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    Home » DIY » Painted Furniture

    A Thrifty Repurposed Vanity

    By: Jane · Updated: 12 Mar, '19 · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    Today I'm sharing how I took our old media cabinet and repurposed it into a vanity for our new half bath. It's truly one-of-a-kind with character galore! 

    Hi friends! We are in the midst of some home renovations, and a lot of them are nearing completion. I can't wait to share all of them with you but today I'm joining the Thrifty Style Team and sharing the repurposed vanity that I've been working on lately. 

    I'm not sure if I've mentioned this but we are converting the room that used to be our office into a half bath. It's a tiny room near the kitchen  and it's undergoing a drastic change. As you may know, we only have one bathroom and one closet in our home, and we are adding both of those in this small space. 

    My first thought was to simply purchase a small vanity for this room, but it occurred to me that I could transform our old media cabinet into a vanity. 

    Old media cabinet transformed into a repurposed vanity

    We purchased this media cabinet when we moved to the Crossroads almost 10 years ago. It sat in our family room and held all the equipment but once we got a SmartTV, we didn't need all that equipment any more. So it sat empty for a few months. 

    As we were making our renovation plans, I decided to paint this piece to use as the vanity in our new half bath.  After all, it was an inexpensive reproduction piece made in Indonesia. Because we are using a vessel sink, the height was perfect. 

    Zinsser primer
    Sample pot of valspar paint

    To avoid any of the stained wood from bleeding through my paint, I first used this primer on the entire piece and allowed it to dry overnight.For my paint, I chose this soft shade of blue that I've used in previous projects, and I purchased 2 sample pots of this from Lowe's. 

    Ingredients used to make diy chalk paint

    Along with the sample pots of paint, I purchased the plastic mixing container that you see in the above photo to use in making my own chalky paint. 

    DIY Chalk-like Paint Recipe

    I place about 3 ounces of Plaster of Paris in the plastic mixing container. Then I add a small amount of very warm water and stir it together, making sure all lumps are dissolved and it is completely smooth.  Next I add the entire contents of one sample pot of paint into the same container and stir it all together until it was well mixed.

    If you make some of your own and the mixture seems thick, add a bit more water.

    I did mix up more of the chalky paint the next day when I started with the second coat. 

    Repurposed vanity painted with one coat of diy chalk paint

    I can't remember if this photo is showing the coat of primer or one coat of the DIY chalk paint, but I definitely needed 2 coats of paint on this piece! 

    Distressing a repurposed vanity painted with diy chalk paint

    The next step was to lightly distress the piece by sanding and chipping away some of the paint. 

    Clear and dark wax

    Then I used clear Annie Sloan wax on the entire piece and then went back with the dark wax in the crevices. 

    Annie sloan gilding wax used on the drawers of a repurposed vanity

    On the drawers, I used both of the waxes in addition to a tiny bit of Annie Sloan gilding wax. 

    Drawer in a painted repurposed vanity

    Here you can see how the gilding wax looks up close. It added just a hint of metallic shine. 

    The waxes got well-buffed the next day. (I use a shower cleaning brush with a handle to buff!)

    Painted repurposed vanity

    Here it is all finished and waiting for the sink. The wires that you see in the photo are keeping us hooked up to the Internet. One of the workers accidentally pulled out the wires when removing the baseboards. Luckily he was able to repair it! 

    Repurposed vanity painted with chalk-like paint

    I will probably lose one or two of the shelves when everything is hooked up so I will either add some baskets or create a little skirt for the opening. 

    Repurposed vanity with a vessel sink

    But look what was added today! The sink and the faucet!!! I expect that it will all get hooked up tomorrow. 

    I propped up a sheet of white beadboard because that's what's going on the walls. I cannot wait to see it all come together! 

    An old media cabinet gets repurposed into a vanity

    I'm real pleased with how the repurposed vanity turned out. By using something that I already had, I was able to spend a little more on the vessel sink and the faucet. When I do a reveal post on this room, I'll list the sources for those. 

