James Martin Metal Bases

Metal Vanity Bases

A metal base is the answer when a room is too small for a cabinet but you still want a proper counter and basin. The frame carries the top, the floor stays visible underneath, and the whole thing reads as a washstand rather than as furniture. In a powder room where a full vanity would eat the floor, that difference is what makes the room work.

The frames come in the metal finishes that match tapware rather than cabinetry: brushed nickel, matte black, champagne brass and radiant gold. Widths are the small ones, roughly 18 to 36 inches, because that is where an open base makes sense.

What you give up, and what you gain

• No closed storage, so a small drawer or a shelf under the top is all you get
• Plumbing is visible, which means chrome or brass trap and supply lines rather than plastic
• The floor reads as continuous, which makes a small room look larger
• Easy to clean around, with nothing standing on the tile
• The metal finish ties the vanity to the faucet and the mirror frame

Plan the plumbing to be seen

The one thing people get wrong with an open base is leaving the builder's white plastic trap in place. Once there is no cabinet door, that pipe is part of the design. Budget for a metal p trap and supply stops in the same finish as the frame, and keep the shut off valves tidy and square to the wall.

Alternatives

For the same open look with a stone shelf and a bracket instead of legs, see console bases and wall brackets. For a small cabinet with doors, the compact end of single vanities starts at 12 inches. Pair either with a mirror in the same metal finish.