30 Makeup Vanity Ideas to Beautify Your Space

Having a dedicated makeup vanity is a simple way to add a little bit of luxury to your daily routine. By surrounding yourself with elements that reflect your personality and style, you can ensure that you feel inspired and empowered every time you sit down to get ready.
 

Below we’ve broken down the essential elements of a well-designed vanity and curated inspirational examples to help you bring your design dreams to life.

Vanity Style Ideas

Before you start selecting individual pieces for your vanity, you should have a general idea of what style you’re looking for. Are you an aspiring Hollywood starlet or do you have a more laid-back, bohemian personality? Let your vanity reflect who you are — and who you aspire to be.
 

1. Sweet and Simple

Combine light pastels, soft textures, and rounded edges to create an ultra-feminine beauty station that blends seamlessly with the rest of your bedroom. Opt for natural light or lamps that emit a warm glow to maintain your space’s gentle,
relaxed vibe.

2. Sleek and Modern

Build your vanity around a mid-century modern desk or table for a simple but energized feel. Select pieces that incorporate clean lines and natural colors, and maintain your space with plenty of storage to hide clutter.

3. Natural Beauty

Bring some outside influences indoors with natural elements like wood, stone, water, and natural light. Add an indoor plant (or a faux equivalent) to inspire freshness in your beauty routine.

4. Beachy Babe

Emulate a coastal vibe by incorporating sand and shell tones and textures into your decor. Decorative elements like woven baskets and dunegrass can round out your look.

5. Keep It Classy

Nothing combines class and creativity better than modern, minimalist style. Less is more when it comes to this look.
Try going big with oversized mirrors and a large surface area. This will maximize the impact of the select decorative items you add.

6. Golden Goddess

For a vanity style that shines as brightly as you do, go all in on gold! This is a look you can adapt to just about any style. Add gold accents throughout the rest of your room to help your vanity blend seamlessly with the rest of your space.

7. Eclectic Glam

Don’t be afraid to add a little edge to your space! Incorporate eclectic elements in a coordinated way by using a well-defined color scheme to unite seemingly unrelated objects and shapes.

Makeup Table Ideas

Start with the vanity or makeup table you’ll be using, and build your space from there. Even if you’re not planning to purchase a new vanity or if you don’t have lots of floor space for a large piece of furniture, there are plenty of ways to create a surface that suits your space and needs.
 

8. Find a Matching Set

The easiest way to design a vanity is to buy a purpose-built vanity set. With mirrors, surface area, and storage all in one, a coordinated piece of furniture allows you to focus on the fun part: decoration!

9. Super-Size Your Storage

If you’re lucky enough to have lots of room to use, consider opting for a large furniture piece that offers storage for all your makeup, accessories, and more. You can also try replicating this look by placing a tall standalone cabinet on either side of your vanity desk.

10. Convert a Desk or Table

If you’re not planning to purchase a brand new vanity desk, you can transform an existing piece of furniture into a full-service makeup station by adding a vanity hutch or a mirror and surface storage. This allows you to get creative with your
vanity design.

11. Give Your Drawers Double Duty

Another space-saving option is to repurpose a bookcase or chest of drawers by converting its surface into a vanity station. Pick a few items, like unique perfume bottles, to decorate the surface, and store small items in drawers.

12. Float Your Makeup Station

Minimize your vanity’s footprint by choosing a wall-mounted makeup station. This keeps your floor clear, and is great for small spaces.

Vanity Mirror Ideas
 

13. Start with a Statement Piece

Though the table is often the centerpiece of a vanity station, it doesn’t have to be — a bold statement mirror can ground your vanity and provide the inspiration for the rest of your decor.

14. Keep It Simple

A simple mirror will allow bold elements, like a textured dresser, to take center stage. Try taping a photo or affirmation to your mirror to start your day on a positive note.

15. Double Up

Super-sizing your reflective area helps maximize natural light and makes the area feel more spacious. Add other metallic elements to your vanity to complement the look.

