Hi Everyone!
Well, it’s been a pretty intense week. But, my forehead is healing (if you missed that, you can read all about it here.) And thank you, thank you all for your warm, loving, healing comments. Even though I didn’t answer, I read every single one and they really helped.
Before we jump into today’s topic, about bathroom vanities which I paired with sinks, faucets, mirrors and lighting, I need to get out a couple of announcements.
First of all, very soon I’m going to be on LuAnn Nigara’s podcast! I have already done the interview which fortunately happened on Thursday when I was well enough to think straight.
It’s about blogging, not interior design, but it is geared towards interior designers. Of course, I’ll let you know in good time when that’s happening. It should be later this month.
One other thing that’s happening and this is super important.
This Tuesday, my dear friend, Claire Jefford and I are going to do a blogging webinar sponsored by MyDoma Studio. But it is only for those of you who’ve purchased The Six Figure Income Blogger Guide.
If you have purchased it, you should’ve gotten an invite for the webinar. If not, please do a search in your email. It was sent on Friday. There will also be a reminder.
But anyone who purchases the guide before 11:59 PM on Monday evening can join in. If all goes well, we will do another webinar next month. There’s more info in your invite.
Okay, just had to get that out-of-the-way before we get into our bathroom vanities
At first, I was going to post a bunch of pre-made vanities and then pair them with mirrors, sinks, faucets (taps for my lovely UK peeps) sconces and overhead light fixtures.
But, you don’t need me for that. Just go to Wayfair. haha
And then, I came up with another idea which is to show that just about ANY chest, buffet table. Even a console table can be turned into a bathroom vanity.
The one above from Elle Decor is not a repurposed chest, but it could be.
However, remember this beauty from a post last year about Darryl Carter and his magnificent style?
The question that often comes to mind if using a chest, is well… If there, are drawers, how does that work out?
Yes, it’s tricky and you’ll need to hire a carpenter, to make some adjustments to the drawers so that the plumbing fixtures can fit in.
There’s a very good blog post about someone (she doesn’t state her name) :[ who created a bathroom vanity (above) from an antique chest of drawers. She shows how the drawers were adjusted to fit the plumbing pipes.
If the new vanity is not very deep a good solution might be to do a wall-mounted faucet to save space. The vanity above is of a normal depth, but I chose it to show some beautiful wall-mounted taps.
A standard vanity is about 22″ deep, but I read that you a vanity can be as shallow as 12″.
That sounds very scant, but I suppose that you could use a piece of furniture that’s 16″ deep, but deeper is better, to accommodate the sink.
The normal height of a bathroom vanity is about 34″-36″ but if you find the perfect piece and it’s only 32″ that’s probably okay. (unless you’re very tall) Or, if it has straight or tapered legs, you could maybe trim them down.
One piece I found (the Chinoiserie Chest above) is too low but if a base is added, the height will be perfect.
A base something like this Asian chest above has would be terrific on the piece above it.
Oh, that reminds me. Awww… but several years ago, I had an idea to have a chest something like this and I would’ve had them put a hole on one side and inside the chest would’ve been Peaches’, (my late kitty) litter box. I would open up the doors to clean it out, once a day. Alas, I didn’t get around to doing that before Peaches’ time came.
Shouldn’t they call it “times up?”
Sorry. That’s just my dark sense of humor.
I’ve been very upset about the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain this week. I’m sure that everyone is.
Okay, it’s late. Let’s move on with far happier things like creating more beauty in our lives.
What about the top, if it’s wood, Laurel? Can you use a wood top for a bathroom vanity?
Well, it depends. If it’s a powder room and it’s not used all the time, then an extra coat of polyurethane or whatever the finish is, and that should be okay.
For a bathroom that’s getting a lot of use, probably not, unless you’re super vigilant, I guess.
OR, it’s a super rustic bathroom. :]
Otherwise, I’d have the top replaced with marble or some other material that’s more bathroom vanity friendly.
Below in the widget, I’ve done something I’ve never done before. I’ve taken some pieces of furniture that did not start out as bathroom vanities. And then I paired some of them with sinks and all of them with mirrors, and light fixtures and most with faucets.
And yes, there’s a lot of brass and gold. There is another post about using brass in the new “unbathroom.”
And another recent post about finding storage space in a very small bathroom.
Another post from a last fall talks about getting the high-end bathroom look for a lot less money.
In the widget of images, there’s a lot of information in the captions, so please take a look, if interested. I realize that the images move around. However, a lot of the pieces are interchangeable.
But you might notice that none of the mirrors or light fixtures are typical “bathroom fixtures.” Of course, you can’t put these anywhere that might come in contact with water, but otherwise, it should be fine.
