I want to first
begin by sending a huge "thank-you" to all of the amazing people that
faithfully follow my articles in various magazines. Especially the feedback for
my monthly feature in Romantic Homes! From the last issue (August/Sept 2015), I
had a large number of people asking loads of questions about the vanity project
as seen on pages 48-53.
I thought it might
be helpful to post more photos along with the instructions for any of you
thinking of tackling this project...
This little cottage
style room was just asking for something old. Adding a brand new ready-made
cabinet would seem horribly out of place. It can be a challenge at times to
keep the charm of an old home when adding or remodeling modern amenities. In
this case, an old vanity was repurposed into a charming sink.
At first glance the
vanity had clearly seen better days. Yet upon closer inspection it was apparent
that the structure was completely sound. The tattered appearance helped because
it obviously affected the price tag of $25.00 “to a good home”. The sink and
faucet were found for a steal at Restore. The plumber cut out a hole in the top
for the sink and removed a bottom section of the center drawer to make the
necessary room for the pipes and as quick as 1,2,3 the vanity was installed and
water was flowing!
A couple of coats of
latex paint softened the appearance and a bit of sanding added a lovely aged
distressed appearance. The top of the vanity was given a final coat of matte
water-based polyurethane for an extra layer of protection.
The fact that this
was a replacement of an existing sink with all of the pipes and drainage in
place it made for a simple transformation by a qualified licensed plumber.
The final touch to
the vanity was the addition of the skirt. Even though the vanity has a few
small drawers, this bathroom like so many is lacking in storage space. The space under the vanity can house cleaning products but that certainly takes away from the beauty. Hide the mess with a beautiful custom curtain with little
money and less effort. Surprisingly it couldn’t be easier.
The bottom of a
thrift shop shower curtain ($3.00) was cut off to the length of the opening of
the space below the vanity. Then a one inch rod pocket was stitched straight
across the top. (*There is no need to sew a hem when using the finished bottom
of a shower curtain.) Two small metal screw hooks ($1.50) were placed on the
face of the vanity leaving the top drawers exposed. A café curtain rod (less
than $10) is used to hang the curtain from the metal hooks. All-in-all the
material cost was less than $60.00 but the overall impact is priceless.
Once the sink was in
place, finished and dressed, the entire feel of the room changed (for the
better). Coupled with the aged finish on the walls and the natural hardwood
floors, this was now a “room” in need of decorating.
The walls were clad
with floral prints and decorative plates, small wooden shelves were added for
display and vintage collectables were peppered throughout to tie the space together.
A bathroom re-do can
be an overwhelming project to face. However the task is achievable and can be
kept within a relatively tight budget. An old wooden vanity can be transformed
into an incredible and one-of-a-kind sink with a little help from a plumber and
lots of TLC.
This entire issue
was dedicated to flea market treasures. To order this back issue or to
subscribe please click the link...
I really appreciate
all of the wonderful feedback. Without readers magazines would not exist. Thank
you so much for supporting me and this beautiful publication!!!
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