Turn a cabinet into a bathroom vanity

It's easy to transform a secondhand find into a stylish bathroom vanity with antique charm. Here's how to ...

 

 

As you browse through the website you will notice how many articles there are on restoring and transforming secondhand furniture.

Having discovered how much fun it can be, it's also a way of recycling (or upcycling) old items to give them new purpose in a home. Before you throw something out, think about ways that you could use the piece somewhere else in your home - or ask friends and family if they could use it!

 

YOU WILL NEED:

Drill/Driver + 10mm wood bit

Screwdrivers (or a Bosch cordless screwdriver with angled head)

Plywood - cut to size for top of cabinet

Hammer

Staple gun

Tape measure and pencil

Jigsaw

Silicone sealer and caulking gun

Masking tape

No More Nails adhesive

Cloths

 


 

CONTINUES BELOW

 

 

 

HERE'S HOW:

 

 

1. Unscrew the top of the cabinet and remove it from the frame. Don't throw this away, especially if it is a hardwood that can be used somewhere else! You could use it to make a coffee table, for example.

2. Measure the top of the cabinet and cut a new top out of plywood to replace the original top. You have removed the old top, but still need to have a solid support for a new countertop or full-length basin insert.

 

Note: Check to see if the cabinet needs additional reinforcing to support hand basins. You can easily cut and insert a central batten or side battens to provide necessary strengthening.

 

 

3. Using a hammer and a screwdriver, remove the back from the cabinet. You need to remove this in order to fit over the existing drainage and water pipes.

4. If there are drawers at the top of the cabinet you may need to remove these and simply leave the drawer fronts to close up the space - creating mock drawer fronts - to allow for insertion of the hand basin/s.

 

 

5. Mark the top of the cupboard for the sink cutout. If supplied, use the installation guide for the sink, or work out the dimensions yourself.

When cutting the hole for the sink, drill a 10mm hole inside each corner of the marked area and cut out with a jigsaw. For a circular or oval sink, cut out a hole equal to the bottom diameter of the sink; test the fit and make any adjustments until you are happy with the placement.

 

 

6. Insert the sink and reconnect water hoses and waste pipes. Do not overtighten the nuts, only screw until tight. You can always tighten slightly if there are any leaks.

 

7. Finish off around the sink with sanitary silicone sealer. Use a caulking gun for easy application. Put a strip of masking tape around the countertop and basin to protect and provide a neat edge to the sealer. The new Pattex Sanitary Sealer is easily cleaned up with a damp cloth.

 

Here's another example of a cabinet that has been transformed into a bathroom vanity - for a single hand basin.

 

IMPORTANT: It is essential that any board or pine piece be protected from moisture, especially when used in a bathroom. Finish off your bathroom vanity with a glass, stone, Formica or other waterproof material for the top and ensure that all surfaces are sealed.

 

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