Contemporary bathroom vanities and modern vanities were born from a transform in outlook, style and design that started in the nineteenth century. Before, bathroom vanities had had a tendency to towards more heavy, healthy and over-the-top pieces, items that made a declaration for its huge character, rather than humble elegance. Contemporary bathroom vanities style has veered more to that very stylishness, often characterized by uneven, silky lines and noted for its neat surfaces rather than for its bulk and size.

The chance to create new, modern bathroom vanities designs has been importantly helped by advances in know-how, resources and tooling. Where of age pieces were built of wood and adorned with complicated, fussy carvings and deep-colored, luscious fabrics, contemporary bathroom vanities is more likely to be constructed from refined metal, lustrous steel and molded plastics. Even the PC has had an impact on contemporary bathroom vanity cabinets, with designers more easily able to operate a example image to come up with striking and groundbreaking new creations.
The first effects of fashionable design stem from the art deco and post-war innovation ages – artists were trying to break away from the conservative and find new ways to push limits. This cross-over between making works of art and designing useful pieces of contemporary bathroom furniture really grew in impetus during the Bauhaus movement of the 1960s and the design of contemporary furniture shifted to real self-expression and independence, as well as being working and comfortable to use.

Modern bathroom vanities design also saw building as an inspiration and many of the most powerful contemporary furniture designers were originally better known as architects. The construction of more structural and stylized pieces of contemporary bathroom furniture resonated with these originators and they looked to turn their hand to more instant ways of expressing their own graces. Some of the most well-known architects who became involved in the contemporary bathroom vanities movement, Italian design was also another strong pointer in contemporary bathroom vanities design, but this style of bath furniture design also took much from French influences. Many of the original funders to the contemporary bathroom vanity movement, such as Charles and Ray Eames are still extremely appreciated and continue to effect bathroom furniture stylists to this day.