I’m back with the LAST chapter before the quote-unquote “big reveal” next week. I know you might be rolling your eyes at the continued suspense, but the wait actually mimics the true pace of this project. This ain’t no TV show where you get a before and after tied up nicely with a bow 30 minutes later. Instead you get the nitty gritty play-by-play as we go. But lucky for you it’s a bit less dusty and tiring than what we’ve been experiencing firsthand. Plus you’ve all been happily showering at home every day over the last month while you patiently (or not so patiently) wait for the after pics. In contrast, we just took our first shower in the newly completed bathroom this morning after about a month of remote gym showering. Yeah, it was awesome. So hold your breath a smidge longer as we take you through last weekend’s big project: the vanity!
Just as Sherry described in our first bathroom post, we opted to create our own DIY vanity by retrofitting a piece of furniture. Despite drooling over similar options at Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, we weren’t about to blow our budget on a $1500 piece. So thanks to some internet sleuthing by Sherry and a full day of home decor & thrift store hopping (don’t I deserve good husband points for that?) we settled on a discounted clean-lined white sink and a sleek chrome faucet from Overstock.com that we’d pair with a Crate & Barrel night table purchased with a 15% off coupon (see more info about the mood board below here).
Those finds added up to a modern-meets-traditional vanity that barely touched the $400 mark… not bad when you look at vessel sink cabinet options from Lowe’s and Home Depot that ring in at around $500 without including the faucet or the sink in that price (like this one and this one). Oh and we actually ended up ordering a slightly different faucet than the one in the mood board above (from amazon.com with free shipping instead of from a random ebay seller) so that explains why it looks a bit different in the pics below.
Anyway, assembling (yes it came home in a “some assembly required” flat box) the night table was so easy a pregnant lady could do it (in fact, one did while I was tiling). But since the finish on a night table isn’t quite splash ready, we added some extra durability and waterproofing with three coats of protective lacquer. After some research, Sherry discovered an eco-alternative to our usual go-to: oil-based polyurethane. We bought this Safecoat Acrylaq at a local store called EcoLogic, where the sales person swore by its easy application and durability. Update: For any non-locals, they also sell it on Amazon, so here’s an affiliate link for ya.
Although the Safecoat is low-VOC, Sherry took the extra-cautious-mom-to-be route and applied all three coats (after giving everything a light sanding) on the porch just to be as well ventilated as possible. Yes, a pregnant girl sealing a dresser on a front porch is something our neighbors put up with thanks to our home improvement obsession. And while we haven’t really put it through years of rigorous testing yet, so far we’ve been extremely impressed with the lacquer we chose. Droplets of water bead up right on the surface and it seems as though this stuff is generally impervious to water (which is a good thing in a bathroom). Here’s what it looked like all Acrylaq-ed up and begging for some vanity-ification:
The elbow greasiest part of the project was poking holes in all the right places so the faucet, sink and related plumbing would all sit nicely (and firmly) in the right spots. So once the night table dried (and the floors were in place) we put the table in the bathroom to see what modifications we’d have to make to accommodate the plumbing. Luckily, the p-trap sat perfectly under the drawer and upper shelf, meaning both of the bottom shelves could stay 100% intact (this felt like a miracle discovery at the time- picture cartwheels and happy jigs). But of course, the hot & cold water pipes stuck right into the back of the drawer (and I’d need to drill some holes in the top of the vanity for the drain and faucet to pass through).
So I carefully marked which sections of wood needed to go and started cutting away. Despite my new obsession with power saws, I did this the old fashioned way: drilling a pilot hole big enough to get my handsaw through and then cutting things manually. It was actually pretty easy considering a lot of what I was cutting were thin panels, not thick support legs.
