Furniture as Vanity Units

[1934norfolk]

We are in the process of planning our bathrooms and cannot find any (reasonably priced) vanity units we like. I am thinking of modifying some furniture instead and wondered whether anyone here had done it. Would love to hear about how you achieved it and how it is holding up to having water splashed on it.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Hello 1934Norfolk, welcome! I have often used furniture in bathroom and cloakroom situations. I assume by 'vanity units ' you wish to affix them as surrounds to your sanitaryware --- either way, freestanding or affixed they will survive quite happily as dark furniture, french polished or with a paint effect in which case I would suggest you have a look at Annie Sloane's products as she has brought out some finishes that can be applied with the minimum of preparation and hard wearing results.

An excellent excuse to boast of your upcycling skills and a heck of a lot cheaper than buying units !

Where abouts in Norfolk are you ? There are Annie Sloane stockists in Fakenham, HOlt and North Creake to name but a few

 

[88v8]

This was the centre section of a sideboard. Curved carved doors. Original Victorian basin inset.



Might have a better pic somewhere if of interest.

I needed it higher than original, so the top curve is bent plywood, covered in patterned vinyl wallpaper. I bought a whole roll to get that couple of feet.
The kickboard is oak, the original had a bracket glued to it that did not remove cleanly. The vents in the bottom provided air for the gas-coal fire.
The original top was veneered and would not have tolerated the water, so I made the top from teak, an ex-school worktop from a lab or summat.

I hope your basin will be a basin and not one of these ridiculous bowl things.... which look all very nice I dare say to those that like that sort of thing, but when one rinses one's vis, the water runs down the outside and beneath and....

Practicalities... vanity unit... if the basin is too far away, one has to lean over. Not good for the back. So the basin needs to be at the front, not in the middle. And in order not to be standing back too far, one needs to be able to get one's toes underneath. Then it will be comfortable to use.

Perhaps seal between the basin and the top. I didn't, but I did oil the top before fitting the basin. Everything else was varnished, and the components were varnished all round before assembly so that any water splash would do no harm. When we sold after 22 years the oiling on the top needed repeating, otherwise it was fine.

Another point, some basins are less than flat beneath. I guess this is due to differential cooling as it comes out of the mould. Not important if it's on a wall stand, but crucial if it's recessed into a flat top.

Good luck with your furniture hunt.

Ivor

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Very nice Ivor --

 

[mims&pip]

Beautiful Ivor

We've never converted a piece of furniture into a vanity unit, although we have had a couple of vanities that resembled antique furniture, most notably a Gamadecor (Porcelanosa) unit in fabulous figured walnut veneer with marble top and inset basin that we installed in the en suite bathroom at our last house. Wish we'd removed it and brought it with us :roll:

Pip did incorporate an antique sideboard (not valuable!) into a kitchen island he built for that house. I painted it in eggshell and we fitted a marble top.

Mims x

 

[Abi Cott]

A 'semi recessed' basin could be fitted into almost any furniture, providing the slight overhang to make using it comfortable. There are lots of styles available, but of course they aren't truly period, but teamed up with the correct furniture it might be an easy way to achieve a halfway house.

 

[CliffordPope]

A bit like hacking holes in an antique chest of drawers to fit a Hi-Fi unit? It seems like vandalism to me.

 

[88v8]

A bit like hacking holes in an antique chest of drawers to fit a Hi-Fi unit? It seems like vandalism to me.

Could be, depending on the piece. But there's an awful lot of not particularly special brown furniture looking for a good home.

Semi-recessed. New one on me Abi, thankyou.

Ivor

 

[88v8]

oops

 

[mims&pip]

A bit like hacking holes in an antique chest of drawers to fit a Hi-Fi unit? It seems like vandalism to me.

I get what you're saying, but as Ivor said there is so much unwanted brown furniture about :roll: Personally I would rather the less important stuff of no merit got put to good use, than be chopped up and used for firewood as often happened in the past!

The piece we used was not even what you would call antique - although purchased in an antique shop in the late 1990s (for £250) - but more like something mass produced within the last 50/60 years. See attached before and after pics.......
BeforeAfter

Some of our 'proper' Arts & Crafts/Nouveau antiques are unique pieces by named designers/have retailers' labels (and were very expensive). Of course we would never contemplate doing similar to these.

Mims x