Bathroom remodels are full of devilish details – things that are important, but all too easy to overlook until it’s too late. It’s easy to get caught up in the big things – like designing your custom shower or choosing a new whirlpool – and hold off on smaller decisions, like which bathroom faucet you want, until later. But that can be a surprisingly big mistake, especially if you buy a bathroom vanity with pre-drilled faucet holes.
Why Does It Matter?
Bathroom faucets with an 8 inch spread are widely considered to be the most desirable, as they can be a little bigger, a little bolder, and have a little more character without crowding your counter space. But a 4 inch spread is still widely considered to be “standard,” and many pre-cut vanity tops come with this configuration. If you want to have an 8 inch spread faucet, you either need to have your vanity top custom cut, do it yourself, or find a company like Hardware Resources that offer bathroom vanity combo sets with wider faucet accommodations, like this Compton Vanity.
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Wait, Tell Me More About Bathroom Vanity Combos
Bathroom vanity combos are an increasingly popular way to make luxury bathroom vanities more affordable and convenient to install. While ordinary bathroom vanities include just the vanity (meaning that you have to buy and cut the counter top and purchase a sink and faucet separately), bathroom vanity combos like this Emilia Vanity come with stone vanity tops cut to match the vanity. The vanity tops are also cut to accommodate a sink, which is sometimes included in the package, and typically a three-hole faucet, but the faucet itself is only very rarely included. That means that if your vanity top doesn’t accommodate the sink you want, there isn’t much you can do about it.
What’s The Difference Between A 4 Inch And 8 Inch Spread?
The standard 4-inch spacing between the three holes for a faucet is made to accommodate what you might think of as an “average” bathroom faucet – one that has the handle or handles and spout built into a single piece. These are known as “centerset” faucets, and while you can sometimes find them in interesting vintage designs, by and large they’re just pretty average looking. With more space between the faucet and handle holes, you have more freedom to have decorative handles and a decorative spout, and a little more room to move comfortably. Now, it’s important to note that you can find three-piece faucets in the 4 inch range, but they tend to be a little smaller, more cramped, and generally don’t have quite the same grand, finished look of a wider spread faucet. You can visibly see the difference in these 4 Inch and 8 Inch Compton vanities.
How Big A Difference Does It Make?
How much it really matters what kind of sink you end up with depends, of course, on your own point of view. But if you have your heart set on a luxury bathroom remodel, it can be disappointing to find that your bathroom vanity won’t accommodate some of the higher end sinks you were saving room in your budget for. Especially if you opted for an affordable bathroom vanity combo like this Tesla Vanity in the first place to save for a more expensive faucet!
How Much Will This Cramp My Style?
The good news is, many manufacturers offer bathroom vanity combos that can accommodate larger bathroom faucets – provided that you know to ask for it. Hardware Resources actually offers most of their bathroom vanities in 4 and 8 inch versions (like this lovey 48 Inch Compton Vanity), but without the faucet installed, at a glance it can be hard to tell the difference – especially if it isn’t at the top of your list of things to consider. If you’re shopping in a showroom, if you can lay your hand down flat long-ways between the holes, it’s probably an 8 inch, but if you can only fit a few fingers, it’s probably a 4 inch.
Is It Worth Looking For A Bathroom Vanity Combo That Comes With A Faucet?
Not if it means getting a bathroom vanity you aren’t happy with. Cole+Co offers some really lovely, complete bathroom vanity sets and isn’t a bad place to start if you’re considering this. But choosing the right vanity should come first. After all, the bathroom vanity is one of the most important pieces in the bathroom, and a decorative faucet is there to enhance – not make or break – its appearance. That said, if you’re in the market for a new bathroom vanity, be sure not to leave your bathroom faucet for the last minute and double check your vanity’s specifications. If it has an 8 inch spread, like this Tesla Double Vanity, it should say so, and looking is the only way to be sure you get a bathroom vanity that meets all your specifications.
How much thought have you put in to your bathroom sink? Are you looking forward to having a luxury, decorative faucet, or are you okay with a more standard installation? Let me know in the comments!
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