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Thread: Bathroom vanity ideas

  1. #1
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    Question Bathroom vanity ideas

    I am going to build the vanity for our master bedroom in our new house, and I'm looking for some ideas. My thought is to take the basic shape of this sofa table from Woodsmith, but customize it to fit our room. It will be built in, but I want it to look like a piece of furniture. If I take this basic idea and go with one door on each side and a set of drawers in the middle, what do you think? LOML wants a laminate top with wood edges and 2 sinks. Basic size to be about 62" long and 22" wide. I am going to try to post a picture of it, but here is the address of where the picture is: http://www.woodsmith.com/main/sofatable-bookcase.html

    Any ideas or suggestions? I am especially curious about how to attach it to the wall and still make it look freestanding.
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  2. #2
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    My advice

    Here's the one I made from a similar idea. I would suggest you check with your better hallf and see if she wants it to be open underneath. Mine was very firm that she didn't care to see what would collect under there if it was raised off the floor on feet like the original we saw.


    Just make sure you leave enough room inside for the sink and associated fittings. Will the plumbing go out the back or the bottom?
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

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  3. #3
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    Nathan, that will be a FINE looking double vanity!

    I have a couple thoughts for you.

    The more built-ins I do, the more I learn about making life easy on myself. Make your frame and panel carcase with your legs, but don't put panels in the back of it, unless you are absolutely bent on trying to make the cut-outs for the plumbing picture perfect. Paint the wall behind the vanity first, and the just slide the piece up to it and screw it to the studs. If you want, you can put a back on the middle drawer-box section, but it's not needed.

    On your rear stiles, allow extra length where they will be next to the wall. Scribe the stiles to fit the wall and be snug from floor to counter. You'll want two or three screws per side, and maybe a couple in the middle too. If your rear stile (behind the case) is 3/4" thick, and the sheetrock is 1/2" thick, you'll want to use 2 (OK) or 2˝" (better) long screws. Don't screw into a water pipe! Run a fine bead of caulk between the case and wall after your screws are in. If your walls aren't white, use a 1" sash brush to cut a fine line and paint over the white caulk.

    If that room has a baseboard, you can run it up to the case legs and butt it there, and then continue again under the case.

    If you really want a fine furniture look - nix the cheap-looking plastic laminate counter and go with a single slab granite or other natural stone (I think granite is the best). Under mount sinks look great with granite, and that also makes the counter top super easy to clean and wipe up.

    Todd

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the input!

    I am planning to run bead board on the wall of this room, up about 4 feet, so the vanity will be against that on the wall. I wasn’t going to put a panel in the back, just a frame to keep it stiff enough. I’m not sure what you mean, Todd, about keeping the rear stiles long. Do you mean the ones that are behind the case, or the ones on the sides in back? I like the idea of adding the baseboard later, even though it will make it look more “built in”, it will be a lot cleaner. LOML made it clear that the plastic laminate is not a negotiable point, but I gave up on that one since the budget is very limited and it should be easy enough to redo the top and sinks down the road if the $$$ situation changes. She really only wanted a particle board HD style vanity, and she doesn’t always like me “complicating” things on our house project by doing a lot of custom details. That being said, she is starting to get into it and was helping me in the shop until 11:30 last night making window trim.

    Lee, I did talk my wife into the ‘off the floor’ look, but I like the way you achieve the separate leg look and filled in behind it to keep out dust. I may do that since I know LOML would really like to have it closed.

    I’m not sure on the wood yet, but the bead board is going to be white, and the trim is probably going to be a clear tight grain wood like maple stained a dark mahogany color. The laminate top is going to be some variation of blue

  5. #5
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    Hi Nathan. I meant the back stiles on the ends of the vanity - the side that touchs the wall. Not the stiles on the back of the case.

    I went to a granite yard over the weekend with 2 different clients. MAN, what an awesome experience! They stock around 123 differernt types of granite from Brazil - some were to die for. So now, I'm hot for using granite on tops!

  6. #6
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    How about a nice slab of Bu-Bu-Bubinga?
    Wood: a fickle medium....

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  7. #7
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    My wife is into a more contemporary look. Yeah, I have a nice CMT raised panel set whose carbide has yet to bite wood....

    I gutted this 1/2 bath and redid everything myself. Found mice in the walls so I'm glad I took down all the drywall. Some minor reframing was in order, all new plumbing, new floor (green marble tiles), built the vanity and medicine/towel cabinet, corian/sink combo top, all new hardware, all new trim, new lights, new switches, new fan, new, new....
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  8. #8
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    Chris-
    I'm not normally a "modern" fan but that is an amazing transformation! I especially like the faucet and the built-in magazine rack! Nice work.

    Good thread, too.
    Mark


    "Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock."
    Will Rogers

  9. #9
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    Thank you, Mark. I was impressed with the transformation myself! LOML picks all the colors, styles and does the initial cabinet design work. Then I get to "make it happen."

    However, I am proud to say that the built-in magazine rack was all my idea! I recall taking the toilet into the room and setting it down and looking around at the room and I noticed how the framing looked like it could accomodate a magazine. Quickly I grabbed a handful of mags and sure enough, even with 1/2" drywall, they fit very nicely. I sat on the toilet, marked a comfortable height, and "made it so."

    Getting the drawer bar secured as a mag holder was another story entirely!
    Wood: a fickle medium....

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Padilla
    I gutted this 1/2 bath and redid everything myself.
    Wow, Chris, that's a huge transformation! Magazine quality!! Everything "works"...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
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    Few more angles....
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    Wood: a fickle medium....

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  12. #12
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    Uh oh - shouldn't have posted that worm's eye angle - I see a gap at the top of the inset shelf.... oops.

    I really like the inset shelf with lighting. In a close-quarter spot like right next to the toilet, an inset shelf is a fantastic idea. I guess if you think about it - there is a WHOLE lot of wasted space in a house between walls that could use used like that.

  13. #13
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    Yeah...I knew I'd get some flack for that!

    I should take a more recent picture...that "medicine cabinet" (towel storage and lilac scented spray) is in and covers the gap no problem.

    I am kind of an inset/alcove lover. I try to put them in where I can. I managed 3 in this tiny bathroom! The only thing, they are tough to mud and tape smoothly or at least I haven't figured out the trick.
    Wood: a fickle medium....

    Did you know SMC is user supported? Please help.

  14. #14
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    Chris, build a wood box and inset it. A thin picture frame could wrap the edges and hide the edge of the drywall. I've done that before. Too simple. But, it's not quite as "contemporary" as your method.

  15. #15
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    Nice bathroom!

    Chris,

    I, too, love little alcoves and built ins. I've been driving my wife crazy in building our house with all of the little alcoves and jogs in the wall so there are places to build in bookcases, etc. I like your idea, Todd, about the box and the picture frame - that would work well in my house, because we are doing a lot of it in a formal style, like Federal or Georgian. What are the insets made of, Chris - just drywall?

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