As a teenage girl, chances are quite probable that large amounts of your time will be spent at the vanity.  Hours upon hours are potentially used for endless beauty regimens, hair teasing and treatments, practicing dance routines or singing, looking at your teeth, making weird faces at yourself…and the list goes on and on.  Then your early twenties hit and the vanity serves as an early morning start to a long, professional day.  Makeup, hair and everything else gets compacted into a 30 minute pinch before work, to get you (a career-minded woman) looking polished and perfected before you head out the door.   Skipping on to the child bearing and rearing years: Well, having been there (and still doing it), we can attest to the fact that the vanity gathers quite a bit of dust during this time (unless you have 2-3 nannies, a housekeeper, chef and driver on your payroll).  You are in and out of that space faster than your child can unroll an entire roll of toilet paper.  Life is chaos and you are simply hoping to get your hair and teeth brushed by the end of the day.  But fear not…and fast forward to your last child starting kindergarten.  As sad for some as this milestone is…your vanity is REJOICING!  It has you back and you’ll be looking better than ever.  Makeup (!!), hair products (salon brand!!) and more begin to resurface and are there to stay.  We thought it would be fun to ask Lori Paranjape of ReDo Home and Design to get us inspired on this obviously essential part to your home!

BACKGROUND: Lori is a partner at Redo Home & Design in Historic Downtown Franklin, TN. Redo specializes in full-volume design for homeowners who know what they love and just want help getting it. Redo is designed to offer a comprehensive experience from your initial contact all the way through to delivery. Lori and her partners at Redo work together to ensure every detail of your visit is comfortable and welcoming. They are available to help you with her ever-changing inventory in the store, or with a complete home renovation. Lori and her partners at Redo have carefully cultivated relationships in the community with other experts who support your project; craftsmen, artists, painters, flooring experts, handymen, seamstress, kitchen planners, stone workers, custom wood workers, cabinet makers, installers… you name it, they can help you through your project.

 

YOU’RE SO VAIN

Our bathroom vanities have come along way from a single pedestal sink for the master and mistress to share. Don’t get me wrong; I love to look at a well-appointed pedestal sink - I just wouldn’t want to have one. If my beauty routine only involved a comb and tube of lipstick, perhaps I would be tempted to install a throwback like this beauty:

 

But, my morning routine is a bit more, well, involved. And don’t even get me started on my husband’s melange of products. What with his razor and… razor. Well, even his razor would barely fit on a pedestal sink.
 
But there must be something in between utility and beauty, yes?
I think a few of these fit the bill:
 
So for me and my clients, I go for major real estate on the countertops and tidy, spacious storage. A recent lake house project allowed to me to participate in the design of the bathrooms, starting with the blueprints. We began with the classic rule of form following function. We wanted his and her sinks as well as a dressing table with seating. In the end, she got drawers galore and we even inset the counters in front of dressing table section to allow for her to be closer to the mirror.
 
On his side, we found a cabinet we loved, but the construction wouldn’t allow for a sink and plumbing. So we had a duplicate built, which allowed for ample storage and no interference with plumbing. We were also able to make the cabinet taller to accommodate his height. For continuity, both cabinets were painted the same high-gloss white.
The vanity is where you commune with the mirror and decide how you will face the day. It’s a place for beauty and fussiness and fluff.
And, of course, for a little Chanel.
Thank you Lori!  We love your insight on this essential part to every home.  To Contact Lori and learn more about her firm, see below:
Lori Paranjape
Redo Home & Design
300 Public Square, Franklin
615-663-6802

 

(Images 1-8: courtesy of Pinterest; Images 9-11: courtest of Redo Home and Design)

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