There are a large number of varieties of bathroom vanities, and the name for them has a rather funny and interesting origin. "Vain" means proud or narcissistic, so those who are proud of their looks or are over infatuated with themselves are often referred to as vain people. So the person who likes to primp and look at themselves in the mirror a lot is a person often considered to have more than their fair share of vanity. For these persons, the bathroom furniture that enabled them to admire themselves and do things to make them look dandy before going into public, was created and aptly named the vanity.

The bathroom vanities of modern times probably started getting really popular during the Victorian era, when women of means and wealth would have hand maids to help them dress and decorate themselves, and these hand maidens would usually sit the woman down on a chair and surround her with mirrors, makeup and her wardrobe. So from that moment on, furniture became a part of getting dressed, and especially when the hair had to be done in ways that took much labor and time. Even today, doing hair and make up takes certain people hours, and this is why people like to have nice comfortable chairs and other furniture, in the form of bathroom vanities, to help them accomplish this kind of work and labor of vanity with ease and as much comfort as possible.

In fact, one of the most popular and elegant types of bathroom vanities incorporates a wing chair, which is a type of chair that was originally designed for comfort for sitting for long periods of time reading or relaxing. Many people find that this kind of chair is ideal for their bathroom vanities, as long as it fits well with a small desk that has a really good mirror and great lighting and lot of little places to store various lotions, cremes, lipsticks, and other tools and tricks of the makeup trade.