You have selected the perfect antique bathroom vanity. Carefully coordinating the marble or granite countertop with the carved solid wood cabinetry, he positioned it as the focal point of the room. Now comes the challenge. How do you make modern life, with its toothpaste tubes, appliances, and packaged goods, fit the aesthetic you’re trying to create? Using a few accents in the bathroom, along with a few tips for “hiding” some of life’s aesthetic challenges, can keep her new room the way she envisioned it: a retreat that complements the rest of her home.

One of your first concerns after purchasing a vanity sink is the hardware, which is usually sold separately. Choose hardware that matches the style of the sink and complements its colors. Black granite or dark woods look especially good with warm metals, while white is often seen with stainless steel accents, softened by white porcelain knobs.

For lighting, make as much use of natural light as possible, which means keeping window treatments to a minimum. A single chandelier can be used for the night, or wall sconces can be chosen.

The vanity sink offers storage options for toilet paper, toothpaste, and other supplies that are more convenient to store here. For other items, consider alternative storage ideas. You can use small metal bins that sit on the floor or on a low shelf for the small appliances you use every day, like hair dryers and straighteners. Hand-painted enamel buckets can be placed on a shelf or other flat surface to hold hand towels for your guests. Instead of the built-in medicine cabinet, you can find glass and metal trays and use apothecary-style jars to store bath oils, salts, and liquid soaps. You can also find Victorian-style bottles engraved with floral motifs or cut glass details.

A small closet is also a great option for additional storage. Custom closets can usually be designed to open to either side of the room, so think about room layout and usage entrances, accessibility, etc. before ordering something custom made. The top of the cabinet can be accented with a small vase of lavender, a bouquet of wildflowers, or a pitcher and bowl seen in traditional guest rooms in earlier times. An old urinal can also serve as a decorative piece.

There are also products available that are reminiscent of another time and place. Pumice stones, glycerin soaps, and natural stone accessories are items that will blend well with the setting you’ve created. You can find toothbrushes with beech wood or transparent plastic handles, as well as brushes and combs made from natural woods. Not only are they more pleasing to the eye, but they are often better quality and more durable than their plastic counterparts!

In the end, the choice of how much “modernity” makes it into your bathroom is yours. The market exists for all kinds of preferences, so it should be very easy to find your comfort level between the old world and the new.