With the back cut out enough to accommodate the plumbing so we could push the night table flush against the bathroom wall, our next step was to figure out where we needed to make those two holes through the top. Our main concern was making sure we drilled the hole for the sink drain directly above the p-trap so no “creative” pipe tricks would be required. Fortunately, it only required some creative marking techniques instead. We simply used a slightly trimmed, empty paper towel tube as a stand-in drain pipe followed by a silver Sharpie centered in the tube to mark the underside of the tabletop. After drilling a small guide hole up through that spot, I officially had my mark to begin carving a big hole in the top from above.
Using the measurements included in our sink’s directions, I purchased a hole boring bit for my drill to do the job precisely. It was totally worth the $6. I was through the thick tabletop in no time with a perfectly sized hole (and a bit of a mess – good thing we had laid down a towel and a plastic bag for easy clean-up afterwards).
We then put the sink temporarily in place to make sure the drain stopper fit (it did) and figure out exactly where we wanted the faucet to go from there. With that marked, it took just another few spins of the drill to have the second hole ready to go.
Next we decided to install the faucet before placing the vanity in the bathroom, mainly because it would be easier to screw it tightly in place from behind (without a wall in the way). After attaching the provided hot and cold braided hoses to the faucet itself, we just fed them through the top of the hole and began tightening the nuts on the other side. This is where we realized another strip of wood had to be cut out so that the nut sat flush and tight against the underside of the vanity top. A few cuts of the saw and one creepy, reflected glare later, we had this:
Note that my cuts are far from pretty – but since they’re all hidden against the back wall (with a soon-to-be-adapted drawer that would obscure them from the front) I wasn’t too concerned with how they looked as long as they were in the right place. Someone would literally have to remove the drawer and squat down to be at eye level with the vanity to see ’em.
So with the faucet firmly attached and everything tightened, we carried the piece into the bathroom and connected the water hoses to the plumbing on the wall. This step just called for a combination of plumber’s tape and a few turns of the wrench (the key is tight, but not overtight!). Oh and we can’t forget my simple “paper towel test” (patent pending… not really) to see if anything was leaking. Explanation: I hold up a dry paper towel for about 60 seconds to see if any water spots appear. No spots = you’re good to go. Then with both water hoses attached, I shoved them as far back in the drawer cavity as possible and sailed along to the next task (we’ll explain how we retrofitted the drawer bit later).
The next thing on the agenda was attaching the sink, which would be held in place through a combination of plumbing and adhesive. But before doing that, we carefully did a “dry run” installation where I brought the vanity, sink and faucet in and loosely hooked up all of the plumbing to make sure things were lining up perfectly. Fortunately, they were – except that I need about 4″ of extension pipe to connect everything. But even an unplanned trip to the home improvement store couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the progress we had made in about an hour of vanity building. For instance, see how much happier/crazier I look in the “after” sink picture below? I look like I’m auditioning for Glee.
Ok, so after returning with the small section of extension pipe that we needed to connect all the plumbing, we now had the confidence to glue the above-counter sink onto the top of the vanity. For this we used a clear waterproof silicone caulk – since it would do both the job of adhering and blocking water. Plus, the guy at Lowe’s had just done something similar in his bathroom the week before and was convincingly confident about it (and we knew the plumbing for the drain would also firmly hold the sink in place for added security).
We laid a line of silicone along both edges where the sink would rest on the vanity top (the bottom of the sink appears flat in the photo below, but it actually arcs in the middle so we only applied caulk where the sink would directly make contact with the vanity). Oh and we did leave a small break in the caulk line at the back of the sink – reasoning that if we had a leak issue down the road, it would be nice for it to seap out the back of the sink where we could see it (instead of silently collecting between the sink and the vanity top while we had no idea what water damage was lurking underneath). Oh, and even though the caulk looks white in the picture it dries clear.
