I think I’d go with the 48” vanity. It will be easier to get cleaning tools into a 5” space than into a 2” space.

The vanity in my last hotel room had a two-inch gap on both sides and it made me crazy. I kept losing items off the edge and then it was a pain to try to fish them out of the small gap. I agree with @bbstx; get the 48" vanity.

Dpending on the style of the vanity (especially the legs/feet nad shirt or lack therof), you might be able to get the 55 inch vanity without a top, have wall to wall counter made and then add a filler to the sides -- the way most kitchen cabinets are done. It will probably have to be a more built-in rather than freestanding look, and it will limit options. Going with the 48" has fewer issues and more options.

I'd go with 48 inches. A vanity such as the one pictured - with legs and open bottom - would probably look better than a more traditional vanity. It looks more like a piece of furniture placed into the space rather than a built in vanity that's undersized.

Another 48" vote especially since you describe the location as an alcove and for all the cleaning reasons mentioned above. That inspo pic is wonderful - I'd be trying to recreat that.

Agree that 48” is your best option for all the reasons articulated above.

Chiming in to say that 48” makes the most sense. Two inch openings are easy for things to fall in, but hard to get out.

I like that tiled wall, too.

I agree with lascatx. Get a 55" with a filler on the sides. Countertop wall to wall. More counterspace is always a good thing.

I don't think a 48" will look odd. Are you doing 2 sinks? That doesn't leave much counterspace. The vanity in the pic is probably 72" or larger.

Love that tiled wall!

Yes, 48". If it were for your BA or a BA used by two people or even jsut one female, Id say you need wall to wall. For this purpose, it is smart to go with whatever you can find that is the best value.

I like tile high on a BA or K wall, even to the ceiling, but I don't care for accent walls, which this is.

Thanks everyone! 48” it is! And we are going to tile that wall. The cost isn’t that much for the impact. I also don’t like accent walls but this feels different to me

There will only be one sink. There’s one now and it’s never been an issue.

Getting vanity without top and custom stone top will cost significantly more and not worth it for this bathroom. Plus it would be impossible to get fillers that match vanity without going custom.

Forgot to mention we will definitely be getting a vanity that has legs to look more like a piece of furniture.

A 48 inch vanity I believe has a top about 49 inches (little bit of overhang). Better to be smaller than bigger in case the side walls aren't square. I replaced just the top of my vanity at the beach condo. Vanity in the alcove measured 48" & walls weren't square so i ended up having to go with a custom top. Budget didn't allow for custom granite, so I had to go with cultured marble. Since the walls weren't square, it was a #@%*!! to get into place (sister & I did it because the handyman ghosted me by the time it arrived).

That's a good point - 49 to 49.5 inches would be the most common overall length.

I mentioned a top cut to fit but that isn't necessarily custom. We used prefab granite in the secondary baths of my sister's house and the cost was very reasonable (as in $100 plus sink and cutout - I think we were under $200 total for each bathroom - abot 60" IIRC). The easiest is definitely going with the 48" with top. We did soemthing similar in our powder room - I think it is a 36" vanity in a 40" space.

Glad you are going for the tile.

Some vanities with countertop come with an attached short backsplash, which isn't usually used against a tiled wall, so pay attention to that detail when you select the vanity.

Thanks, Eileen. Some come with it, but they do not have to be installed.