A floating vanity can look wonderfully simple in a bathroom photograph. In your own room, the important questions sit behind the drawers: what supports the unit, where the waste pipe goes and how much storage remains once everything is connected.
Before ordering bathroom furniture for a South West London refurbishment, put the exact cabinet, basin and plumbing arrangement into the same brief. A width on a shopping page is not enough to confirm the installation.
Start with the wall, before the tiles
Ask the installer to assess the proposed mounting wall and the chosen unit's fixing requirements before the wall finish is completed. Tell them what you know about the construction and any previous alterations; do not assume a tiled surface tells you what is behind it.
Check the mounting instructions for the exact model with the installer. Ask which fixings and wall preparation the proposed installation requires, and record that decision in the brief.
If the assessment identifies preparation or support work, ask for it to be included in the scope before boarding, tiling or decorating is signed off. The question is what your particular wall and furniture need, not which fixing someone used in a different bathroom.
Choose the basin and waste arrangement together
Confirm the exact basin, tap and waste components alongside the cabinet. Ask whether they are included, supplied separately or still to be selected. Give the installer the product codes and technical drawings, including anything you have already bought.
Ask the supplier to confirm which basin and waste arrangement the cabinet is designed to accommodate. A matching width alone leaves questions about the internal layout and connections unanswered.
Hansgrohe's bathroom furniture guide also describes a space-saving siphon arrangement that avoids a cut-out in the upper drawers of its furniture. Treat that as a model-specific feature to investigate. Do not assume every attractive drawer front conceals the same usable space.
Plan the storage you actually need
Make a short list before choosing the drawer layout: tall cleaning bottles, spare toiletries, a hairdryer, towels or the items used every morning. Then ask what internal space remains with the proposed plumbing installed.
Check the opening movement in the room as well. Will a drawer meet the door, WC or another fitting? Can you stand in front of it comfortably? Where will the towel rail and mirror sit? A plan with the drawers shown open makes this conversation clearer than a photograph of closed furniture.
For example, in a hypothetical Tooting flat refurbishment, a homeowner might want to replace a pedestal basin with a drawer unit. The useful enquiry includes the existing pipe positions, intended unit code and nearby door opening. It does not start with an assumption that the change is like-for-like.
Include the finishing and future access
Ask how the finished installation will be sealed and made good, and how the relevant plumbing can be reached afterwards. Include the bathroom’s ventilation arrangements in the wider refurbishment assessment.
A furniture-only price leaves several questions open. Your brief should identify who supplies the cabinet, basin, tap and waste, what happens to the old fittings, and which plumbing, wall preparation, tiling and decoration are included. Record any undecided items before comparing quotations.
What to send OSPM
For a bathroom refurbishment, send the property postcode, room measurements, product links and the changes you want to make. Include photographs privately where you have permission, plus any information about the mounting wall and whether the bathroom will remain in use.
If the vanity forms part of a full refurbishment, include it in the room-by-room specification so preparation and finishes can be discussed together. Tell us about your project before committing to an installation date. Product suitability, scope and availability are confirmed after assessment.
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Send OSPM your postcode, a description of the work and your preferred timing.
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