How to Convert a Dresser into a Bathroom Vanity

This project.  It was a happy accident.  You see, we were in the process of transforming an office into a half bath/laundry room while we sold a home {on our own} and moved into this house.  We really didn’t have any specific plans for this room beyond the need for a half bath and the desire to move our laundry up from the basement.  And so, this converting a dresser into a bathroom vanity just kind of happened.

We needed a sink in here {obviously} and we were concerned about the budget…so, I finally decided to “give up” a cast iron apron sink that I had been saving for a kitchen renovation {someday}.  Using what we had on hand turned into the best decision for this space.  And converting a dresser into a bathroom vanity was the perfect solution for the sink.  {Oh, I totally scored this dresser on Facebook Marketplace for $20!}

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I need to start by giving all the credit for this DIY dresser vanity to Mr. Little by Little Home.  He really was the brains {and strength} behind the project.

It also needs to be mentioned that every DIY dresser vanity situation may be different.  I wish that I could give you exact dimensions, but it is all dependent upon the size of your sink and dresser.  On the flip side, I do have a lot of suggestions and guidance on how to go about converting a dresser into a bathroom vanity.  So, keep on reading.

The first step was to remove the decorative back piece {that probably held a mirror at one time}.

The top of the dresser was also removed at this point.  Don’t throw this away!  You’ll need it a little later on.

This is also the time to remove all the drawers and put them aside for when this bathroom vanity needs to look pretty again.

You’ll need to figure out the placement of the dresser along your wall and measure for the plumbing.

Cut out a hole with a circular saw in the back of the dresser to allow enough room for the pipes to all fit through.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t look good back there as no one will ever see it.

Now is the time get exact and very precise measurements of your sink.  Don’t use online dimensions…you need your sink in front of you for this step.  {And if it is a 200 pound cast iron sink, keep it nearby on an old table so you don’t have to lift it off the floor.}

You also need to decide where the sink will be in relation to your “countertop” as some sinks are undermount and others are top mount.  I highly suggest spending time on Pinterest and making this decision based upon your sink and what you like best.  Our sink was undermount and we opted to leave a 1/2 inch of the sink exposed on both sides and back.

I’ll be honest, this was the the most stressful part of the entire project.  Measure twice {or twenty times} and cut once.  Using the decision that we made earlier to leave 1/2 inch of the sink exposed, the Mr. cut the top of the dresser to fit our sink.  To do this, he used a bit that attaches to your drill and cuts out a circle on both the back corners.  Then, he used a circular saw to cut out the sides and back.  This helped achieve the rounded corners to match up with the sink.

At this time, he also measured for the faucet and cut the needed holes to hook up the water.

I then got to work on the top of the dresser, which would be our vanity countertop.  The first step was to strip the veneer.

In order to have a smooth countertop, a quick sanding was needed using 60 grit and then 200 grit sandpaper.

I used some General Finishes gel stain that I had on hand to bring a darker tone to the natural wood.  I wasn’t happy with the greenish color of the natural wood I found once the veneer was stripped, but after applying the gel stain, it brought out the character and I really like it.  {Side note: I’ve become a “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect” person because, well, striving for perfection is too stressful.}

{Spoiler alert below, but I want to mention it while we are on the topic of the countertop.  Yes, the top of this dresser vanity is the original wood dresser top.  To ensure that it will not be affected by water splashed and dripped on it, I put 2 coats of polyurethane over the gel stain.  What polyurethane?  Well, this might sound a little crazy, but I used what was on hand: leftover polyurethane from our floor refinishing project.  I figured that if it is durable for high-traffic areas, then it would be great for this countertop.  It’s been the perfect solution and repels all water.}

At this point, all the reinforcing begins.  These sinks are extremely heavy and if you don’t have the correct support to hold up the weight…well, it may not end well down the road.

I’ll show you some of the supports that the Mr. added to our dresser vanity in hopes that it may help give you guidance in your situation…because you’re going to do this now, right?  ♥

He reinforced the back of the dresser with a more solid board.

Using the exact measurements of our sink and countertop, he strategically secured 2×4’s into place throughout the dresser.

And then the moment of truth: placing the sink inside the dresser vanity and putting the countertop on.  We did a happy dance that day!

At this point, he realized something when he went to hook up the plumbing.  We hadn’t quite put 2 and 2 together.  You see, the plumbing had been done over a month beforehand and we had it centered in the middle of the wall.  Makes sense, right?  Well, the sink’s drain is mounted off to the right.

That meant our plumbing was not going to meet up with the drain.

Ugh.  Technicalities.  But…the Mr. is a great problem-solver.  And remember how I said no one will see the back of the dresser, well, thank goodness.  {Except for the part that I show all of you!}  The solution ended up being for him to use a hand saw in order to cut a larger hole in the back of the dresser.  We also moved the dresser over a few inches.

Now it was time to decide what to do about the drawers.  Originally, there were three drawers.  The top one was mostly taken up by the apron sink.  And the middle drawer is directly where all the plumbing is situated.  So, those two drawers were replaced and are “dummy” drawers.  In other words, they don’t open and are just a face secured to the dresser.

For the bottom drawer, he cut out a “U” in the back of the drawer and secured a few old boards so that the plumbing that does hang this low is not disturbed, but the drawer can be opened and closed.

At this point, the faucet was added, the countertop was secured, and the entire dresser was screwed into place on the wall.

Because of the size of the sink, we used a kitchen faucet.  A bathroom faucet would have been too small looking.  We opted for a faucet without a sprayer because…well, it’s a bathroom.  The sink did have a pre-cut hole for a sprayer, but we simply capped it and covered it up with the wood countertop.

The entire sink needed to be caulked in order to seal in between the sink and counter top.  Let this completely dry before using the sink.

I added 3 coats of a floor-grade oil-based polyurethane to seal the wood on top, inside, and on the edges.  This will prevent water from damaging the wood countertop.  {To see what I used, check out THIS POST as it was leftover polyurethane from our floor refinishing.}

Now it was time for a little fun!  I was so excited to try out Country Chic Paint for this project.  It is a clay-based paint that went on so smoothly.  Two coats of the color “Licorice” was all that it needed.

I then put two coats of their dark glaze on top of the black paint.  {I promise this is glaze…not chocolate!}

Once that was dry, I changed out the knobs on both sets of drawers.  I decided upon these glass knobs as they match all the doorknobs in our home.

And then…TA-DA…it was done!  I shared our entire half bathroom and laundry room in a previous post {Click HERE to see those details}.

It was so fun to think outside the box for this project.  We love having such a large sink in our half bathroom since it is also our laundry room…and now a dog washing station.

And the bonus is that when we do a kitchen makeover…I’ll have a full size sink to wash dishes…in the bathroom!  😉

♥

Leigh

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