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    1. Stacey

      April 26, 2019 at 9:34 pm

      Oh my goodness, I love love this! The sink and faucet are perfect. I think you were so wise to use something you already had and the paint job is great. It's more fun to do what you've done because now you have a story to tell and something to feel extra proud about. Don't you think?

      Reply
    2. Vicki and Jenn 2 Bees in a Pod

      March 16, 2019 at 5:58 am

      This transformation is incredible! The new vanity is just beautiful - and so creative! We truly love the sink and faucet that you chose as well. But...did you say one closet? LOL Y'all won't know what to do with the extra storage!

      Reply
    3. Deborah Sommerlot

      March 14, 2019 at 4:33 pm

      FABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBulous! Just perfection!

      Reply
    4. Julie

      March 14, 2019 at 3:47 pm

      I had no idea you guys were doing so many renovations!! How exciting!! I love the vanity. With the sink set on top. We did this in our powder room and it is still one of my favorite sinks. Can’t wait to see it all finished with the bead board!!

      Reply
    5. laura janning

      March 14, 2019 at 7:35 am

      Jane- the transformation looks incredible. I know you must be so excited to get this reno and a new bath completed. I have a similar sink picked out for my bathroom updates as well.

      Reply
    6. Kristi Dominguez

      March 13, 2019 at 7:01 pm

      You both really outdid yourselves with this vanity, Jane! It looks absolutely beautiful! What a unique piece! It's always so great teaming up with y'all! I'm already looking forward to next month! xoxo

      Reply
    7. Courtenay

      March 13, 2019 at 6:12 pm

      I love this so much! Not only does it look great, it's amazing that you were able to reuse something that you already own in a completely different way! I'm inspired. 🙂

      Reply
    8. meegan

      March 13, 2019 at 3:00 pm

      Yo two do such good work together. Your "new" vanity looks incredible. I love the blue and the chippy goodness!

      Reply
    9. Susan Homeroad Stevenson

      March 13, 2019 at 12:54 pm

      That is the cutest vanity and I love the sink you chose! Great repurpose!

      Reply
    10. Cindy

      March 13, 2019 at 12:05 pm

      Jane, this is absolutely darling!! I love the color you painted the cabinet, and the sink and faucet you chose are the perfect finishing touch!! Amazing job my friend!!

      Reply
    11. Linda Kelly

      March 13, 2019 at 11:06 am

      What a great idea and it turned out beautiful.

      Reply
    12. Sandy

      March 13, 2019 at 9:12 am

      Wow! This is a great use of the cabinet and you outdid yourself on this one. I love it. Baskets or a cute skirt would be adorable.

      Reply
    13. Patti @ Pandora's Box

      March 13, 2019 at 9:10 am

      What a fabulous makeover!! Love the color and the techniques used!

      Reply
    14. Terri

      March 13, 2019 at 8:56 am

      I love that !! Sooooo pretty .... excited to see the final reveal !!!

      Reply
    15. Bliss

      March 13, 2019 at 8:27 am

      I love it! What a great love cost repurpose, that's goodlooking.

      Reply
    16. Marcy Ray

      March 13, 2019 at 8:20 am

      Great choices, loved seeing your 'new sink & faucet too! Anxious to see your finished bath....don't hurry for us, enjoy. Y!our blog is wonderful and always inspiring. Thank you for sharing

      Reply
    17. Robyn

      March 13, 2019 at 8:10 am

      I love this little project! It's really pretty! Can't wait to see all of your updates and remodeling project! Happy Wednesday to you and Leo! I have been in my beds this week planting a little lettuce and broccoli. I always think of you both as your garden was inspiration for my raised bed garden! Take care!

      Reply

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    Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads

    We're Jane and Leo!

    Thanks for stopping by! We're renovating and preserving our family's 100 year old home place where we garden, complete a few DIY projects, and do some cooking. Please leave us a comment so that we'll know that you were here.

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