If there’s any grouping that you like, please let us know in the comments. If there’s one grouping that stands out, perhaps I will expand on that one to include toilet, tub, shower, flooring, tile, wall color, art, accessories and window treatments.
For more information, please click on the individual images
Please enjoy the rest of your weekend!
xo,
PS: Please check out the hot sales pages!
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41 Responses
Laurel, love your rolodex! It’s been so helpful with my remodel. I wanted to comment on your message about Restoration Hardware but it seems appropriate here too. Converting a chest is a wonderful alternative for an overpriced vanity from RH. However, I am about to cave and buy one of their overpriced medicine cabinets because I can’t find anything anywhere that has a similar look. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Victoria,
I took a look at RH and they have numerous styles, but aside from the porthole, there’s nothing I saw that’s that unusual.
Have you looked at Wayfair? That’s a link that will take you to over 1,500 medicine cabinets and most are way less expensive than the ones from RH.
I love this one, in particular, but I don’t know the style of your bathroom, so it might not work. But this one has 69 reviews and 60 of them are five stars!
But, I think I might do a blog post about this. There are tons of gorgeous medicine cabinets that are reasonably priced.
Wow. That antique chest is such a cool idea, i’ll have to go and make one of my own now, haha. Also, the wallpaper from the first picture is unbelievable. Where can I find something similar?
Lovely post, thanks!
Hi Betty,
Sorry, it’s not my room and I don’t recognize the paper. Maybe try Osborne and Little and if it’s not there, you can always try googling it and hit images.
Love that first one, the Katie Ridder project. But those towels should not be next to the toilet! Yikes.
haha. I’m sure it’s all done for show.
Hi, Laurel. I was worried, too, when you didn’t post the next day. So glad to hear you are well. For my new home, I found a small chest for my guest bath and a larger buffet for the second full bath. I painted both and cut holes for the sinks and LOVE them. Since the guest bath will not be used much, I stained the top a darker color and varnished it and I painted the top of the other one with the intention of replacing it later with marble. I did have some difficulty finding sinks small enough to fit as the furniture pieces are not very deep. The wall mounted faucets would have been a great solution to that problem!
Changing the subject, I purchased the blogger guide but have not finished reading it yet. What I have read has been amazing–so informative and, of course, with your witty remarks makes for fun reading! Since I haven’t finished it, I am not sure what answers to my questions may be found in the final pages, so didn’t post any questions yet. I do hope you will continue the webinars so that I can ask when I am finished reading. Thanks so much for sharing. You are a true inspiration!
Oh, I’m so sorry that you were worried. I did answer one comment very briefly on Monday. Not that I expect you to have seen that. I’m still getting some headaches, but they come and go.
But thank you so much for the kind words about the blogging guide! I’m very proud of it and know that if people take the advice and use it, that it will definitely help improve their online presence.
Hi Laurel,
We had our bathroom redone last fall due to a tile wall failure. We found an old washstand/vanity and used that for our new vanity. You can find a lot of old wood washstands and just take the mirror off. I had a marble top made for the vanity and just placed it on top of the wood surface of the washstand. We only had to cut small holes for the drain and faucets. The sink then sat on top of the marble surface. The contractor then retrofitted the drawers. I didn’t want to retrofit the drawers before they did the plumbing in case the drain ended up in a different place. Contractors can adjust the drawers pretty easy. The only hard part was sanding and re-staining the vanity. The other thing I learned is that not all shower handle sets come with the valve that goes in the wall. Make sure your set comes with the valve that goes in the wall or you will have to make a home depot run and get a different shower handle set. I was glad I didn’t try to use brass finishes that day. You can see pics on my Instagram account littlecedarfarmhouse.
Amy
Oh wow! That is so pretty Amy! I might post that tonight, if it’s okay, because it relates to the topic. Of course, I’ll link back to your instagram and credit you.
Thanks Laurel 🙂 That’s not a problem. Feel free to use what you like.
Thanks Amy!
Hi Laurel! I just want to say how much I appreciate all the hard work you put into these posts. There is such a wealth of information in each one and I know it takes many hours of patience and perseverance to write them and choose the items you feature. I know I can trust your recommendations!
Thanks so much Mary Jane! I very much appreciate your appreciation! :]
Laurel,
I’m so glad you brought up wall-mounted faucets and as a fairly new subscriber I apologize if you have already addressed this topic in another post (I tried the search feature and nothing else came up). I LOVE the look and cleaning convenience of wall-mounted faucets and am SO tempted by them but am always nervous to recommend/specify them for fear that if any future plumbing work is needed (leaks, etc.) you don’t have easy access and I fear the plumber would have to tear into ceramic tile, etc. behind it. Is this fear justified, or am I just being a worry wart? Have you or one of your clients ever run into problems like this? Thanks for your seasoned insight, and glad you are on the mend!
