BATHROOM VANITY MAKEOVER

Like many of us out there, I've never been a big fan of my bathroom.  However, money doesn't grow on trees, and my dreams of a claw foot tub and chandelier are simply that, dreams.  In reality, the main reason that I didn't like the space was because it felt too stark and cold.  The shower is white tile, the floor is white tile, the vanity is white, the walls are a very pale green, which I painted recently, {they were previously white as well} with the hope that it would warm the space up a bit, but to me it still felt so stark...

I tried numerous shower curtains, art work, rugs, but nada.  Finally, after a mishap with some dark brown hair dye, inspiration struck.  I needed to paint the vanity!  I've always loved the look of an antique dresser with  a sink dropped in.  Why not make my cabinet look like a piece of furniture, instead of just a cold white storage space.

I debated on colors for quite a while, but finally decided, with a little help from my mom, to go for a sage green shade.  Off to the hardware store I went in search of the perfect shade.  One of the first samples I pulled was called Dried Sage and I knew it was the one!

Since I decided to use chalk paint {learn how to make your own here!} I didn't need to do any sanding, just a little wipe down and I was ready to go.  Since I was really anxious to get started I didn't even sweep the floor first.  I would recommend doing that if you attempt to repaint your vanity.  I have pretty long hair and so does my older daughter, so there was a little problem with hair sticking to my brush.  Next time I would run the vacuum with the attachment hose around the base of the cabinet so there wasn't any hair in the space.

It's been pretty cool, so it took a little while longer for the paint to dry than it usually does.  I ended up leaving the drawers in and just painting around them, since I couldn't figure out how to get them off the tracks.  I did end up taking the false drawer in front of the sink and both cabinet doors off and removed the hinges, so they got a really nice paint job.  It took me three coats to completely cover the white.

After the paint was completely dry I re-installed the doors and gave the entire cabinet a coat of clear wax.  I prefer to use Briwax, although I've never tried Miss Mustard Seed, but hear great things about it.  After the clear wax was applied, I used a brush and added a little dark wax to give the vanity a little more character and the aged look that appeals to me.

Previously I had no pulls or knobs on the cabinet, but I really wanted to add them to give it more of a furniture/ dresser feel.  I love the knobs over at Anthropologie, but at around $8 a piece, I just couldn't make that kind of a splurge.  I headed over to Hobby Lobby and after sitting on the floor and looking through tons of knobs and pulls, finally decided on these.

I used a kit to help me get the pulls lined up and in exactly the correct location.

Here's the finished product!

I'm pretty proud of it!  It's not done quite yet though, I'm still on the search for the perfect shower curtain and some art work.  As soon as I find those things I'll post a complete reveal.  But for now, I'm pretty pleased. I almost forgot to mention, the final cost of the vanity re-do was $24!  {Including hardware, not including wax which I already had on hand.}

Thanks for stopping by!