When you are redecorating or even renovating a bathroom, you need to think very carefully about different aspects of the room. You need to install a bath or shower, if there isn’t already one there, you need to think about flooring, tiling, and you need to think about the overall décor too. Obviously, another thing you need to consider is the vanity unit.

A bathroom is simply not a bathroom without a vanity unit!

For this reason, we are dealing with a piece of equipment which is essential.

The biggest decision you have to make where your vanity unit is concerned is which material to go with, and then which colour or style to choose. Two of the most popular materials around are quartz and marble. These are both natural stone choices, but what sets them apart?

Let’s compare the two and see which one comes out on top.

Quartz For Bathroom Vanity Units

Quartz is a non-porous material, which means it doesn’t absorb water and it doesn’t harbour any germs or bacteria; in terms of a bathroom vanity unit, this is both a pro and a con. The non-germ harbouring side of things is definitely a pro, but the fact that water doesn’t absorb could be seen as a downside – this means that your vanity unit may have standing water on it for much of the time. Now, quartz doesn’t need maintenance, i.e. it doesn’t need regular sealing, other than the usual cleaning you would do anyway, and this is a definite plus point.

Quartz is also available in countless colours, patterns, and finishes, whilst also being very readily available on the market, so you can shop around for the best deal. Quartz is highly scratch and heat resistant, so you can put your hair straighteners down on the surface for a short time, without having to worry about burn marks.

Basically, quartz is a fantastic choice, and aside from the question of whether porosity is an issue or not, there are no major downsides at all.

Marble For Bathroom Vanity Units

Whereas quartz is non-porous, marble is certainly porous, and again that could be seen as a downside or an upside. On the upside, marble will absorb standing water, so it won’t be a wet or slippery surface, but on the downside this does mean that the material needs regular sealing, to ensure that the absorbed water doesn’t cause any cracking or weakening issues in the future.

White marble is an iconic choice for bathrooms, and has been used in public and high quality buildings for centuries – think back to the Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans, they all loved white marble for their communal bathing areas. For this reason, you have a very opulent appearance when you choose white marble, although there are many other colours available too. The downside? Marble might not be as tough or hard-wearing as quartz, and it isn’t heat resistant, so you will need to use heat saving pads for your hair styling tools.

The end choice really is a personal one, and whichever option you go for, always remember to shop around to get the best deals on the market. Both options will look fantastic, and there are countless colours and patterns to choose from.