With the sink laid carefully in place and pressed down, it was ready for plumbing. Since I’d confirmed that all the plumbing would fit together before during my “dry run,” there wasn’t much magic to this step. I inserted the drain stopper from the top, screwed on and tightened the washer and nut from the bottom (all per sink instructions) and attached the rest of the drain pipe using plumber’s tape and some tightening (but not overtightening) with a wrench. Then – with my trusty paper towel sitting on the shelf under it to help me identify leaks – we turned on the water and (after a couple of tightening adjustments) had a leak free sink. Victory. More happy jigs and cartwheels ensued.
Then we whipped out the same clear silicone caulk that we used to hold the sink down to seal around the base of the sink where it meets the vanity (except for that small span of space in the back which we left unsealed to alert us of any potential under-sink leaks). Looks pretty much complete, eh?
Nope, two other tasks were in order before we could wash our hands of this project (and then subsequently wash our hands in this project). First we wanted to be 100% sure that our DIY vanity wouldn’t pull away from the wall (since the only thing holding it in place were some pipes). So using some simple L brackets and a few long screws we secured the vanity tightly against the wall in two spots right under the drawer base (meaning they’re completely hidden from view). Now this baby isn’t going anywhere.
Our second job was to adjust the drawer to work around all of the plumbing that I had just carefully installed right behind it. Thanks to some trial-and-error before moving the piece into the bathroom, we figured out that all we needed to do to salvage the function of the drawer was to trim the big base panel and reinstall the back panel at a shorter depth (ie: shorten the drawer to create clearance for the pipes). This was easy since Sherry had constructed the thing in the first place, so it was no big deal to take the drawer apart and make those adjustments.
After unscrewing and removing the back of the drawer and sliding out the bottom panel, we used a circular saw to shorten the bottom to the new depth. The wood was thin so a handsaw would’ve easily cut it, but this cut needed to be straight for a secure fit (so not trusting my hand, I went over the top and headed to the garage where the power tools with laser guides could do my dirty work). The shortened base panel slid right back into place and with a few self-made drill holes, we easily attached the back of the drawer at the new depth.
So with the drawer in place (which left just enough room to store toothbrushes, toothpaste, contact cases and deodorant) we were officially D-O-N-E with the vanity! And it only took a few hours to accomplish the whole thing. Not bad for saving several hundred bucks, right?
And now that this chapter is also d-o-n-e, the next post up will show you the whole shebang completed and accessorized. Not to mention a full budget breakdown and us answering the ten million dollar question: would we do it all again? And don’t worry, we’ll still follow-up after the big reveal with other details like how we reglazed the tub and made some new art. Details, details. But one thing we won’t be covering is the riveting tale of re-installing the toilet, which you can see is already in place (since we’ve got that step-by-step available here). Besides, I’m spent.
What about you guys? Has anyone else altered a piece of furniture in some way to make it more customized and functional for your home? Sherry’s mom actually turned an old cabinet into a sink over ten years ago, on a serious budget no less (so that’s where Sherry gets it from!). We’d love to know what sort of furniture “hacks” you guys are taking on these days. Do tell.
Wanna read about the first few chapters of the big bathroom makeover? Check out Chapter One (Moodboard), Chapter Two (Demo), Chapter Three (Wall Reconstruction), a little teaser post, Chapter Four (Tiling), Chapter Five (Grouting) and Chapter Six (Trim) right here.
Laurmela says
I can’t wait to see the finished room! I know it will be awesome as all your rooms are!
I recently redid a desk/hutch to make it more my style. I had a little help from my friend/contractor, but he sees my visions. DH usually doesn’t until we are almost done.
http://laurmelashouse.blogspot.com/2010/01/recycling.html
Polina says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait for the big reveal with all to take a look for a fully finished product – accessories and all :-)
Laura C. says
Looks gorgeous! I LOVE the sink and vanity! :)
sallie says
love love love! it looks so fabulous. awesome job.
Somer says
Wow!!! That’s all I can say
Dionne says
This is great because it is exactly what I wanted to do in my son’s bathroom. Now I don’t have to go to far to figure out how to do it, yah!
