A hallmark of period movies is a beautiful woman, sitting at her vanity, combing her hair or putting on her lipstick. But where did the idea of a vanity come from? The Light House Gallery of Missouri will explore the history of the vanity in this blog post. Shop our bathroom vanities online today!
THE HISTORY OF THE BATHROOM VANITY
Our modern idea of a bathroom vanity, complete with bathroom lighting over the mirror and a porcelain surface with lots of drawers, is a far cry from its beginnings. In fact, bathrooms and bathroom lighting as we think of today didn’t even begin to evolve until about one hundred years ago.
Vanities began simply as a place to wash after a long day working in the fields for men or cooking and cleaning for women. They were merely a simple stand with a big bowl on top.
AH, THE VICTORIANS
We can thank the Victorians (and the high society of England who copied everything the royal family did) for the beginning of the modern vanity. However, it consisted merely of a sink with two faucets, one for hot water and the other for cold water. During this same time period, it was widely believed to be beneficial to remain all natural after a bath for as long as possible. Hence, the chair was added to the vanity and it began to be more elaborate, with mirrors with lights (candles in the beginning) to make the bathroom more comfortable. Hence, bathroom vanities were now considered part of the bedroom and as such, only became more and more elaborate.
THE MODERN BATHROOM VANITY
As society has evolved (as has our knowledge of skin care), the vanity now has taken a step back to its roots and is now mostly found in a simpler form. Gone are the elaborate floral carvings and detailed, column style borders, and all the other embellishments in favor of simple lines and utilitarian uses, but still maintaining a tasteful decor. We’ve gone back to the beginning you could say, back to the simplistic but with modern conveniences, such as bathroom lighting and bathroom mirrors. However, the idea of the dressing table or bathroom vanity lives on, and as most women will tell you, it’s nice to have a comfortable place to sit down with a mirror with lights in order to do your hair and put on your makeup — despite the trend otherwise.
HOW THE LIGHT HOUSE GALLERY CAN HELP
The Light House Gallery offers up bathroom vanities for sale as well as bathroom light fixtures. We also offer mirrors with lights in order to customize your bathroom vanity. Choose from the ornate to the modern style of bathroom vanities. As the best lighting store in Springfield and Branson, we offer the best in lighting design for both your interior lighting and your exterior lighting needs. From outdoor ceiling fans, track lighting, hanging lights, and kitchen light fixtures, we’ve got covered. Visit our showrooms, or contact us today!
