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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