Advise on bathroom cabinet/vanity

[bobit]

Hey,

So after getting ridiculous quotes for bathroom vanities I am going to make one using MR MDF.

I'm am hoping to make something similar to this but have no idea what the breakdown of sizes would be here if this unit was 1600mm wide.

Anyone have any idea how I could work out the sizes from this image or better have details drawings to a 1600mm cabinet unit?

 

[Bingy man]

Why not find one you like online and use their measurements that they usually supply in the specs or additional information. That will give you the basics . It should be fairly simple to work out the remaining details . Can’t help you with plans but this is how I would go about it given my limited knowledge of furniture design and construction. 1 other point was your initial quotes based on a bespoke unit or a off the shelf unit. Obviously the quality standard between the 2 can be significantly different but you also need to balance that cost against your time and effort and no offence to you in the slightest but the finished product you produce …good luck

 

[Kayen]

I'd be interested to know how much the quotes were for and why you thought them ridiculous . . . .

 

[niall Y]

Looking at the unit there are a few obvious clues as to how it is made. It seems to be largely 18mm MDF - if you look at the leg construction it is an L section, rather than square. The panels seem quite deep, which would hint at a thin panel glued to the back, or even rebated into the frame from behind. I would guess the drawers are on metal runners as well.
As for the interior of the cupboards - although I can't make out from the photo if there are sinks inset into the surface or if there are to be bowls on the top - there will have to be a sharing of the space with the plumbing. This will dictate where shelves can be fitted and how much useable space there will be inside.
You already have the design, so it will be fairly straightforward to make it to fit your particular requirements if you produce a scaled drawing first.

 

[Ollie78]

The quotes might not seem as ridiculous once you have made it.
There is 4 drawer runners, 8 hinges, 6 handles, is the top marble ? not cheap, are they tulipwood doors with a panel ? quite a lot of painting etc.


To find the dimensions put the picture into a cad program like fusion 360 or freecad and trace over the outside known dimension. Scale it to the correct size. Then you can trace over all the other bits to find out the sizes.

 

[HOJ]

To find the dimensions put the picture into a cad program like fusion 360 or freecad and trace over the outside known dimension. Scale it to the correct size. Then you can trace over all the other bits to find out the sizes.

Just like this....in Sketchup

 

[Doug71]

I'd be interested to know how much the quotes were for and why you thought them ridiculous . . . .

Going by the website below configuring one like in the original picture would cost £1,780

https://www.belwoodandroe.co.uk/product/otley-double-bathroom-vanity-unit/#configuration

 

[Kayen]

Going by the website below configuring one like in the original picture would cost £1,780

https://www.belwoodandroe.co.uk/product/otley-double-bathroom-vanity-unit/#configuration

It sounds very reasonable to me, but strange how they give no details as to what materials it's made from . . .

 

[AJBaker]

View attachment 197896

Just like this....in Sketchup

Nice! I wish I knew how to use that programme.

To me that seems a bit too tall, I would have guessed something closer to 70-75cm (about standard table height). On the photo, the top is a fair bit lower than the door handle (which I'd imagine is at about 90-100cm).

Maybe its because the photo isn't taken from dead in front of it?

 

[HOJ]

To me that seems a bit too tall

I just took the dimensions from the shops drawing:




With the trend for wash basins being sat on the worktops now, the height to rim standards have changed, years ago the plumbers expression of "cock high" was used for a wash basin with a pedestal, which works out at about 32" off the floor, and no, I've no idea where that came from!

I have made vanity units for customers, ranging from 700mm to 900mm tall, but I take the the time to evaluate their operational needs.

And another quick SU drawing, (been waiting for some paint to dry which is actually more interesting than reading about sharpening...)

 

[Ollie78]

Going by the website below configuring one like in the original picture would cost £1,780

https://www.belwoodandroe.co.uk/product/otley-double-bathroom-vanity-unit/#configuration

Pretty good price really, similar to these (I know its a different style but still twin inset sinks)
https://www.easybathrooms.com/furni...-vanity-units?filter=t148-4416.4418~t183-5001

 

[HOJ]

How do they make a unit for the prices being quoted, my curiosity does get the better of me sometimes, this is, according to good old google maps the office address of the OP's supplier:

 

[bobit]

First off thanks for all the replies.

View attachment 197896

Just like this....in Sketchup

Wow thank you.

Pretty good price really, similar to these (I know its a different style but still twin inset sinks)
https://www.easybathrooms.com/furni...-vanity-units?filter=t148-4416.4418~t183-5001

If you look at the sizes they are all less than 1400mm wide. Anything smaller than 1400mm I don't think will look right on this big wall. I was thinking of going for a smaller unit and there is a beautiful unit with curved corners in the link you sent that I seen in person but it's only 1 basin. Place is plumbed for 2 basins and that's want my boss(wife) wants. I would also prefer the two basins.

