Welcome back to the ProSource podcast.
Today's episode is all about
breaking down bathroom vanities.
We are super excited
because we have one of our own
very own trade pro members,
Alison Gibson.
She is the talented
owner and interior designer
behind AMG Interiors.
Alison graduated
with her interior design degree in 2015
and after working in the design world
a little bit,
she decided to launch her own design
company in 2018 called AMG
Interiors, and it's based in
Virginia Beach.
They specialize in both residential
and commercial projects,
including homes, hotel
lobbies, storefronts, and restaurants.
She has very high expertise
in the interior design world.
She offers everything
from floor plan
suggestions to 3D renderings,
furniture selections.
She collaborates a lot with Prosource
to help her clients
fulfill their dream space.
She's also proficient in CAD
and she certifications
in staging and green design.
She's a very passionate individual
and I had a great time
talking with her today.
So enjoy the episode and come with us
as we break down the vanities.
Alison, thank you so much
for joining us today.
Yeah, thank you for having me.
Awesome.
If you don't mind,
maybe just share a little bit of history
about yourself.
How did you get into interior design
and what made you want to start
your own business with it? Sure.
So I started going to school
for physical therapy assistant and,
you know,
I ended up just not really loving it.
It didn't feel right.
So, the college
I was at
had a green design class,
which really took my interest.
So I started taking some interior design
classes, and I immediately knew
this is exactly what I want to do.
I loved every facet of it.
And so after I graduate,
I'd had multiple jobs in the industry
and realized that I can kind of
take all my knowledge
and, you know, build
something for myself.
So I started my business
about seven years ago,
and, I've been loving it ever since.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
So today's episode,
we're talking all about bathroom vanities
and really looking forward
to talking about this topic with you.
It's something that
I think
is initially overlooked,
probably in the design process.
You can you can chime in there.
But I feel like for me, it's
not something I would first think about.
I bet homeowners are probably thinking
first about maybe the countertops
or the flooring or the walls.
When homeowners
are looking into a bathroom remodel
and they're evaluating
storage and function
and your experience,
what have you seen in the bathrooms
of previous clients
that might lead them to replacing their
vanities during that remodel?
So as you mentioned,
a lot of people
focus on tile and things like that.
So typically once all of those are
in, people
tend to go to anything that's new.
People tend to gravitate towards
what's not new.
So I would say the main thing
is to just kind of update the space,
have it all feel fresh and new.
Would be the main thing
kind of catering to the new esthetic
that they're gravitating towards.
But another, another big reason is better
functional needs.
You know,
whether it's more storage, more specified
functional storage,
things of that nature,
those tend to be the two main reasons for
for sure. Yeah.
I feel like every space in the house
people are looking just for more storage.
Have anywhere they can fit more stuff.
Yeah.
What about having a new vanity?
What does that mean to a homeowner?
You mentioned the storage, dude.
Do you see a lot of people
gravitating more towards,
function and storage or more for esthetic
or maybe somewhere in between?
I definitely think there's
somewhere in between.
And it also depends on the space.
So typically for primary
bathrooms, I think function and storage
is the main thing.
When you're having kind of the hall
bathrooms or guest bathrooms,
I think it tends to be more esthetic.
But as far as what it was a new vanity
mean to somebody.
I mean,
every morning and every night,
you know, you're brushing your teeth.
You're right there.
And I feel like design.
Sometimes the beauty is in the mundane.
You know,
we can make those things more, pleasant.
I mean, we all know what it's like
to see something
that you don't like all the time
and how that can kind of affect you.
So I think having the space,
especially when you're kind of waking up
and going to bed, be peaceful
and something that you really enjoy
is a huge psychological edge, really.
Yeah.
And that's,
you know,
I didn't really think about that
until I started working at ProSource.
And I learned a little bit
more about home remodeling.
But yeah, the space you have around
you does affect you.
Yeah.
And I don't think people realize
that asthma. Definitely.
Measurements
do play an important role
in the new vanity
that a homeowner selects.
And I'm sure that you go in
or someone you're working with
will go in and take measurements.
For the space to decide
what kind of vanity
they can put in there.
What are some common misconceptions
about measuring
for a new vanity
that you might be able to clear up
for any homeowners listening?
Sure, yeah.
Typically, I am the one going in there
taking measurements
so I can do floor
plans, things like that.
And I know that even for me,
for starting out, it's kind of scary.
Like,
you don't want to mess up
the measurement, you know?
And of course,
being as accurate as possible
never hurts.
But, you know,
I think some people get
a little intimidated too with that.
You know, we have fillers.
So typically it's not as daunting,
I think, as people, as
people take it to be.
And also sometimes
the scale,
you know,
they're not sure on
if it's too small or too big.
So those are some things
that are a little bit easier.
And especially, you know,
whether working with a designer
or ProSource consultant. Yeah.
They can kind of help
give some guidance on that.
On just how it'll fit in the space.
But yeah,
I think measuring,
as always scares people.
And it's not as scary as it seems.
Yeah.
What are the fillers you were mentioning?
What is that?
