Bathroom Vanity re-Design for under $60! Staining Oak Cabinets Espresso

 

The Master Bedroom and Bath are often the last rooms to be remodeled because they are not seen. And often, by the time you've renovated the public areas of the home there isn't much money left to tackle the private spaces! We've lived in our home for nine years this May, and have remodeled extensively...now we are finally heading towards the BACK of the house, to our room.

 

This is the sink in our master bedroom. It's a built in, so not easily (or cheaply!) replaced. Being short on funds is a gift, for it is such a boost to creativity...I hope you are inspired by what a difference 3 twenty dollar bills and some DIY skills can accomplish!

 

BEFORE:

                                  
Dingy gray tile counter top with stained grout.
Oak water-damaged back splash and edge.
Chipped white enamel sink.
20 year old plain Jane faucet on top of a honey oak 1980s cabinet.

The blessing is that the cabinet is solid wood, very sturdy and has plenty of storage. Good bones like that are worth keeping, they just need a little cosmetic update!

                              
                                                            AFTER:
A dark and modern vanity with a vitreous white china sink, creamy laminate counter top, solid tumbled stone back splash plus a Kohler single handle faucet.

COST BREAKDOWN:
General Finishes "Java" gel stain $20
Laminate counter-free (re-used something we had)
new sink $15 (Restore)
Kohler faucet $12 (yard sale)
tumbled stone back splash $4 (Restore)
pre-mixed grout $6 (Home Depot)

I found inspiration for this through Pinterest (I'm on there daily. It's such a treat for a visual person like myself! Feel free to follow my boards, my name on there is MorninGlory!)

I followed a link from there to a blog, which breaks down EXACTLY how to stain a vanity. Wonderful directions here, so I will not bore you by repeating them, just go there if you are interested in doing the same:

http://www.monicawantsit.com/2012/02/staining-oak-cabinets-espresso-color.html

She says "no substitutions! Use THIS BRAND ONLY!"

Sadly, I ignored both the caps and exclamation points because I am a rebel. When I found out I had to special order this stain I was too impatient to wait (which is dumb, you can get it on Amazon in 2 days) and it seemed high in cost. $20 for a little quart? So, I tried to save time and money by using a different stain that Almighty Google assured me was similar...

NO.

 

Instead of a lovely dark java espresso stain? Mucky dark streaks. I madly swiped it off. I tried several coats. I ruined my cabinets, basically. (also smeared it accidentally all over the nearby wall and ended up having to re-paint that, too. ugh.)

 

Now staining my cabinets was no longer a fun option but a dire necessity! I sanded the mess off, logged onto my Amazon account and ordered the correct stuff.

 

Listen, I am all about saving money, but using good materials DOES save money, in the long run. For instance;

I just painted my kitchen. I forked out over fifty bucks for a gallon of Benjamin Moore because I wanted a very specific color and didn't want to risk color matching (posts with photos to come!) That gorgeous paint went on like yogurt, covering a deep mid-tone green with a pale aqua blue in ONE COAT. When I did the living room a few days later, I was kicking myself for not using Benjamin Moore. I had read that Behr's 'Swiss Coffee' was an exact copy of BM's 'Cloud White'. It may be the same color but it is NOT the same quality. It ended up costing the same $$ amount (4 gallons at $25 apiece versus 2 from B. Moore at $50 each) but it cost me TWICE as much time. And as we all know...time IS money.

 

(If you are on a tight budget it is better to get Walmart paint, instead of Home Depots best Behr paint, it's horrid. Truly. It spatters, it barely covers, even the higher end stuff with "added primer". I've painted rentals and kids rooms with Walmart brand (their Antique White is actually a very lovely creamy neutral) and always find it to be a great, though basic, paint. For only $18 or so a gallon it has far better coverage than Valspar or Behr!)

 

 

Lots of sanding later...which is ironic, because the very thing that attracted me to this DIY project was the promise "no sanding!" Learn from my stubbornness...get the right stain and follow directions. The Java gel stain went on thick and beautiful, covering perfectly both the wood I had painstakingly sanded AND the doors that still had poly finish on them.

 

This counter was my nemesis for years. Makeup, toothpaste and grime was continually collecting in these grout lines. I hate tile on counters, because it never feels CLEAN, no matter how you scrub. Tile floors are cold and if you drop a dish, it shatters. Tile showers are a daily chore to keep mildew-free and eventually they leak. Where will I willingly put tile, you ask?

An entryway. In front of a fireplace. As a backsplash. And that's it!

 

You see those "back splash" strips of oak? Pried them off with my favorite tool...

 

 

a butter knife. My husband doesn't understand. He tries to tell me it's only purpose is spreading condiments. However, us creative types see things differently. It's a Flathead screwdriver and also a crow bar that pries almost anything off! Except, apparently, ugly tile.

Then it snaps in half.

 

This is the new laminate counter...much easier to clean! It was a counter remnant, bought a few years ago at Lowe's and used for a desk top.  My sweet husband cut it to fit the space.

I'm not allowed to use the table saw since I cannot handle even utensils correctly.

The lovely Kohler faucet is a bargain that I picked up at a yard sale and tucked away, hoping to do the bathroom "soon". It sat patiently in the garage for years, waiting for that elusive "someday" to arrive. If you see a quality item, jump on it. Maybe the renovations won't be completed as quickly as you hope, but when the time DOES come, your expenses will be far less because of those bargains you stashed away. Craigslist has a great category under 'For Sale' called 'Materials'. I scan it weekly for great deals on tile, windows, lighting, stone and more. If you know you'll be eventually updating parts of your home, it's worth looking early!


Another great source for bargains is your local ReStore. It is a thrift store that supports Habitat for Humanity (If you live local, it's on Oak Patch off of West 11th Ave) and it is full of both new and used materials. People who are renovating donate their materials when they update
(A treasure hunt if you are looking for mid-century lighting fixtures for your atomic ranch, or glass doorknobs for your Victorian cottage!)

and new stores donate extra stock for tax write-offs, too. High quality and new-but dented items are often there, though in smaller quantities. I found the tumbled stone tile (above) for under $5, despite being brand new. There were only a few sheets, but for small projects like a bathroom this is to your advantage!


To sum up, here is my advice for renovating even when you are on a TEENSY budget:

--Keep your color scheme neutral and materials basic. Focus on simply improving the basic functions of your current space rather than on creating new, custom or glamorous remodels. Laminate may not be my number one choice, but compared to dingy gray tile? It's an upgrade! Progress, not perfection is the rule when you are on a tight budget. (Actually, it's a great rule for anyone, am I right?)

--Know when to skimp and when to splurge. Materials matter! And if an expert insists on a certain gel-stain? Don't be impatient or rebellious. Unless it involves cutlery, then go for it.

--Shop beyond the Home Depot and the fancy Tile Store. Scour yard sales, Craigslist and thrift shops for the materials you need, and store them until you are ready to begin.

--If you don't know how to do something? YouTube has videos that will teach you almost ANYTHING. I had never installed a tile back splash before but was driven to desperate by my desire to get rid of those nasty oak strips. Bonus-when your project is complete you have more than just a lovely home improvement. You've added a new skill to your repertoire!

--Focus on the blessings. I would love double sinks but realize that having one is a gift. I only have to share with my husband, and not my three teenage sons! I'd like solid surface countertops, and I'd love to frame the mirror but if neither ever happen, that's okay. We honor God by being good stewards of the time and money He's given, and by being content with what He's given!

Grateful for my new vanity and hoping it inspires YOU!