16. Find a Lighting + Mirror Combo

You may want to opt for a mirror that incorporates an LED strip or a marquee into its frame, especially if your vanity doesn’t get a lot of natural light. A lighted mirror is designed to illuminate your whole face, avoiding unwanted shadows.

17. Add a Makeup Mirror

A small, free standing makeup mirror can be a useful companion to your primary mirror, or it may be enough to suit a simplistic vanity. Opt for an LED mirror to help with detail work, or choose a cool and unusual frame to reflect your decor.

Chairs, Stools & Seating

Choose your vanity seating wisely, especially if you’re someone who likes to spend a long time perfecting your look. Avoid low seating or lounge chairs that are too plush to sit up in easily. Instead, look for desk-height chairs or stools that will keep you comfortable.
 

18. Balance Comfort with Support

There’s lots of overlap between cushioned desk chairs and vanity seating, since both are designed to support your posture while you sit for longer periods of time. With plenty of textile options, there’s no need to worry about sacrificing
style for support.

19. Find a Structured Lounger

Though most lounge chairs are too laid-back to work well for a vanity, some styles do bridge the gap. A large lounge chair with a sturdy, supportive back can double as a place to get ready or to relax.

20. Lean In

Prefer to perch? If you’re used to sitting without much back support, you can make a strong statement with a creatively-designed stool.

21. Move Around

Not only can a small area rug pull your vanity’s look together, but it can also allow you to choose a wheeled vanity chair without worrying about damage to your floor. It will give your chair’s wheels some traction so you don’t accidentally slide around while perfecting your liquid liner.

Lighting

You want your vanity lighting to illuminate your face completely, which is why lighted mirrors are such a popular choice. Many other lighting types like desk lamps, floor lamps, string lights, or overhead lights will cast shadows on your face and skew your perspective. Thankfully, there’s a solution: combine multiple lighting sources to cancel out any dark spots and light up your whole face.
 

22. Stagger Your Lamp Heights

The easiest way to ensure comprehensive lighting coverage is to get multiple different lamp heights. Experiment with placement until you’ve found an arrangement that illuminates your face and eliminates shadows.

23. Hang an Overhead Light

Hanging an overhead lamp above and slightly in front of where you sit can provide light from an angle with few obstructions, leaving little opportunity for dark spots.

24. Get Creative with Your Base

Decorative lampshades are guaranteed to affect how the lamp’s light hits your face, so it’s better to express your style with a decorative base instead.

25. Combine Light and Storage

If you decide to incorporate a floor lamp into your vanity lighting arrangement, you can double its function by opting for a lamp with built-in shelving to store your beauty items or decor.

Organization and Decor

Once you have the rest of your vanity set up, it’s time to finish it off with stylish organizers and decorative touches. Look to incorporate storage wherever possible — lots of organizers are as cute as they are functional, and eliminating clutter is essential to allow your design to shine!
 

26. Add Extra Drawers

Depending on what type of vanity desk you choose, you may want to expand your storage options with a beauty tower or set of drawers. Let your items become part of your vanity design.

27. Utilize Vertical Storage Space

Free up your floor space and vanity surface by mounting a wall organizer or shelf. Combine functional wall elements with decorations and lights to create a cohesive design.

28. Display Your Jewelry

If you like to accessorize, make sure all your favorite pieces are easy to find. A jewelry organizer will keep items from tangling and put all your favorite pieces on display.

29. Hide Your Storage

Another way to keep clutter at bay is to choose furniture that contains hidden storage, like a mirror cabinet or storage stool.

30. Personalize Your Space

Find creative ways to incorporate pieces of your life into your design. Frame and hang your art, turn a pinboard into a vision board, or tack photos of friends and family around your vanity to make it truly your own.

No matter your style, budget, or amount of space, there are an infinite number of creative ways to put together a makeup vanity that’s functional, stylish, and tailored perfectly to your personality. The ideas above are just a starting point — don’t be afraid to get creative and break the rules! The only thing that matters is that your vanity provides the space and comfort you need to feel as beautiful as you are.