Before and After; Vanity Unit Upcycle

Following on from last week’s bathroom reveal (here), I thought I would share one of my favourite ‘little’ projects: the vanity unit upcycle. Out of all the customisation projects I created for myself during this renovation*sigh*, this was one of the most straightforward… and most pleasing.

It all started with a dream. We wanted something that was both elegant and functional, whilst at the same time, wouldn’t visually impact on the space. As you walk upstairs, the bathroom is right in front, with the basin visible to see. We didn’t want to block this with the solid side of a floor standing vanity. It needed to have legs.

I really didn’t expect to find something as fast as we did. We had only just started looking, when gumtree came up trumps.

At £30 we were delighted to take this of the sellers hands. It was the perfect height and width for the basin, and the detail on the door was just enough ‘fancy’ for us. It wasn’t until we got home that we realised it was missing a knob (didn’t matter, they were going to get changed anyway) and one of the pretty mouldings. Bugger.

How to reproduce a Pretty Moulding

Being an art and design lecturer, I was one step ahead with this. It is a very straightforward process, that is actually quite fun to do.

You will need;

Milliput (this is what your moulding will be made from) I chose this as it dries quickly, is air hardening, and when fully dried, can be sanded, drilled etc.

A Silicone Mould Kit (this is how you will cast the shape) You’ll need a silicone putty, rather than the liquid variety.

Step 1; Clean up the area to be moulded. I just used a damp cloth to ensure that was free of dust.

Step 2; Follow the instructions on your silicone mould kit. Some require mixing before use.

Step 3; Press the product on to the shape to be moulded. Make sure that it is firmly pressed into all nooks and crannies, and that you have left a good thickness of product covering the shape (about 5mm should be fine). Allow to cure according to instructions.

Step 4; Remove the mould maker and mix up your milliput according to instructions. Fill the mould, pushing the milliput firmly to grab every detail. Smooth off the back. Allow to dry.

TA-DAH! Sand any rough edges with rough sandpaper.

Glue in place.

Vanity Unit Upcycle; Converting The Framework.

This, again, is so simple. Place the basin where you want it to sit, and mark the hole with a pen. Using a hole cutter bit on your drill, drill the hole for the waste.

Mark where your waste pipe will exit the back of the cabinet. I left an access hole in the wall panelling for stop valves, so needed to cut a hole big enough to allow instant access. I did this by drilling 4 holes at each corner, and cutting out the rectangle with a jigsaw. This hole can be neatened up later, with some simple moulding.

Once the body of the piece was sorted, I decided that we needed something a bit more special for the top. A trip to the tile shop proved fruitful, and we bagged a 60cm x 60cm tile for £15. Would you believe it, the cabinet top is 60cm wide! YAY! Perfect fit!

I had to trim the tile down for the depth of the vanity, but that was straightforward. Cutting marble is very simple, if you have the tools. An electric tile cutter slides through like butter, and a diamond tipped tile hole cutter does just the same. You can get an electric tile cutter for around £30.
A marble top for £45? Not too bad!

Once the top was glued in position, I had to screw a simple frame on to the back of the cabinet, so that it butted up neatly against the wall. At first, I was a bit ‘meh’ about having to add this, but painted, it looks okay! An added moulding at the back, ties it together (and covers up the cut edge of the tile!)
Although the grain of the veneer on the original piece was lovely, it wasn’t in perfect condition and with the new (glaringly white) section of moulding, there was only one option. Paint. We opted for Valspar ………. Which is the same colour that we stained the shelves. It’s a dark grey/brown, that ties in nicely with the tile colour.

The Finished Vanity Unit Upcycle.

 

To complete the vanity unit epicycle, I added some brass knobs which were bought at a car boot sale and have been waiting for the right place to live. Welcome home knobs!

All in, not including buying a tile cutter, this vanity cost under £60 to make. YASSSS!!!

Malcolm xx

 

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We made the Feedspot Top 50 Interior Bloggers in the UK! Number 16!

AAAND…

Number 17 on their Top 30 DIY blogs in the UK!! WOO HOO!!