JenWoodhouse.com says
Looking good, guys! I’m so impressed. I’ve been following along in your bathroom reno and was most curious about how you’d DIY the vanity sink. Looks great, even better that it was affordable and I’m sure it means so much more since you created it, rather than just picked it up from the store. Kudos!!! Can’t wait to see the big reveal!
Eric says
Great work guys – I actually do modify furniture all the time, it’s not that difficult, as you are finding out.
Becky S. says
Thanks, Sherry. I must have been remembering the post about the paint brush. Looks like I’ll be headed to Home Depot this morning to return the painters tape, and stopping at Sherwin Williams on my way home!
foobella says
That looks fantastic. What a great job you both did. And that drawer solution is genius.
Now get to the final reveal. I can’t take it anymore! =)
Janet says
Hey again,
Wow it’s getting really close! I can’t remember if you guys had mentioned before or not, but did you at any point consider installing a glass door for the shower instead of using a curtain? And if so, any particular reason why you stuck w/ a curtain?
Our bathroom is about the size of yours and we currently have an old, brass sliding glass door. We’re trying to decide whether to replace it w/ another glass door (gives more of an open feel and shows off the tiles) or use a curtain (significantly cheaper).
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Janet,
We actually did consider seamless glass instead of a shower curtain but ended up eliminating it due to budget and kid-friendly considerations (we thought a large pane of glass might be tempting fate if we plan to live here forever and raise lots of bambinos). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Katie says
I am astonished with success of the vanity project. It is absolutely STUNNING! I can not wait until my husband gets home from work so we can get started! I check your blog everyday and it has become somewhat of an obsession. You two are incredible! Can’t wait to see the big reveal!
stylefyles says
this renovation is AWESOME
I can’t wait to see the finished results.
The sink is such a great redo- so stylish and modern…I am definitely jealous!
Alicia says
Wow. You guys rock. The bathroom look like a million bucks!
Angel says
Sweet
Victoria says
Your bathroom looks fantastic. I along with everyone else is waiting with baited breath for the final result. You two are just so talented!
Christina says
this is so beautiful!! i enjoyed watching the transformation. thank you for sharing. you guys inspire me to make better use of my time!
Katie says
That sink project? Divinely inspired, y’all. Amazing! Makes me want to find my cordless drill and go tackle something beautiful.
Brandon says
Thanks for the great series of articles. Here’s a variation on your paper towel test I’ve used before: use a piece of a brown paper bag or construction paper. Any drips will show up much darker than the dry paper. The extra contrast makes it easier to visually see if there’s a problem.
Erika says
Hey, Young House Lovers! Your ingenuity and incredibly classy DIY style are so inspiring. My husband is a pretty handy guy, and we can’t wait to buy our first place and transform it into the house of our dreams. Rest assured that we’ll be turning to YHL.com for ideas and tips! I *heart* this vanity project. Thanks for always being so thorough in your explanations and for paving the way for House Love novices like us!
Jenny says
Awsome awsome awsome! I love it! Quick question – what grit sandpaper did you use to scuff the vanity before varnish? And what type of brush did you use to apply the varnish?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenny,
Good questions! For the sandpaper we went with 300 grit (you want a very high number so it doesn’t scratch things up too much and just roughs them up enough to create a nice foundation for the varnish). Then I used a regular old 2″ angled Purdy brush (we like a high quality angled 2″ brush for almost every project so they’re great to have on hand). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alaina says
Hey i am looking for a sink like that for my my bathroom and my guest bathroom. Where did you purchase your sink, and how much did it cost? We are looking to redo our bathrooms and would love any tips you have!
Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Alaina,
Just follow the link on the bottom of this post to go back to our mood board post with all that info on where we got our sink and how much it set us back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alli says
Hey Youngsters, while the hubs and I are finishing up a major kitchen gut and remodel, I’m already planning for our next project: the bathroom. I LOVE your DIY vanity, and it’s a look I’m hoping we can replicate as we have very (very) limited space and desperately need some storage. I’m wondering, now that you’re back to using it full time, how’s it holding up? Any concerns or things you’d change?
