How to Fix your Outdated Bathroom Vanity

Happy Sunday everyone!

If you haven't already seen my post on our half bathroom renovation, check it out here! Since I'm decorating the interior of our house in a farmhouse-esque style, I wanted to make the bathroom vanity a bit darker. Our bathroom had an old vanity with a plain, light colored wood, the most common color of basic cabinetry out there and it had gold metal knobs! This is what is in a lot of homes and it just reminds me of an outdated, generic look so I knew it needed TO GO! 

Are you in the same boat?! The good news is, it's super quick and easy to fix yourself without having to buy a whole new vanity!

Here's a list of materials you'll need:

-Hand sander (here's a link to mine)

-Sandpaper (I used 80 grit- here's the brand I bought)

-Stain color of your choice (I used Miniwax's dark walnut)

-Rustoleum Rust Reformer (I couldn't find this in Lowe's, so I bought it here instead) This is if you want to spray paint the knobs!

-Rustoleum Black Spray Paint (Get this product here-it comes in handy & I use it EVERYWHERE) This is also only if you want to re-do your knobs as well!

-Some sort of protective sheeting (So you can use paint drop clothes if you have any, if you don't have anything, simply buy a dollar store shower curtain! It's much cheaper and if you tape it to the floor around the vanity, it will keep out the stain!)

Before we go further, here's our vanity before hand:

The first step is to remove all the cabinet doors, drawers, and knobs. Make sure you mark which screws/hinges go to what (this kind of just makes it easier when you go to put it back together). If you want to go with the black knobs as I did, which I recommend if you don't want to buy new knobs, then wash those down first, sandpaper them if necessary to remove rust, and spray paint them with an even coat of the Rust Reformer first. Once that coating is dry (read the directions on the can) then you can use the regular black spray paint on top. The most important thing to remember is to not spray too close and make sure you get an even layer! If not, you will create a bubbling look on the finish and you'll have to sand them and start all over!

I've used this method on so many things in our house (dresser handles, door knobs, kitchen knobs, dryer vents, canisters, etc.) and I LOVE it! It always looks good and it holds up super well!

 Okay, so now that your doors are off, you can begin sanding. Make sure to wear a mask and protective eye wear because the dust from this is intense! You only really need to sand until it gets a good layer off and is a lighter color (see above). If you have trouble sanding it, try a rougher sandpaper grit! If you can't get in between some of those nooks and crannies, fold a piece of sandpaper in half and sand it yourself without the sander. It doesn't have to be perfect if you're going with a darker stain. If you're using a light color or paint, sand extra! Once the base is sanded, you can sand the drawers and doors the same way! Make sure to do both sides!
After your sanding is finished, make sure to wipe down everything with a cloth to remove all the extra sawdust. Now might be a good time to sweep it all out of the bathroom as well (if you don't do it now-you have to wait until the vanity's stain is completely dry otherwise it'll stick to that!). Now, onto staining!
As with paints, you HAVE to mix your stain well! The first time I used stain years ago, I didn't mix the can well enough and ended up with a completely different color than it should have been (oops! 🙈) Once you've mixed it well, you can apply your stain either with a brush or a staining cloth. I prefer and recommend a cloth for a vanity. It's easy to wipe to make sure you get an even layer. Honestly staining is the quickest part! Since I used a dark stain, I only needed one layer, but depending on your color you may need to do two. If you want a finishing layer, I recommend a polyurethane top coat! 
And that's about it! Here's a picture of the finished vanity in our home:

The new dark wood and black knobs gives this small half bathroom a whole new farmhouse feel! I was so happy with the finished product! If you're also looking for a farmhouse look, I'd definitely go with a dark stain as I did, or you can also do a natural wood look, a grey, or a white depending on how you want to decorate! I went with this dark wood because it matched our new mirror the best! 

I hope you found some help with this post and have fun DIY'ing!

Until next time,

Yogi Renovator 💜