choices. The only one I actually liked was white. I feel like the darker ones are too masculine for us. As far as durability is concerned, I also wasn’t impressed here. It kind of feels like it ould fall apart, and that’s it cheap. This vanity reminds me of something I could get at a lower-end retailer, with the same quality, for less than a quarter of what it costs here. In my opinion, it’s not worth it.
Reclaimed Russian Oak
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Washstand style also available
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 3
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- Console
- 84” cabinet
- Mirror
Overall Impression: I always have and will always have an affinity for wood-grained furniture. I just love the rustic styling; it’s warm and cozy and brings a natural feel to any space. I like to use natural elements like wood in a lot of my rooms, and I absolutely love this Reclaimed Russian Oak vanity! It’s super solid and sturdy – but the drawers glide in and out really nicely! I especially love how the grey wash and stain brings out the grains of the wood!
I also like how the piece itself is traditional and classic, and that it would work with a variety of stylings. There aren’t any raw edges, so it’s not overly rustic. You can dress it up with a little industrial detailing, or calm it down with lots of white and clean brass or chrome fixtures. I love the versatility and storage. Plus – the fact that it comes with a large cabinet and console really makes me happy because all my furniture will match!
Hudson
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 3
- Available countertop choices: 12
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 74-½” open shelving
- 60” open shelving
Overall Impression: These washstand style vanities remind me of an upscale hotel lobby for some reason. I think it’s the large marble top with the brass legs. It feels very old-Hollywood, with a vintage glamour that you’d see on the big screen. In fact, I can picture Katherine Hepburn sitting at a similarly styled vanity, putting her makeup on! The open shelving concept is minimalist, but the finish elevates it to a whole different level.
While I do like this one a lot, the washstand configuration doesn’t work for us. We need storage, and really don’t want our stuff all over the place and clearly visible at all times. Keep your mess behind closed doors! Also, I think that this washstand really works with only a vintage glam or contemporary styling, which would turn off most traditionalist and rustic leaning folks, like myself. But it’s solidly built, and seemed sturdy. It’s just not the right style for us.
Celia Shagreen
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Washstand configuration also available
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 3
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 84” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: I like the way that this vanity is very simple in design, similar to the Hutton, but has a very interesting texture! The shagreen-embossed leather really elevates it to a whole other level. It doesn’t look or feel like leather, and it certainly holds up better. The texture is supposed to be a reproduction of a stingray hide. I’ve never touched a stingray, so I can’t validate that. What I can tell you is that this is a solid vanity!
It’s certainly heavy and durable. I can’t really describe how it feels, because it doesn’t feel like leather. It’s like a mix of leather and vinyl, but you can’t scratch it. I like the metal pulls and feet, and how the finish really compliments the rest of the vanity, as well. And, I like how it does look weathered, but not in a cheap kind of way. However, I’m not a fan of the available color options, and I think the texture and feel might turn others off. So, for us, we’ll pass.
St. James
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 6
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 84” bath cabinet
- 72” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: Another wood vanity collection that I just fell in love with! This vanity feels like it fell right out of a turn-of-the-century home! There are such fine details, like the fluting and dentil detailing, I absolutely love it! It doesn’t even look like a vanity at all, but that antique piece of furniture that you may be upcycled into a vanity? Or perhaps even more closely resembles a piece of furniture left behind in a home built in the 1900s.
Whatever it is, the timelessness and traditional woodworking appeal of the entire unit is breathtaking. I think this would look gorgeous with an antique claw-foot tub in the corner. I love that the drawers and cabinets are plentiful and deep enough to store away all our products out of sight, and the additional bath cabinets that come in the collection would be perfect for towels and other items to have a matching home to live in. I also think that because this is a timeless piece that it can be incorporated into a variety of different interior designs seamlessly. This is for sure a frontrunner on our list of favorites!
Maison
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Choose with or without drawers
- Available finishes: 6
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 84” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: Initially, I liked the oak wood of the Maison vanity. Why? Because it’s wood. But as I looked closer, I really didn’t get the same kind of feelings I got when I saw the St. James or the Reclaimed Russian Wood vanities. This vanity is very nice and looks really high-quality in-person. It’s sturdy and solid, but it’s very plain. Other than the tiny detail on the legs, nothing really screams out at me about this vanity.
I like the hardware – the rings are a nice touch and give it an old-world feel, but they still seem slightly out of place on the rest of it. The wood itself is hand-distressed to achieve that antique look, but I’m not sold on it. I guess what it looks like is exactly what it is: a new piece of furniture that’s trying to look antique-like a Halloween costume. It’s really not my favorite and doesn’t make me jump for joy. It’s a solid piece and does definitely have a bit of a french vibe to it, but I personally am not drawn to it at all.