YoungHouseLove says
Still loving it! The little drawer is priceless for toothpaste and contact stuff and deodorant so we would definitely recommend that (and the open shelves below are nice for pretty things and folded towels etc). It’s definitely a sturdy piece that we’ll get to use for years and years (it still looks as new as the day we installed it after lots of use). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kjerste says
Hi guys! I’m an avid reader of the blog, thanks so much for all the amazing pics, advice and ideas! My husband and I just finished our bathroom renovation and are running into 1 hiccup: our vanity (varnished wood) is getting water spots on it after only a couple days of use. We used Minwax Poly, water based clear gloss. We put about 4 thin layers on and really it seems like it’s not water proof. Do you think a couple more layers would work, even though the sinks are already installed? My plan was to use some 400 grit sandpaper to take the water spots off and add a couple more layers around the sinks since everything is installed and I’d prefer not to uninstall the whole thing. Do you have any opinions or advice? Thanks again!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry to hear about your trouble with the Minwax Poly. We definitely have loved the Safecoat stuff that we used, but your plan to sand yours down a bit to eliminate those water stains and then apply a couple more layers of the Minwax poly sounds like it should work. The other option instead of poly would be lacquer (we believe Minwax also makes a lacquer) which is known to be even more glossy and protective/waterproof than poly so that’s another idea. Feel free to talk to the pros at your home improvement center if you’re stuck, but either way it sounds like a few more coats of something should do the trick. And remember to give it ample drying time (we usually double what it suggests on the can). Good luck!
xo,
s
Kjerste says
That seems to be working, thanks so much for the advice! My husband said “oh that’s so cool, they actually wrote back.” :)
Tahra says
Hi there, LOVE this idea! I am planning on doing something similiar myself in my downstairs bathroom, which has a shower stall. I was sorta skeptical because my two oldest kids ages 15 and 8 would be sharing this bathroom, and although I am planning on applying many coates of sealer, I’m not sure, that with kids if this would be enough. So, my question is, do you think that getting either glass or plexiglass cut to the exact dimensions of the top of the nightstand, to protect the wood is a good idea, or would the water drops seep underneath creating more of a mess. Is there a caulk that dries crystal clear to use between the glass and nightstand top? Thanxs!
YoungHouseLove says
Good idea! We love the glass or plexi idea, and if you adhered it down strongly (either with some sort of clamp or screw or clear epoxy) it should be great. Just visit your local home improvement store to find something that is said to dry completely clear and maybe even do some tests on an old piece of glass from a small frame that you have laying around. Good luck!
xo,
s
Alan says
Hi guys,
Two technical questions: I see that your vanity is flush with the wall, yet you have a baseboard running along the wall. Did you cut out the base board where the vanity sits? Also, did you sand and lacquer the entire thing or just the top?
Sorry to rip off the idea, but we’ve ordered this very nightstand and will be doing the same! However, we went with a frosted glass bowl and different faucet. I’ll be sure to send you a picture.
Thanks!
~Alan
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we notched out the trim to accommodate the vanity and to keep things flush. And yes, we sanded and lacquered everything to keep it all water sealed! We also caulked the back of the vanity to the wall with a line of silicone sealant so water didn’t collect or drip behind it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alan says
Thanks, Sherry!
chris powell says
My wife forwarded your blog to me showing your bathroom vanity.
We both really like what you have done and believe your work and ideas have inspired in a way to complete our spare bathroom.
