I’ve shared pictures of my DIY open shelf vanity in progress for the last several weeks, no….probably the last few months. I’m over the top excited to finally share my project as well as the story behind it and thank the awesome people who helped make this plan of mine a reality!
The plans..
Last spring I met Cher of Designs By Studio C who is a dynamite lady with a tool belt. She builds things, like real things. So I asked her, do you think I can do this? Of course she said!
Will you make plans for me to build my vanity?
…and she said yes!
..and that’s how it started
And I shared my grand idea with my husband and any family member who would listen. I was secretly looking for volunteers…along comes my father-in-law who has tons of patience and builds really well. He helped me assemble my new Ryobi table saw and gave me lessons including safety do’s and don’ts.
I have a little confession to make.
The only other thing I’ve ever built is the bench behind me in that photo. I had Home Depot cut almost all the wood and I propped it up in the corner of my living room to “square ” the corners. Nope, I didn’t even own a square or a proper measuring device. It was then that discovered that a yard stick will not suffice for building stuff:)
This was a personal challenge I simply had to master.
It’s messy. It’s fun.
Can I tell you how empowered I felt, “ripping” my own boards for my vanity? 🙂
You can download the free plans to make your own DIY open shelf vanity. Any type of flat top will work on it. It’s designed for vessel sinks that sit on top but it would be easy to change by moving the top supports mount if you want to use it for drop in sinks. I think this would also be an awesome kitchen island with a granite or butcher block top on it as well.
Cher did a great job with the plans and they are easy to follow. If I did it, anyone can! Here’s a tool list of what you’ll need to make your own DIY open shelf vanity. You can easily make this over a weekend.
- Table Saw
- Jigsaw
- Kreg K4 Jig
- Kreg Jig Pocket Screws
- 2″ wood screws
- Drill
- C Clamps Kreg Jig Clamp
- Random Orbital Sander
- Squares – Combination Square Carpenter Square
- Pre-stain conditioner
Stain - Pencil
- Wood glue
- Wood filler
I’m going to share a few tips to make this process even easier that will help a non-builder or a beginner, like me, build one.
Buy straight boards. You can check if a board is straight by holding one end and looking down the side to the other end. If its warped or bowed, put it back and get another piece. We spent a lot of time at Home Depot in the lumber selection choosing the right boards.
I used 2″ Kreg Jig Pocket Screws
for the entire assembly (this link is an incredible deal on these screws!). It was easy and they fit well.
Label everything as you “rip” or cut. your board. I went even further and listed 1 of 4, 2 of 4, etc. which was very helpful so I didn’t mix up vanity pieces and scrap wood.
It’s absurdly hot here in Fl during the summer. So…
I got creative!
A drop cloth, an old Meryl Streep movie and a Sunday afternoon is all I needed to drill about 130+ pocket holes.
Time flew.
The Kreg K4 Jig makes joining two pieces of wood together really easy and with a strong bond. You will never regret owning one! Now when I look at things, I actually imagine where the pocket holes should be placed and how I would put that item together….nerdy, but cool 🙂
When It finally came time to put the vanity together I put all the pieces together in piles. We laid out the sides and it’s pieces before assembling.
Choose the best looking boards for the front of your vanity.
Soup Can Sam decided to join in and help. He wasn’t too helpful at all 🙂
Assembly wasn’t hard. You will need two people but that’s because 4 hands make the job much easier.
Before you assemble your DIY open shelf vanity check the height of your plumbing pipes and then check again that they clear the center shelf. 🙂 It’s a lot easier to make a little adjustment before they are installed!
I speak from experience 🙂 We moved the pipes in the wall up 3 inches.
I also highly recommend double checking your measurements for your 6 slat supports before cutting them when your vanity is ready for them. Since the boards weren’t exactly 2 x 2 inches they were a tiny bit off. The same goes for the last 3 top supports.
