Vintage dresser becomes a bathroom vanity

Inspiration and careful planning transform a vintage or reproduction dresser into a classy bathroom fixture.

 

 

A one-of-a-kind bureau or dresser can be used to make a unique bathroom vanity, and can cost substantially less than custom-made cabinetry, especially if you are lucky enough to come across a secondhand bargain or be given a hand-me-down.

 

Ideally, you should select the piece before installing the plumbing to allow for drain and supply connection installation to fit the dresser, rather than requiring modifications later on. It is also a good idea to choose a sink to suit both the size and shape of the dresser or bureau top. Drop-in, undermount, and top-mount sinks are all suitable for conversions.

 

 

Because the existing veneer on most older pieces isn’t intended for wet locations, you will need to strip off the old finish and give the piece several coats of exterior-grade polyurethane. Alternatively, make a template of the top of the dresser and have a customcut piece or granite, or Surinno top made to fit.

 

 

Any sink or bowl can be installed into the top of the dresser, but a drop-in style will hide any imperfections in the cutout. In some cases it may be necessary to support the filled-weight of a bowl and a 19mm plywood subtop positioned underneath the dresser top with glue and screws will surfice.

 

 

To make the project even easier, make cardboard templates of the existing drawers and use a trial and error process to scribe the sides and bottom panel precisely around any obstructions. Once the cardboard template fits, cut the drawers to match and reinforce them with partitions.