Going by the website below configuring one like in the original picture would cost £1,780

https://www.belwoodandroe.co.uk/product/otley-double-bathroom-vanity-unit/#configuration

Trust me that's cheap for this. That company will not ship to my location. Unfortunately with UK being outside of EU also means I get stung with custom charges on top of large shipping fees.

To answer the question. I have had quotes for 2600-4000+ in ireland for similar units and that does not include painting, countertop, sinks etc.. only includes cabinet, hinges, draw rollers.

I literally got 4 sheets(8x4) of 25mm MR MDF and 1 sheet each of 6mm, 12mm and 18mm all for less than €200. I don't think this is going to take me more than 2 days to make and maybe a day to paint. I don't see the iron mongrey costing more than 100.

I'd be interested to know how much the quotes were for and why you thought them ridiculous . . . .

2600 was the cheapest I got for unit. Weirdly enough the same place that game me that quote were charging only8900 for a finished 800mm unit. Twice the size but 3 times the price for a unit double the size. I was contemplating buying 2 800mm units and fixings them together but decided against it.

 

[planesleuth]

Most bathroom units stand 800mm high. It's impossible to work out the sizes until you establish what hinges and runners are to be used. If you've already purchased 25mm mdfmr, which is rubbish pressed cardboard, you are on a hiding to nothing because mdf needs layon hinges and nearly all of those only work with 22mm thickness (max). You should be using prepared tulipwood! Good luck. You are going to need it with your chosen materials!

 

[maitland.selwyn]

Inset hinges for doors up to 28mm thick are fairly common and work fine with MDF, MR-MDF etc. I’ve used ones from Hafele in the past. Have also used stainless steel butt hinges (but inset Festool dominos to hold the screws as it was in a commercial setting)

 

[Kayen]

First off thanks for all the replies.


Wow thank you.



If you look at the sizes they are all less than 1400mm wide. Anything smaller than 1400mm I don't think will look right on this big wall. I was thinking of going for a smaller unit and there is a beautiful unit with curved corners in the link you sent that I seen in person but it's only 1 basin. Place is plumbed for 2 basins and that's want my boss(wife) wants. I would also prefer the two basins.



Trust me that's cheap for this. That company will not ship to my location. Unfortunately with UK being outside of EU also means I get stung with custom charges on top of large shipping fees.

To answer the question. I have had quotes for 2600-4000+ in ireland for similar units and that does not include painting, countertop, sinks etc.. only includes cabinet, hinges, draw rollers.

I literally got 4 sheets(8x4) of 25mm MR MDF and 1 sheet each of 6mm, 12mm and 18mm all for less than €200. I don't think this is going to take me more than 2 days to make and maybe a day to paint. I don't see the iron mongrey costing more than 100.




2600 was the cheapest I got for unit. Weirdly enough the same place that game me that quote were charging only8900 for a finished 800mm unit. Twice the size but 3 times the price for a unit double the size. I was contemplating buying 2 800mm units and fixings them together but decided against it.

Please bear in mind that the clock starts running as soon as the job is thought about - site visit, design and drawings, construction considerations, material considerations, calculations, procurement, collection/delivery and storage (you've spent time doing all of this) - before a single spec of wood dust is made - so your 2 days to 'make it' is way off.

It's good that you are using MRF rather than MDF, but personally I wouldn't use it for the legs or the rails - I would likely use Sapele.

If I was making that for a client, I would have to get the paint mixed to their required colour - I won't even know how much that will cost before I have it mixed because the price varies according to the choice and amount of pigments used to achieve the desired colour - but roughly £20-25 per kilo (yes it's sold by the kilo, not the litre). By the time I add the catalyst and thinner + clearcoat lacquer for the inside - £300 minimum. Two days to spray it to a beautiful finish, plus it would then have to be carefully wrapped before delivery - I would take off the doors and take out the drawers and wrap each one individually - if a single rub, scratch or mark is on my finished furniture it comes back, so I always invest time to transport it safely.

If you add to the above the enormous cost of setting up a workshop, the monthly expenses and cost of compliance, I would say 2600 - 4000 is very reasonable.

 

[Kayen]

Most bathroom units stand 800mm high. It's impossible to work out the sizes until you establish what hinges and runners are to be used. If you've already purchased 25mm mdfmr, which is rubbish pressed cardboard, you are on a hiding to nothing because mdf needs layon hinges and nearly all of those only work with 22mm thickness (max). You should be using prepared tulipwood! Good luck. You are going to need it with your chosen materials!

I can assure you MRF isn't pressed cardboard - it's made from wood, resin and very high pressure. The vast majority of layon hinges are fine with 18mm board, and for a door or drawer front, 18mm is perfectly fine.

I made these doors five years ago, they get used many times each day - they're as good today as they were when I first fitted them. Perhaps you can explain to me why they're rubbish and how in your opinion they would be improved by using a alternative material . . . ?

I've just seen from the photo that the bottom left door could do with a bit of adjusting