My suggestion is to go with your gut and initial plan, white beadboard, sage walls and vanity as is. If you don't like the vanity, once it is installed, you can always paint it then. If there is the white beadboard behind the vanity then it will really pop! Good luck.

I would leave the cabinet the color it is - it will be a nice balance to all the white and light colors in the space.

If you are going to do beadboard, then I would go with the white. My thought is that if this is a powder room, will the texture of the beadboard and all the lines both vertical and horizontal, feel like too much in the small space? Not having seen the space, there is no way to judge that from the description.

The other question is whether the beadboard look fits your home.

My first thought as I was reading was to agree with the handyman. But now that I have seen the photo, I think it would look nice in the cherry tone, playing up the the look of a stand-alone piece of furniture.

I don't see any purpose in making the bead board and the wall be the same color.

Thank you all so much! I think I just needed validation. Soonermom and Graywings, you both summed up very nicely what I was trying to say to my painter/handyman/"decorator" earlier today--"pop" and "piece of furniture." I really think that once he gets the vanity installed and gets the walls painted, he will see what I'm seeing in my mind. Les, I see what you mean about a lot of lines and the room is very small, but I think it will be ok. Thanks again.

I think your instinct is right on. Painting the cabinet white will just make it disappear into the white beadboard. It will look better with contrast against the walls.