Basically
on the end of the cabinets,
let's say, you know,
whether it's even if it's open
or if it's in a nook,
those things
kind of help
give a little bit of space
to, if there are like,
no wall really
is ever perfectly straight.
So it kind of helps with those details
and making sure
the finished product
is really clean, fresh.
Okay, cool. I didn't know that.
How do
organizational features
within the vanity play factor
in the selection process?
We already kind of touched about that
a little bit.
Are you seeing.
So when I think of a vanity,
I think of just your typical,
like, mirror, and then, you know,
you have the sink
in the drawers underneath.
Are you saying that there is popularity
more in, like,
the mirror that pulls out,
and then there's storage
behind the mirror?
Or are you seeing the typical like,
traditional type of vanities
come back to the style?
I definitely see more
of the traditional vanities,
and style
and just kind of having a place
for everything.
So really being intentional,
and that really does help
dictate the design too.
And that's
when you can really kind
of cater to the individual,
which is kind of exciting.
There's always a new,
different challenge.
And again on the space as well.
So you may have a client
who has a lot of makeup
and they need a lot of, you know, just
small drawer storage versus full doors.
Those things kind of help,
when you get to the inside,
like components in the on court
items, you can kind of add.
That's when you can kind of
get really specific,
which with each individual client,
and you may have somebody
that's like, no, I just want full doors,
but I want pull out, you know,
so you can really cater,
individually, which is kind of cool.
Talking about countertops,
that's a huge part of a vanity
is it's typically separate
from the vanity itself.
Or are you seeing them all in one piece?
Yeah.
Typically I always go separate.
I know
some people can like, order
online, things like that,
but you never know
exactly what you're going to get.
You never know the quality.
You know, you may see a photo,
but it comes out different.
And so I always try and just,
you know, remodeling is not easy.
It's hard to go through.
And you want to eliminate as many,
unknowns as possible.
So typically the process is once
the vanity is installed,
the fabricator will come out,
they'll take measurements of the cabinet
and create a template.
And from the template
you basically get a full layout
and you know exactly
what you're going to get.
And then the install comes
and it's a really smooth process.
What I like about it
is whether you're going,
you know, putting on the scale,
you may need a full slab
or what
have you,
or even a remnant piece,
which can end up saving money
sometimes too.
But you know exactly
what you're going to get.
So it's just smooth sailing from there.
Absolutely. Yeah.
It's probably way more customizable,
doing it all separately
so you can
really get what you're wanting.
I mean,
and sometimes you can find, you know,
there may be a beautiful stone piece,
you know, that's a remnant
that's just left over
that you get a steel for.
That has so much character and beauty.
So you can really kind of get lucky
sometimes with that too.
Yeah, absolutely.
When it comes to planning,
that has a whole list
of areas to watch for,
I'm sure that's
just probably as intimidating as,
the measurements, right?
Is, is the plumbing a lot of. Yeah.
I want to mess with that part of it.
Why is it
vital to choose a vanity
that can stand up against water
and moisture?
For that, the bathroom creates?
I mean, kind of for,
you know, the most obvious reasons.
Any, heaven forbid
there is a leak, but you know that
it happens and stuff happens.
And so, you know,
if you have a MDF or a particleboard
or anything, even,
like a plywood interior
water gets in there, it's
going to get waterlogged
and it's really going
to deteriorate cause mildew, mold.
So you really want to choose something
that has a good barrier
and good protection
from the water elements
because it is in a water area.
And I mean, even on the outside,
you know, we're talking
kind of on the inside right now,
but on the exterior,
do you know,
you shake your hands with water,
all of those things
you want a good,
like a veneer or even a good solid paint
to kind of help give some barrier so
you don't have to be scared.
Yeah. For sure.
What are some of your go
to, like,
brands products that you suggest
to clients and work with to,
I guess, combat against,
some of those problems that could rise.
So I, I really like Yorktown cabinetry.
They're one of the tops that,
you know vendor that I use a lot.
So typically
I kind of start with quality cabinets
because they kind of
take care of that all for me really.
So I think investing in quality
is the best way
to kind of combat those issues for sure.
Yeah, Yorktown looks super sharp too.
Yeah, there is a good one.
Yeah, there was a good one too.
Yeah.
So those are kind of my main
go to brands.
So that's pretty much
how I try and combat
that is just going with quality.
Yeah.
And you know,
probably from trial and error
what brands to stick with
definitely makes a difference.
So in your experience,
how have you seen ProSource
assist your clients
in choosing the vanity,
right, for their bathroom?
What kind of
speaking on Yorktown
and Dura in particular?
Of course
they have multiple
great brands at ProSource,
so I would say the biggest assist
has been
being able to find
whatever it is
that I'm envisioning for this client.
You know, I have so many different styles
that people like,
so many different functional needs.
Whether it's a slab door
that's a glossy finish
or something really traditional,
you know, you really get a wide variety.
So I think having
anything that I can think of
and come up with, I can find it.
So that's been a huge assist to not,
you know,
make it a difficult process
to get something, you know,
like a nice vanity.
This thing. Yeah.
Great selection,
having as many, options to choose from.
