By: Annie Fanning Grivas

Read the full Seattle Times article here.

There are many definitions of vanity, but it’s commonly known as a dressing table. That is to say, a piece of furniture or built-in cabinetry paired with a mirror, storage and seating — specifically designed to function as a dedicated space for grooming. It’s a place to get ready for the day, for the evening, for life. An altar to self-love, if you will. (No sink required.) “Setting up a separate vanity for makeup application not only enhances your ‘getting ready’ experience but can also add functional storage and a fun focal point to your room,” says Becky Ducsik, managing creative director at The Phinery, an interior design studio and home store in Seattle. With a little creativity and some advice from professionals, you can fashion a vanity that enhances focus and brings it all together: style, wellness, hopes and dreams. Plus, a little extra storage, too! Vintage flair When Kristie Cain, founder of Lucky Furniture Co., discovered a vintage Drexel French Provincial vanity with a flip-top mirror at the Ballard Goodwill for $25, she could see the potential. “It was in excellent condition, and I knew it would be beautiful painted,” says Cain. “Vanities are great pieces to experiment with in a space and step out of your comfort zone with bright and vibrant colors,” she says. “I knew as soon as I saw this one, with its beautiful curves and details, that it needed to be a bold color.” Inspired by boho and maximalist décor, Cain chose a luminous shade of coral by Fusion Mineral Paint, a brand specifically made for painting furniture. “It has a really lovely matte sheen,” says Cain. With exquisite attention to detail, Cain completed the transformation by lining the drawers with heavy floral wrapping paper by Rifle Paper Co. “I love choosing drawer liners! It’s so delightful to pull a drawer open and see a color or pattern that you love. My philosophy is to choose something you truly love, not what’s trending at the moment.” Despite the pure joy it may bring, even high-quality wrapping paper can be a little fiddly for those uninitiated in lining small drawers. “Peel-and-stick wallpaper is usually the easiest to apply,” Cain says, and you can get it on Amazon. “[But] I like shopping on Etsy, Spoonflower and at local stationery shops.” Where should you look for quality secondhand bargains? “Facebook Marketplace, Habitat for Humanity and estate sales are always great places to hunt for affordable furniture to refinish,” says Cain. Modern glamour Whenever you can, add a makeup vanity. That’s the general advice that bubbles up on Pulp Design Studio’s blog in posts about elevating bathroom design. The firm specializes in new construction and renovations, as well as interior design services for Seattle and the greater area, from the San Juan Islands to Portland. Interior designers Beth Dotolo and Carolina V. Gentry co-founded Pulp Design Studios in 2007. Since then, they have designed several built-in makeup vanities for residential clients. For example, a stained white pine vanity was built to exact specifications for a Mediterranean-style home in Laredo, Texas. Located in the primary bathroom, the vanity was a clever reprogramming of some underutilized space. “It was a big overhaul, but worth it for the added value and function,” says Dotolo. “We deleted an unused bar in the rec room, which shared a wall with this previously smaller bathroom, and gave more room to this bath and added a vanity. The result was a much more functional bathroom!” As a vanity, it’s a triumph of form and function. With skinny top drawers specifically designed for makeup and lower drawers for larger items, this vanity has organization to covet. (And, as a custom build, it took the skills and expertise of a contractor and a cabinetmaker to execute.) “The key to thoughtfully designed custom elements is to understand how you want to use the space and simply design around that,” says Dotolo. “From refrigerated cosmetic storage to in-drawer outlets, to concealed makeup mirrors … It’s all possible!” Minimal by comparison, a smaller built-in has a cool, contemporary vibe in an updated guest suite in a 1980s Seattle home. Topped and faced with marble, this vanity was intentionally designed without storage. “We wanted this vanity to be floating and free of storage for guests who tend to leave their items behind often!” says Dotolo. For seating in the small space, a moss-green tuffet was chosen for its organic shape, as well as its ability to tuck under the vanity’s desk when not in use. “We love adding unexpected elements, especially texture and color,” says Dotolo. “We needed something with a small profile … But whether you have a petite piece with a low back or an ottoman, using a cleanable or performance fabric is key — especially around makeup and hair products.” In addition to seating, it is advisable to carefully consider storage and how you want to use the space before building or purchasing a vanity. “We recommend selecting a vanity that offers closed storage to organize items like makeup, while making sure you have ample countertop space,” says Ducsik, who, together with her team, has helped many clients make a well-considered choice in furnishings. “You might also want to consider a piece that offers display opportunities for jewelry, perfumes and accessories.” Inner peace Does vanity (a dressing table) beget vanity (inflated pride in oneself or one’s appearance)? Perhaps. Yet, having daily time in front of the mirror can also be both productive and healing. “Looking in a mirror while practicing positive self-affirmations or self-compassion can be a powerful way to foster a kinder, more appreciative relationship with ourselves and reinforce new self-narratives,” said Emily West, therapist and manager of Eastside Clinic. Instead of being self-critical and indulging in negative self-talk, West suggests using the mirror to cultivate self-compassion, greater self-esteem, forgiveness and appreciation for ourselves. “Some clients I’ve worked with have found it helpful to keep a photograph of themselves as a child posted to their mirrors, as it brings home the fact that self-criticism and negative self-talk are being aimed at their child self as well as their adult self,” explains West. “This can help nurture healing of internalized criticism and judgment, and allow us to greet our tender human selves with more love and acceptance.” That’s what I call a “vanity check.”