Let me show you step by step this DIY Floating Wood vanity.
So I am soooooo close to being done with my major project of the last year. You may remember me talking about this huge project of turning an oversized guest bathroom into a smaller bathroom and third floor laundry room.
Having the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms has been a game changer for me. Plus it has stretched my DIY skills by teaching me how to frame, drywall and mud.
The new bathroom size is 7″ x 11″ and it was 11″ x 11″. So I had the option of doing a larger shower and smaller vanity or larger vanity and smaller shower. There was a big difference in size as far as the shower was concerned. It was either a 36″ or 48″ pan.
An extra 12″ of room is huge in a shower. Plus I didn’t want to pour a custom shower pan, my DIY skills were already stretched enough . So I opted for a larger shower and a small vanity area.
To catch up on the progression of this project check out:
- Bathroom & Laundry Room Remodel Part 2: Framing
- Bathroom & Laundry Room Remodel Part 3: Drywall
- Bathroom & Laundry Room Remodel Part 4: Flooring
Building a Floating Wood Vanity Step-By-Step
So I framed in a wall for the shower surround to go which only gave me 29″ of space for a vanity.
All the vanities I found were like 24″ or 28″ and I knew the extra inches on the sides would bug me plus I wanted to have as large of a vanity area as possible.
So I decided to build a floating vanity like you see in higher end hotels. It was very simple an super inexpensive.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Birch or oak plywood (I used birch)
- 2×8 (ripped down to 6″ wide)
- 2×4 scraps
- Kreg jig
- 2 1/2″ kreg screws
- nail gun with 1 1/2″ nails
- Minwax pre-wood conditioner
- Minwax Dark Walnut Stain
- General Finishes Top Coat
- Wood filler
- Orbital sander
- Clear silicone caulk
- White caulk
- Jigsaw (to cut out the sink)
Step By Step guide
Step 1 – Measure the area
Start by measuring the width of the sink area. I decided to go a little deeper than standard vanities and went 25″ for the depth (plus the face frame made it 26 1/2″).
Using a table saw I cut my piece of plywood to fit that area.
Step 2 – The Face Frame
Next I grabbed a pine 2″ x 8″ and ripped it down to 6″ for the face frame on the vanity. I didn’t worry that it is pine and birch mixed.
It turned out fabulous once stained.
Step 3 – Sand it
Using the sink template (I purchased this stock sink from Lowes) and a jigsaw I cut out the circle for my sink.
Sand with 150 grit sandpaper with an orbital sander to give both pieces of wood a nice smooth finish ready for stain.
Step 4 – Treat the Wood
I used a pre-wood conditioner on the pine board since it is a soft wood. Then I applied my stain. I used Minwax Dark Walnut.
The pine board needed a couple of coats to get it to match the birch piece. I let it dry overnight.
Step 5 – Apply Finishes
With an old t-shirt scrap I applied the General Finishes Top Coat.
Let it dry 24 hours between coats and then lightly sand in between coats with 400 grit sandpaper. I gave it 4 coats.
Step 6 – Cut out rest of Pieces
Then I cut out (3) 2″ x 4″ pieces. One board was the width of your vanity top.
Then I cut two more 1 1/2″ less than my vanity width.
I drilled two pocketholes on each end of the last two boards I cut.
Step 7 – Attach the Boards
I found the studs and then used 2 1/2″ screws to screw the back board in place.
Then I used pocketholes screws to attach the two boards to the back piece. I marked the studs on the side wall and used 2 1/2″ wood screws to secure those to the studs.
This gave me a very sturdy base for my vanity top.
Step 8 – Nail the Vanity to the Frame
At this point I nailed my vanity top to the frame but I could have added pocketholes previously to my 2 x 4 boards and attached it that way.
Either works. But nails did require some touch up stain and top coat.
Step 9 – Add the Face Frame
To add the face frame I used 2 1/2″ Kreg screws into the side 2″ x 4″ supports to attach to the back of the face frame.
Step 10 – Fill the Holes
I used wood filler to touch up the holes.
Step 11 – Seal it
Seal the sink with caulk (I opted for white to match the sink).
Then I sealed the area where the vanity top meets the wall with clear silicone caulk.
Step 12 – Optional – The Pipes
I decided to leave the pipes exposed. Since they were white PVC pipes I taped off the whole area and used RustOleum Steel Metal on them.
I was reminded why I don’t purchase RustOleum.
I loved the color but I got two defective cans and had to go to the store twice to return them. UGH!
I should have stuck to my trusty Krylon.
I love the way the pipes turned out though.
The color is very authentic to regular pipes as evident by the pipe hand towel bar I made with 3/4″ elbows, 1 1/2″ connectors, 3/4″ flanges and a 6″ pipe.
The vanity area is small but I think it is perfect for a guest bathroom. And I absolutely love the dark wood vanity top paired with the gray tones in the Aquaguard flooring and the white trim.
Oh and here is a SNEAK peek of the mirror I made with all scrap wood so it was totally FREE! More on that soon!
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