Best, Shawn
Hi Shawn,
Well, I live in a very conservative area and some of what I write about is what I would like to see, or find beautiful, useful, etc. not what I’ve actually done. But any advice that I don’t have direct experience with, is based on a lot of research. So, when I say that I’ve learned a tremendous amount writing this blog, I’m not kidding!
I did find a video the other day from Moen. Hang on…
Here it is:
It shows all of the steps needed for a secure wall-mounted installation.
But the other thing I recommend is searching the internet. I’m sure that there are forums either of professionals or home-owners who share their experience.
If you find out anything interesting, please feel free to come back and share it with us.
So glad you are recovering! Love this post, and my Mom got an idea to convert a chest of drawers to a bathroom vanity way back in the late 80s if memory serves. She put in a round brass sink and freestanding brass taps. It looks similar to the 4th picture. She has redecorated the rest of the bathroom since then, and the vanity has really stood the test of time – it looks right up to the minute!
That sounds lovely Kirsten!
hello laurel,
i am always thrilled and grateful when you choose one of my big brother’s lighting designs! in this case, it’s his lovely étoile sconce. he was born with a drawing implement in his hand, and works alone in his own studio in chicago. i am so proud of his successes.
signed, ian fowler’s little (old, haha) sister.
p.s. thanks for all the hard work you do, that translates into such inspiration and joy for us readers.
a2
Hi A2,
Well, it’s a very small world! What’s cool is that I had no idea. Yes, Ian is very talented and you must be so proud!
And thank you for your kind words.
So glad you are on the mend, Laurel. I especially love the Aerin metal chandelier!
The door in my bathroom hits the sink – no clearance. The pedestal sink has “clipped” corners in the front and small stop on the door. Lots of choices are eliminated. Less decisions about style but some significant considerations! I do not want a door that swings out. It would interfere with doors in the hallway. Someone might make a different choice.
The link to small bath storage is great to revisit, too.
Hi Libby,
Yeah, those damned doors! And it’s not like you can possibly go without a bathroom door! Pocket doors can sometimes work if the wall can accommodate them. But it requires a thicker than normal wall.
And if there’s wall space, which you probably don’t have, an attractive barn style door, without looking like it belongs on a barn, lol (unless your home is barn-style), could work. My bathroom door, could swing out because of the recess and it should have, so maybe when I get that far, I’ll see if that can be done.
Hi Libby and Laurel,
We had a bathroom door that opened up on to a window so we converted it to a pocket door. We have regular 2×4 walls and used a pocket door kit from Johnson. We used the 2000 version (there is the 1500 version as well and I believe the major difference is door weight limit but don’t quote me on that) and used a solid core door (a standard 1.375″ thick slab door). It works wonderfully, quietly, and feels sturdy. One of the best decisions we made in the renovation of our new home. Just wanted to share this option, which does not require thicker walls 🙂
Oh wow! I should’ve known about that. But it makes so much sense because a lot of people would like a pocket door but can’t. So, it sounds like they reworked the engineering to make it possible with a normal wall. Brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing Agata!
Hi Libby, I have the same problem with the pantry. It is too small to have a door that opens in. If it opens out, it would interfere with the kitchen door. I am going to put “French door” (2 wings, opening out), made from a bifold door. For a bathroom you would need to be able to lock it, but there is such hardware, I am sure.
I am glad you are mending.
The Hampton pendent is amazing, delicate and airy I feel would look amazing in our new dining room or sun porch.
I’ll be getting your Rolodex mid-July. We FINALLY are moving to a great house in a great school system in a beautiful neughborhood,
It’s a custom house,
Customized to someone else’s taste, Someone’s 1966 taste.
With super dreary wood built-ins that are such high quality I don’t want to tear them out but so dated in a bad way that I’m at sea. Greeeeat. Super.
I want to thank you, we followed many of your suggestions and products and all the feedback on our home interior was stellar.
I’m excited and intimidated taking on this next place. You would die ( not in a good way) if you saw the mantel.
Hi Celeste,
Congratulations on your new home! And I’m glad that what I’ve said has been helpful to you in the past. Hope that continues. :]
First, let me say I’m glad you’re feeling well. I’ve heard it’s better if a head bump swells out instead of inside your head.
I love this post. I think using furniture pieces as a vanity gives a bathroom more soul. We did that with our guest bath. We bought an antique table, popped the top off, & got a remnant piece of white quartz for the counter. I now regret painting it. The navy color I chose at the time has become kinda bossy. And the bathroom is now lacking the warmth that the wood tone would add.
