At some point in life we’ve all had one. I’m talking about that one bathroom that you are too embarrassed to let guests use. Maybe it has outdated pinkish-salmon tile, nasty grout lines or carpet (eww). You want to do something about it but you have a small budget. The good news is you can create a beautiful bathroom for a fraction of the cost with a little time and DIY skills. For our bathroom, we were able to convert a dresser into a bathroom vanity for under $200. This is a huge savings compared to similar sized store bought vanities.
When we bought our home, we knew that we wanted to update it before we moved in to avoid living in a construction zone. We spent about four months renovating every room in our house so that we could move in without any projects. That is all except for the upstairs bathroom. I’m not sure why we didn’t tackle the upstairs bathroom. I suppose after four months of renovation we were exhausted. We did 90% of the work ourselves on weekends and evenings since we worked full-time. Plus we didn’t need that space right away.
It wasn’t until I was 8 months pregnant with our first child that my husband decided we should start work on the upstairs bathroom because we needed a tub. That’s a story for another day. I’ll just say I wasn’t thrilled about a bathroom remodel at 8 months pregnant.
Original Bathroom Prior to Remodel
Our bathroom originally had a single pedestal sink which looked ridiculous in such a large space. I knew that I wanted a large, long vanity but didn’t necessarily need a double sink.
We just happened to be over at a friends one evening and she was wanting to get rid of a cute antique dresser. She had planned to fix it up to use but had never got around to it. She was happy to let it go to get it out of her garage. I knew I had the perfect spot for this new project.
How to Make a Bathroom Vanity out of a Dresser in 10 Easy Steps
Below I’ve outlined our step-by-step process for how to convert a dresser into a bathroom vanity. I’ve also shared the tools we used for the job and a complete cost breakdown.
1. Remove Back from Dresser
The first step to converting the dresser into a bathroom vanity is to remove any existing backing. You will need to access the back of the dresser to attach the plumbing and sink later so it is best to get it out of the way. (Ignore the messy garage 🙃)
2. Sand Top
The next step is to remove any chipping paint and sand the vanity so that it is ready to paint. Start with a coarse grit sandpaper (we used 80 grit) and work your way to a finer grit like 240. This is my least favorite part but it’s such an important step for a good finish.
4. Measure and Cut Drawers to Accommodate Sink
This step ended up being easier than I anticipated. I wanted to save as many drawers as possible so that they could be used for storage.
The dresser that we converted has 3 smaller middle drawers. The top two middle drawers had to be modified to be false drawers. We just removed the front of the drawer and screwed it into place.
On the bottom middle drawer we just had to cut out a small portion of the back so that the plumbing could fit. We also had to notch the side of the drawers on the top left and right to accommodate the sink. I thought we would have to reconstruct the drawers but they are still very sturdy even after the modifications.
5. Cut Sink Hole
We selected a white oval drop-in sink that we purchased at Menards. It came with a template so that we knew exactly where to cut for the perfect fit. We laid the template out, drew permanent marker around it and then cut out the hole with a jigsaw.
3. Clean and Dust
After all of the sanding and cutting make sure to wipe down or blow off the vanity. It is important to remove any dirt or sanding dust. You’ll want the vanity as clean as possible because the next step is to start painting on the primer.
6. Prime (Two Coats)
This step is where things start to get fun and come together. We used a KILZ Primer and applied two coats. It’s a pretty cheap and fast drying primer.
7. Paint (Two Coats) – Make Sure to Paint into the Drawer Openings –
We chose to paint our vanity a rich navy blue to contrast our brass fixtures. We knew that this paint job would have to stand up to quite a lot so we went with Benjamin Moore. It’s a little more expensive but you get what you pay for. It’s a nice thick paint and covers well.
*Rookie mistake – Make sure to paint far enough into the drawer openings. I didn’t paint deep enough into the drawer openings and there were places where you could see the primer or unfinished wood and I had to go back and do some touch-up painting.
8. Fix False Drawers
We actually fixed the false drawers on before painting the dresser. It turned out fine but I couldn’t get my brush very far into the drawer opening since the drawers were screwed into place. I would recommend painting the false drawer faces and paint into the drawer openings first and then installing.
9. Install Sink and Faucet
Now is when it all starts to come together. We installed the new brass faucet onto the sink prior to dropping it in. Then we just put a bead of silicone calking around the under-side of the sink and set it into place.
10. Installed New Drawer Hardware
And this is the final and my personal favorite step – installing the new hardware. We bought these brass pulls from Amazon for right around $25. I thought that was a great price and we still have some left over for another project!
Tools Needed for the Job
- Pry Bar (to remove back of dresser)
- Orbital Sander and Sand Paper
- Tape Measure and Pencil/Marker
- Jigsaw
- Air Hose or Vacuum (to remove dust)
- Painting Supplies – Roller, Paint Tray, Brushes
- Drill and Screws (for attaching false drawer fronts)
Cost Breakdown for Bathroom Vanity
Dresser – Free!
KILZ Primer – $16.83
Benjamin Moore Navy Paint (1 gal.) – $32.99
2 inch Brass Cabinet Knobs (5 pack) – $7.99
3.5 inch Brass Cabinet Knobs (10 pack) – $17.59
Foremost® Maret 20″W x 16-7/8″D White Oval Drop-In Bathroom Sink – $38.98
Brass Faucet – $69.99
Foam Rollers (3 pack) – $10.29
Mini Roller Frame – $2.29
Total Cost = $196.95
How to Convert a Dresser into a Bathroom Vanity – Conclusion
Overall we were very happy with the project and cost savings. We could have spent well over $1,000 to achieve a similar look. Here is a comparable navy single vanity from Wayfair and another from HomeDepot. We love our up-cycled dresser to vanity transformation.
Until next time,