Bezier
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- The floating configuration also available
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 4
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 84” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: While I’m not a fan of modern style furniture in general, I do like this one. RH Modern’s Bezier collection has a ton of different options, including floating vanity configurations that attach completely to the wall. That’s definitely not something we’re into, but I like this idea for a smaller bathroom or even for a minimalist, modern space. It’s a very streamlined shape, with clean lines.
I like that the metal accents add a bit of interest, as well as a bit of depth to the piece. While it’s solidly built, I don’t like the veneers on it. It gives it a kind of fake particleboard look up close that you get with furniture from lower-end stores. For the price and the standard of quality that I’ve come to expect from RH, I’m disappointed with the Bezier.
Printmakers
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or console washstand vanity
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 2
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 84” bath cabinet
- 72” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: As a writer, I have an affinity for all things related to books, including the printing press. Back in the day, printmakers stored plans, prints, and maps in wide, shallow drawers, and they had chests of them all around their studio or office. That is exactly what this vanity is trying to represent! I love the antiqued pine wood and how you can see the variations in the wood, the distressed areas from years of wear and tear are there, but it’s solid.
I really love how RH can capture the feel of an old-world piece of furniture in a brand new piece of the showroom. It’s really a talent, and they hit the nail on the head with the Printmakers vanity! Right down the cast pulls on the drawers, it’s an amazingly accurate recreation of an original piece, complete with the distressed antiqued feel you’d expect. While this is definitely a piece that only works with a specific type of style, we’ll probably pass on it. But, I absolutely love it if we were planning on staying in our home forever!
La Salle
Details:
- Choose a single, double, console, or powder vanity
- Washstand configuration also available
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 3
- Available countertop choices: 11
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only
- Additional collection products:
- 84” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: The La Salle vanity is one of the very industrial styled pieces that RH carries, and is actually done quite well. You can tell the meticulous detail in how this is put together, from hand-hammering nails to painstakingly wrapping the metal around the structure by hand. It feels lighter, and not as sturdy as it should for metal, but that’s because the metal is hand-wrapped – it’s not constructed solely out of metal.
The zinc finish is applied by hand, really giving that antiqued look, which creates an uneven appearance and adds character to each piece. The look will change over time, as the patina continues to grow, too – so though antiqued when you buy it, it will only grow more and more so over time, really giving it that “original piece” feel. Unfortunately, I didn’t find La Salle very sturdy. It seemed lighter than I’d like, and I worry about damaging the doors since the sheet metal is hand folded.
It makes me think that it would be much easier to dent or damage. Also, as far as styling is concerned, this just wouldn’t work with what we’re looking to do, nor do I think it’s a universal enough design to work with a variety of different stylings. Therefore, for our purposes, we’ll keep looking.
Herringbone
Details:
- Choose a single, double, or powder vanity
- Choose from regular or extra wide
- Available finishes: 2
- Available countertop choices: 5
- Available faucet configurations: 3
- Additional Details: purchase as a set with countertops or base-only; fits multiple vessel types and sizes
- Additional Products:
- 84” bath cabinet
Overall Impression: You can’t more classic than a herringbone design. It’s a timeless pattern that really works in a variety of spaces, so I’m not surprised to find something here at Restoration Hardware that falls into that design category. The way that RH approaches the herringbone design in their vanity collection is very interesting. Instead of adding it all over, it’s only focused on the drawer fronts.
The frame remains in the same color finish, but the grains of the wood aren’t positioned for the pattern. This creates an interesting juxtaposition, that frames out the herringbone to add emphasis, but without drawing blatant attention. The pattern itself is executed perfectly and evenly, focusing on the center of the drawers and drawing the eye up. It’s a solid base, and really well constructed.
And, interestingly enough, the drawers themselves are push opens, which is kind of cool – I think adding hardware drawer pulls would take away from how solidly designed this is. All in all, I think this is a great vanity, solidly built, that can work in a lot of different types of home styles – from modern to transitional, traditional to rustic. I think it could even pull off a spa-like feel to a bathroom, with the addition of greenery and hanging plants, and natural fiber textiles.
Vanity Round-Up Winner
This was a tough one to pick a winner for. All of the RH vanities I reviewed were unique in their own way and brought something different for a different type of consumer. Whether you’re looking for a timeless, classic piece that will withstand daily wear and tear while looking as good as the day you brought it home, or a modern, contemporary piece that works in a minimalist space that takes up only enough room as required, there’s a vanity for you.
For us, though, we had to choose something that would go with both our home, my personal style, as well as be a flexible enough piece that it wouldn’t turn a potential homebuyer down the road off. That means that the Reclaimed Russian Oak double vanity in grey oak is the one for us! We loved the natural element of this, and how it works with our rustic, vintage styling and our clawfoot tub! However, it’s versatile enough to go with a traditional bathroom look as well as a spa-like version that many folks want in the primary. It’s a solid piece, with deep drawers to hide all our products away, and I can get the matching bath cabinet to really create a cohesive look in our bathroom!
Which vanity is your favorite?