I’ll mention again…be sure your last 3 slats are not in the way of your sink drain pipes and faucets. I’ll call myself lucky at this stage because I forgot to use the wood glue on the top 3 supports. Yay!!…cause we had to move them:)
A beginner error that worked in my favor.
This is our finished vanity base. All I had left to do was to cut out the notches for the front and back slats with the jigsaw which was pretty easy.
I decided to put my finish on before installing the slats so I could get the sides of the shelve slats evenly. To prep it for the finish I filled in spots that needed it with wood filler and gave it a light sanding. I cheated on the slats and just sanded the areas that faced forward and the tops of the slats only.
I used Minwax Wood Conditioner to prep the wood for the finish. I used Polyshades for the color. I love the color. The finish looked awful after the first coat and terrific after two coats. I think the trick is to brush it on and then wipe it off.
We finally made it to the last step and I have a few tips that turned into huge time savers for the final assembly.
We flipped the vanity upside down and drilled pilot holes along the bottom where we were attaching the shelf bars with 2″ screws. We installed the two outside shelf bars first. Using the clamp to hold them was very helpful. Next we installed the center shelf bar. That left the two middle shelf bars and we simply centered those.
Done! Here’s a few pics of our progress as of today.
I don’t have a wall mirror yet, but I do have this lighted magnifying make-up mirror, which will do for the important tasks for now.
I love the open shelves and the minimalist style of my vanity. Cher was awesome to work with and designed a vanity exactly how I wanted it. I can’t wait to find something else to make from her blog Designs By Studio C . The hard part will be choosing!
We poured our own concrete counter top. It’s a doable project for beginners and we save a huge $$! I’ll post on that next week as well as finally sharing the big reveal!
I love the frosted glass vessel sinks I found at a local store, but wished I would have chosen this sink instead because I’m short.
If you’ve followed along with me on my Expert Advice Tips for Renovation Series you probably remember I have some pretty awesome sponsors for this huge project. Be sure to stop by and visit them!
It took me a while to figure out what mirror I’d add to the vanity. Click here if you’d like to see what I built to complement the modern rustic style and not break the bank. This project was just one of the many Creative DIY Shelving Ideas for Organization and Styling for your home that I’ve shared.
It was worth the wait!
I designed my own Contemporary Master Bath Renovation and I share my expertise so you can too.
This project was featured at
And
ahesanul kabir says
How nice!
Wendi says
Thank you!
Lynn says
What is the final dimensions of this vanity..
Wendi says
HI Lynn, I kept forgetting to go measure the vanity since it’s been a while since I’ve made it. It’s 60″ x 23″ but that’s with the top on. You can download the plans from this post which have the exact base measurements. It would be easy to modify if needed. Thanks so much for your visit!
Glen says
Question: Why is it necessary to rip the side rails from 2×8’s? Wouldn’t 2×6’s be wide enough to end up with 3 1/2″?
Wendi says
Hi Glen, I’m pretty sure the 2 x 8 size gave me 2 boards and less waste. Let mw know if you have any other questions:)
Caitlyn says
Where did you get the sinks? I love them! Nice job!
Wendi says
Hi Caitlyn, Thank you. I found the sinks at Floor & Decor. I walked by the display, fell in love and had to have them! Glad you like my vanity!
Marylou says
I REALLY Love the sinks and can’t find anything like them. Do you know if they’re still available? Do you have manufacturer info, etc. They are awesome.
Wendi says
Hi Marylou. I found the sinks at Floor and Decor. I don’t know if there is one near you or they still carry them. I’ve found glass vessel sinks on eBay before and Amazon. Good luck on your search and thanks so much for your visit!
Ruth says
I love it! I just put together a smaller one for a half bath. How did you anchor it to the wall?
Wendi says
Hi Ruth… this vanity weighs a lot, especially with the concrete counter. It’s not moving anywhere…so the answer is I didn’t. If I had a smaller vanity I’d probably use lag bolts to anchor it into the wall at 2 legs or in the center. So awesome you built one too! We love ours:)
Danielle says
Hello, I love the design and am going for it. However, I was unable to download the plans. Do you have another way of me downloading it? Thanks in advance
Wendi says
That’s awesome your going to build the vanity! I love mine and I’m still so happy I built it. So sorry there was a download issue. I’ll have to check on that. I’ll email the plans to you in the meantime. Please share a photo on my Facebook page when you finish. Have fun!