But all-in-all, It’s a unique piece.
Hi Mary,
I don’t normally give advice without looking at images but if your vanity is bossy and the room feels cold, it’s probably the wall color and other things in the room that are out of balance.
Oh no… I wasn’t asking for advice. I was just relaying my experience/mistake so hopefully someone would learn from it.
Thank you though.
Oh, sorry Mary. My apologies. I didn’t mean to imply that you were asking for advice. I wrote that for others who are reading and thinking that it’s okay to ask for specific advice.
It’s not that I don’t want to give it, it’s that if I did, I would be inundated with people asking for free help. Plus, I can’t see what they’re talking about.
Love the bathrooms and the kitty litter storage idea. I have preserved an old wood cabinet vanity for a client and used epifanes spar varnish on the top surface – spar varnish is used on boats and Epifanes is one of the best..
It will give you that durable finish that is necessary for a bathroom with a lot of use. You need to follow the directions carefully though, beginning with a 50% dilution and working up to full strength.
Hi Margaret,
Thanks so much for sharing that. Come to think of it, I think that’s what they use is some bars in restaurants. Those certainly are exposed to a lot of liquid. haha.
In my youth, I was a waitress in one very busy restaurant on the upper west side of Manhattan. There was a bar like that there.
Dear Laurel, first let me say I am glad to hear you are feeling better. Even though I did not post on your heads-are-gonna-roll post — I was not sure you would want to hear from a complete stranger — I must say I was a bit worried when we did not hear from you shortly after. Anyway, perhaps not a *complete* stranger, as I’m the FAITHFUL reader who posted the original “unbathroom” question some months ago. I also live alone (albeit with some clingy pets), so worry about what to do if/when a health problem happens. Back to the bathroom: I remain a bit stuck (and also budget constrained 🙂 on my bathroom reno and so have satisfied myself with sprucing for now. I also really appreciated your post from a couple of weeks ago about decorating on a budget, though I am more than happy to enjoy your totally gorgeous posts any time, and look forward to each one! I have a tiny full bathroom with a stall shower. I have been torn between repurposing a vintage chest and the freestanding sink idea a la your first photo (gorgeous btw), but a traditional white porcelain, maybe wall mounted, as I live in a Victorian house. But I also love what the nameless blogger did with that tiger oak chest. I have been admiring those porthole mirrors for a while (I live on the beach in New England). I have never seen those wall mounted faucets, and I’m dealing with tight space, so thank you for that idea!! Added bonus of that, less drilling/sawing of a vintage chest! Signed, one of the many followers that anxiously await your blog twice a week! 🙂
Hi Kimberly,
First of all, since there are a lot of common names and unless they have a wordpress account, I can’t see who’s writing. So, honestly, it can take a year of comments before I realize that it’s the same person.
I had to chuckle about “nameless blogger.” And that’s because rule number one of blogging is that they identify themselves and if they are looking for local business, they need to have their address in the footer of every page!
Good luck with your bathroom reno and thanks so much for your kind words!
Laurel, I love the bathrooms you featured! Darryl Carter’s is fabulous! We recently used the “bamboo” fixture in your second photo in a powder room with a gorgeous Chinoiserie mirror. (Photos soon) I have the Kohler Purist on our master bath and love them!
Happy to hear you are “on the mend”!
XO Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I was thinking of you too, because I know that you’re also a huge fan of Darryl. And yes, please send me photos of your new powder room when it’s ready! oh my. I’m sure it’s going to be amazing!
Laurel, haven’t said so in a while but you’re still the best!!
Embarking on a massive reno soon and you are one of my trustiest guides. This post is perfect
Thank you always!!!
You’re welcome Heidi! I appreciate that a lot!
Just a word about wood counter tops in a frequently-used bathroom. We have that in our upstairs bathroom, in daily use by two people, installed in 1996. The long counter with a basin set in is made of oak sitting on plaster walls (we built this ourselves) with shelving divided into three sections for “sundries” stored in baskets and for stacks of towels.
The oak top was stained and then varnished, with a special “kitchen & bathroom” water-based varnish which resists water, stains and 100°C heat. We varnished until we’d used up the whole can! Ten coats. I re-varnished (2 coats) in 2016. The wear came not from splashes near the basin, but along the front edge, from contact with people. We’re not super-meticulous, but the basin is cleaned and the wood wiped down and dried once a day.
So wood is possible, but I’d hesitate to do this on a piece intended as furniture, as I think you might have to strip the top of its original finish first, unless it’s a painted piece.
Thanks for sharing your experience, GL!