Vanity Material Type

[Jeff Lee]

I'm debating between purchasing a vanity from Home Depot or to have a custom-built one. The material type is the primary issue with price being number two. My ideal scenario is to have a high quality vanity w/o paying out the wah-zoo.

Based on the six vanities I like, each uses either aspen, poplar, aspen, and maple.

Beech: #1

Poplar: #4, #3, #2, #6

Maple: #5

Aspen: #7

My questions are

#1. Are any of these four types of wood worth it? Am I better off getting a custom-built cabinet?

#2. Does it make that big of a deal if I get a 48" W or 36" W vanity? Is it personal preference or do homeowners go with a "bigger is better" mentality?