And I know
even having like an account manager
that can do some of that work
and finding specific pieces
to that you're looking for. Absolutely.
Or and even just the,
the process of it all
to like having the renderings to kind of,
you know,
I do my own but having this specific,
you know, with the fillers
and all those little details that,
you know,
they can kind of show
and give an idea of exactly
the cabinetry plans. That's huge too.
Sending this off to my contractor,
it just really makes everything
a lot easier for sure.
In your
experience, what are
homeowners looking for?
And new countertops
as part of their new vanity?
What are some like
current recent trends or
what are you seeing that your clients
are asking for in a countertop?
I would say there's
probably two main,
two main things
that have kind of got a lot of recently.
I mean,
no new, no new,
situation here, but quartz,
you know, the manmade, durable, fresh
kind of that Calcutta gold look,
that's pretty
that's pretty popular and classic.
He would just love no maintenance,
especially in a water area.
You don't have to worry about sealing it.
But on the other hand,
I've been getting a lot of people
kind of want some stone, too.
So it's kind of been
it's been a little bit
of a duality recently.
And again,
that's typically more so for,
guest spaces.
You know,
they want that natural textured finish.
But typically
when people are going to stone,
they want a little bit more drama.
I've noticed at least my clients.
Yeah.
So I have one where,
we're doing a solo blue.
It's got, you know, where
we're going to actually have it glow.
And, so it has beautiful blue veining.
So something
that's really striking and impactful.
So those are kind of the two.
Yeah.
No, I do like the stone look.
It definitely is a little bit
more maintenance like you mentioned.
Yeah.
It creates a whole like aura.
Like a whole, like a vibe to it.
Oh, yeah.
There's.
And that's, that's in right now
having that, like, natural bathroom look.
Yeah, we've talked about it
previously on a podcast, but people,
making their showers look very much
like like it's outside,
but it's not necessarily
they're having,
like, the stone,
in the bottom of the showers, too.
So yeah,
I've definitely seen that as well.
That rise in popularity.
Yeah.
I think
want those natural elements
just to feel a little bit closer
to nature.
There's just something that kind of gets
you immersed
when you,
when you're experiencing
something like that
and, you know, you can't really rival
natural material
as far as finishing you,
you know, you're
when you touch and feel it,
you can you can tell a difference.
Both are really awesome selections.
So yeah, it's
kind of exciting to see that stone
coming back a little bit more
because it's just so beautiful and,
so unique. It's one of a kind.
So absolutely. Yeah.
When it comes to
having installation materials
and all in one place,
how does process help
make the job easier for you
when it comes to installation supplies?
Yeah.
So we kind of touched
a little bit on fillers
and things like that.
But Spillers
scribe,
you know, basically all the trim pieces,
those are really helpful.
So I'll, I'll,
you know, sit down with the personally,
resource employee
and kind of weed out those details.
Exactly what trim do we want?
We're getting a good plan
as far as when install comes.
Everybody knows what to expect.
You know, your contractors
not texting you like, hey, what
what filler are we doing?
Or, you know, it's very clean and easy.
So I like how I can kind of select
all those,
weed them out with my client beforehand.
So again, when install comes
it's smooth sailing.
Yeah. It's already done.
You don't got to worry about it.
Absolutely.
Because that's
that's one of those things
that can hold up something.
And now you want to get it right.
And so you kind of have the,
the flexibility,
with variety of options, but
also the,
be able to like being able to plan
is really good.
Yeah. For sure.
What would you say to a homeowner
that's looking to replace their vanity
while going through a bathroom remodel?
Quality, good quality.
It starts with them.
It's I mean,
you know, because again,
we talked about durability
long term, you know,
having water exposure,
even just day in and day out,
you do use it a good amount,
you know, typically
at least morning and night minimum.
So you want something
that's going to hold up.
And then another thing to
I would kind of play up on texture.
I think that's another way
to really add some life into a space.
And so texture and quality,
I think we're kind of my
go to when it comes to selecting,
and replacing the vanity for sure.
Yeah, this isn't on the questions
sheet, but
looking into like 2025, what are some
what are your predictions,
I guess, on trends with vanities
or just the bathroom in general?
I do think
we're kind of getting into more color.
Again.
I think we've had the gray phase
and we've kind of
had like the soft neutral,
beige warmer phase.
But I think people are starting to go
a little bit more bold,
a little more crazy.
So I kind of predict
heavier wood grain textures.
Yeah.
Or even just funner,
more bold pops of color.
I think it's going to come back.
Yeah, absolutely.
I'm I'm here for it too.
I like the the bold colors.
I think it just makes it
a little bit more interesting.
It's fun, you know,
it's playful and, you know,
just things can get get so serious
in life sometimes.
And you know,
I think people are wanting
to kind of escape
in their own safe space sometimes and,
kind of reflect their personality
a little bit more.
Thank you so much for joining
and sharing your expertise
with with all of us.
And I know you're super busy,
so I appreciate you taking some time
out of your Monday morning.
Yeah, no,
thank you for having me on this topic.
Awesome.
Thank you so much, Allison.
Have a great rest of your day.
Thank you. YouTube.
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