Leisa Olson says
I too would love to have a copy of your plan.You made this look sooo lovely !!
Wendi says
Hi Leisa! I’m so glad you like my vanity and plans! There’s a link in the post to download them, I’ve included it here for you too https://h2obungalow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/H2OBungalow-Vanity-Plans.pdf Have fun and I hope you enjoy making this!!
Leisa Olson says
Thank you!
Wendi says
You’re so welcome!
April says
I never would have guessed this was a DIY project, it looks fantastic. Great job!
Wendi says
Oooohh..Thank you! The project came out awesome which is so good since I had to get back into the good graces of an 11 year old! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Leslie @ House on the Way says
It looks fabulous! You did an amazing job and I can’t wait to hear about the countertop!
Wendi says
Thanks so much Leslie! I’m happy it turned out so well…especially because I have to live with it! I’ll share the countertop soon!
Vanessa says
Wendi,
This piece turned out great. I love how you left it open. Beautiful
Wendi says
Thanks Vanessa. It’s still a small bath and using a few little tricks helps keep the space open. Besides, I just loved this style! Thanks so much for your sweet comment friend!
Marie@The Interior Frugalista says
Wendi you win the Riveter Rosie Award! Wow, impressed the heck out of me! Your open vanity is awesome – love the stain color too. The glass vessel sinks are stunning and I’m lov’n those faucets too. I can’t wait to see the reveal and I bet you can’t wait to finally have this project finished. Kuds to Cher for coming up with such a great design plan – very talented!
High five to you my friend,
Marie
Wendi says
LOL! Thanks Marie! You KNOW I’m happy to be at this point. It was worth the wait and I’m vert excited for the big reveal! Cher designed a beautiful vanity exactly how I described. The Kohler products I choose are pretty flippin’ cool! Can’t wait to share my glow in the dark toilet! LOL Thanks so much for stoping by my friend:)
Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says
Oh, WOW! I would never have guessed that was a DIY, let alone your first project. I love everything about it – fantastic job, Wendi! The sinks are gorgeous, too.
Wendi says
Thank you Amy! I’m super happy with how the parts all worked together. I fell in love with the sinks a few months ago and they’ve been stored in my office ever since. Now that I’ve survived one project I’m already thinking about wht else I can build next! Thanks so much for your visit and kind words 🙂
Lauren @ The Thinking Closet says
I’m speechless. Wendi, this is a knock-out piece. Seeing it in its completed form with the gorgeous sinks and fun styling make it look like something from a magazine. And how empowering to know that YOU BUILT IT! So excited to see this after hearing so much about it during FL Blog Con weekend. You hit a homerun here. Way to go!
Wendi says
You always make a girl feel good! Yes, I’m thrilled with the result and so happy it’s finally done:) Thanks for your super kind words..they started my day off beautifully! Thanks so much for your visit!
Cher @ Designs by Studio C says
The vanity looks amazing!! THANK YOU so much for the kind words!! I look forward to working with you again!
Wendi says
Cher…It’s YOU I have to thank for this awesome design! I can’t begin to express how darn excited I am about it and that I built it! It’s exactly what I wanted. Wait till you see the rest of the bathroom with it! Thank you!! ..and Yes, can’t wait to do another project..only next time in a few weeks instead of several months! LOL
Robyn says
Can I make this vanity and use drop in sinks? I assume I would have to adjust the base to hold the weight? Could you send me dimensions?
Wendi says
Hi Robyn Yes, you cab absolutely use drop in sinks with this vanity. I wouldn’t think drop in sinks would weigh ay more than the thick glass vessel sinks I used. You can download the plans for the vanity in the post and they will have all of the dimensions. Have fun with your project!