I really love the charming look and feel of antique bathroom vanities: how about you?  If so, we’re definitely not alone.  The vintage furniture look is all the rage right now in current bathroom vanity style.

Lately, it’s getting easier and easier to find the style of bathroom furniture.  In fact, I’ve seen tons of different options online even, like the Decolav distressed espresso double vanity pictured above.

These pieces are perfect for their flawless design as well as the fact that they’re quick and easy to install.  Unfortunately, when my wife and I finished our downstairs half bath a few years ago, the distressed style was just becoming popular and the pickings were slim to say the least.

In the end, we actually ended up building our own antique bathroom vanity from scratch.  Here’s my how to guide for those of you who might want to attempt the same feat:

Select the Perfect Piece of Furniture

Your goal will be to find a solid piece of vintage or antique furniture that not only looks great, but is structurally solid, just the right size for your bathroom, and most importantly, fits your budget for the project.  This might take a weekend or two of your time, but it is fun and the reward will be well worth the trouble.

Start off at the local antique stores.  They’ll be the most expensive place to purchase the perfect vintage piece for creating your new bathroom vanity, but you’ll get lots of great ideas and inspiration.

Next, check out any estate or other community auctions.  The perfect chest of drawers to create your bathroom vanity with might be yours for as little as $50, depending on the circumstances.  This is exactly how my wife and I purchased the old wash stand we converted to our vanity for just less than $70.  You never know what you’ll find at the auction!

Other great places to source the perfect piece are thrift stores and flea markets.  Some of the furniture you find at these locations might not be in quite as good shape, but if you’re willing to do some refinishing it’s no problem at all.  The bargains are excellent if you go this route.

Turn the Furniture into a Bathroom Vanity

Once you’ve purchased the perfect bathroom vanity furniture piece, it’s time to begin the modifications.  You can either do this yourself or have a carpenter or cabinet maker take care of the details for you.

Really the process is simple.  Since the unit will most likely be mounted against a wall, the back will need to be removed or have a large section cut out so the pipes and plumbing will fit right in.  If drawers or any other features will get in the way, they’ll need to be secured, modified, or removed for the perfect fit.  We were able to leave the main two lower doors of our wash stand completely operable.

Next, make the exact cutout for your sink basin in the top.  We used a vintage sink basin we already had but I’ve since spotted a bunch of really cool top mount sinks like the overcounter models from Cheviot that would work great and be easier to install at the same time.  Either way, remember to measure twice and cut once - there’s no room for mistakes here!

After choosing just the right faucet hardware, something that matches the overall look and feel of the creation you’re assembling (this Danze Opulence set would look great with the sink above), it’s just as easy to cut or drill the correct holes for mounting and attaching to the plumbing beneath the top.

Finishing It Off

Once the carpentry is out of the way, it’s the perfect time to refinish or paint the piece according to your preferences.  A good coat of polyurethane or other similar product will help it stand up in the humid bathroom environment.

Don’t forget the finishing touch - cabinet hardware, such as drawer knobs or pulls.  Through my personal experience, I can tell you that you’ll find so many more choices by browsing around online than at your local home center.  They generally only carry the most basic designs.

One thing is for sure - if you choose to build your own vintage bathroom vanity like my wife and I did, you’ll not only save a good chunk of change, but you’ll be guaranteed to have a truly one of a kind piece!