Dream Vanity

I set up my first real vanity table in early 2011. I had always wanted one but so few people seemed to have one. Was I being vain? I hoped not. For me it is a place of peacefulness, a place where I can relax and concentrate 100% on me. It's my happy place. It's a luxury every woman should have. Also, I hate keeping makeup in the bathroom with all of the moisture issues and bending over the sink to do my eye makeup got old many years ago.

So back in 2011, vanity tables were really just getting popular again. My vanity table and current set up is not ideal but it is functional. I have been thinking of updating it but there are so many options out there I want to make sure that I get it right this time. I would like to have something reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour. It also has to be functional with lots of storage space, comfortable and still look somewhat modern and elegant. This is what I have in mind for my dream vanity...

In the collage above, I have put together what I am envisioning for my dream vanity set up. Let's start with the centrepiece, the table. I would like a white desk that I can wipe. White is timeless and looks good with almost anything. My bedroom is mostly silver and lilac. A white table would work well. I love the table in the picture above. I saw it on Pinterest and it links to an article from Better Homes and Gardens. This table has lots of big drawers for storage, a huge tabletop so I can spread out my makeup and has an old Hollywood look while not looking dated.

I have two ideas in mind with regards to the chair. I think I would prefer the white one in the top left hand corner of the collage. It's screams old Hollywood to me and it looks so darn fancy. The chair can be found at Neiman Marcus under the Cynthia Rowley for Hooker Furniture collection and it is the Swanson Sheepskin Side Chair.

It may be personal preference, but my vanity chair must have a back. I hunch too much and I need the reinforcement to sit back. Also, it's just way more comfortable. The other chair, the grey brown one  from Frontgate called the Sweetheart Vanity Chair to the right of the collage is also something I would like as it is elegant, neutral and practical. I would imagine I would have a hell of a time getting any makeup marks off of the white chair.  

Lighting and mirrors are a serious consideration. I have a mirror attached to my current vanity as shown in the collage below. I find it kind of low and it's hard to get just the right light to hit it. I have a friend who swears by her Impressions Vanity Company lighted mirror. She says it is worth every dime. I need this. There are so many options to choose from on their website. I would also like a full length mirror that can stand up against the wall next to my vanity. I really like the Arhaus Newport Floor Mirror for this purpose. It's timeless and beautiful. In addition to the lighting on my vanity mirror, I would like to have a hanging ceiling light to tie everything together and add some more sophistication to the look. Arhaus has some great pendant lighting and chandeliers and the one I especially like is the Anabella Chandelier in Nickel. You should check out their gorgeous lighting fixtures!

I currently have an Alex Drawer Unit with 9 Drawers from Ikea and I plan on keeping it as it is perfect to store makeup and jewelry. You can also store your perfume, for example, on top of it in a nice tray and it looks very smart. I actually could maybe do with a second one, but let's not go there (my husband will freak out). The Alex units by Ikea have so many uses, can be turned into part of a desk and can be used with almost any vanity set up.

Finally, a girl needs some eye candy on her vanity table. If we can throw in some functionality, we are laughing. I particularly like the Freya Glass Hurricane which can also be found on www.arhaus.com. Not only does it look glamorous, but you could use it to display your bigger makeup brushes, eyeliners or lip glosses.  

As previously mentioned, the collage I have below is what I currently have. The vanity table and chair are from Bombay & Co. They have had this particular duo (sold separately) for a number of years and it is still a big seller. It's the Prima Vanity and the Priscilla Vanity Chair. When I bought them, I wanted something antique looking. I have since decided that I want something bigger, brighter and more modern. The drawers do not hold much. The mirror is not great like I said, too low. I recently got a young cat and she loves my vanity chair. So much so that she lost her vanity chair privileges earlier today. She loves to hide under it and scratch it. She also managed to knock it over twice today...  

Finally, I was struggling with lighting my vanity area. I was using an overheard generic ceiling light coupled with a small lamp and a desktop magnification vanity mirror. I originally ordered a desktop LED magnification vanity mirror that was battery operated from a company in California. The name has slipped my mind. It stopped working last fall and I was constantly changing the batteries. I found a fantastic plug in one at Costco for $19.99! It's much better than some I have seen for $250! They were flying off the shelves last Christmas at Costco. I can't seem to find a photo of it online. Because I was struggling with the overall lighting situation, my husband bought me an inexpensive floor lamp from Lowe's with an adjustable light. It's really bright and works well for the time being.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gets you thinking about your dream vanity set up!