Can you tell me a few dimensions on your vanity
#1 from floor to top of bottom shelf
#2 from floor to top of second shelf
#3 From floor to bottom of drawer
#4 Bottom of drawer to top of drawer
thanks
Chris
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chris,
1. 6″
2. 14″
3. 21″
4. 28″ (29″ to the top of the vanity and 34.5″ to the top of the sink lip)
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Judie says
Wow , so I just got your site recommended to me by my wedding planner and I am Loving what I see. I am a huge DIY Gal and I love what you and your husband have done with just about everything :) this site is truly inspiring and I hope I can use it to get ideas for when we have our own house. Thanks girl .
– Judie
Reba says
I just discovered your site a couple of days ago (researching the best way to paint paneling…my entire home is covered in it) and have spent many, many hours reading and learning.
I am so impressed with all that you two have accomplished(including Clara, she is a living doll! and her super cute brother Burger)I have been researching and wondering how to redo my vanity and what you did is perfect!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! for the inspirations, the tutorials, the you can do it’s etc…I will be a regular visitor from now on.
orangesugar says
I bought a similar Kraus sink from Overstock and love it.
Here’s mine: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Kraus-White-Rectangular-Ceramic-Vessel-Sink/3250161/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&mr:trackingCode=6FB4832F-52C1-DF11-98FF-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA
Lisa says
I’m browsing through old posts, and this vanity looks great indeed!
Where I’m from nearly all sinks have the taps integrated, a shame as I prefer this look.
I made a budget version of this with an IKEA Bestå cabinet a while back. We have a wall mounted piedestal sink, so I searched to find a cabinet with just the right height, as I didn’t want to move the sink. The Bestå has little height adjustable feet, and happened to be perfect.
I just removed the ornamental piedestal and popped the Bestå underneath the sink, after making the circular cuts for the plumming- straight through top, shelves and bottom.
This cabinet added some much needed out-of-sight storage. And it is laminated, so I didn’t even do any waterproofing.
At about the equivalent of 60 dollars I was pleased, and 2 years down the line it’s still looking as new.
I’m really into inexpensive and clever fixes, and this site is full of them!
SunshineDaisy says
Omg, love it! What an amazing job you have done on your house, thanks for sharing for all of your fellow DIY’ers!!
Rebecca says
Hi there! Love your blog and this nice diy. I had a quick question for you- now that it has been a few years, how is your vanity holding up? Do you still love it? (We are thinking of doing a *very* similar diy- in fact, I looked up on the C&B site and they still have the nightstand you used, although of course it is almost $100 more now. lol)
Thanks!
RKA
YoungHouseLove says
We actually moved but we loved it for over a year before we moved! It was nice and durable and looked as good as new when we left!
xo,
s
Ekaterina says
Did you guys coat entire side table from all side plus the shelves, or the top only? I am trying to pull off something similar. And while coating the top seems easy, I don’t know, if I should bother with sides and front. TIA!!you are very inspiring!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we coated the whole thing, including the shelves and even the back (since we worried if water somehow dripped behind it we could get rot back there). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tee C says
What a great post. A friend found a gorgeous sideboard for her gigantic downstairs bathroom at the DAV Thrift Store, and as she ran her hands over it she sighed, “Ohh…wouldn’t this make a gorgeous vanity?” Then she lamented that alas, it couldn’t be because, well–it wasn’t a vanity. After I convinced her to pay the whomping price of $30 for it and we hauled it into her truck, I got busy with my power tools and made it so, Number One :). She went with a vessel sink as well, and it is gawgus hunney, just gawgus.
Her husband was so surprised when he came home from Iraq and saw the job; he thought she’d hired a professional to custom build it, lol. Ahhhh–girl power :D.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah, I love it!!
xo
s
Olivia says
Hi guys! I am an avid fan and I really like this bathroom redo you guys tackled. I do have a question though. I am on the fence about putting a vessel sink in my bathroom (master) and i was just curious, did you guys like your choice of sink and would you do it again? Thanks for the input!
Liv
YoungHouseLove says
We really liked it! I think as long as the bowl is deep and wide (not too shallow or narrow, like a tiny bowl) it will probably work well for you!
xo
s