Vintage Cabinet turned Bathroom Vanity and my daughter at the Opera House

One piece of furniture that I always get a lot of comments and questions about it my bathroom vanity. I bought a vintage gramophone cabinet on eBay years ago and knew that eventually I would turn it into a bathroom vanity. I really dislike most of the new bathroom vanities on the market. They are too modern, made of MDF or ply, and just a bit boring to my mind.

Rachael contacted me after seeing my bathroom vanity on the internet as they are about to undertake two bathroom renovations. She asked if I had any pieces of furniture similar. I actually had an old gramophone cabinet sitting in my furniture stockpile as I had bought it thinking it would be perfect for our new bathroom but it ended up being a little too small. So I sold it to Rachael and Luke all painted for their bathroom ensuite.

When I bought this piece the things I liked about it were the dimensions. With the timber lid/top removed it is a perfect height to put on a slab of stone and a non recessed basin. It is also 60cm deep which fits a good sized basin and toiletries. I liked that it had two little cupboards and while the shelf underneath is not original it's a great addition for storing baskets or rolled towels.  How beautiful is the design on the doors and the turned legs.

Because this is an old gramophone cabinet, removing the top was very simple. I just unscrewed the hinges and kept the beautiful bevelled top for another project. I sanded down the piece gently and primed it with two coats of with Zinsser Bin inside and out. Because this is used in a bathroom where it will get splashed and also be exposed to condensation, I painted every single bit of it: inside and out, the back and underneath.  I painted it in Dulux Aqua Enamel in a bright white. It took many many coats to get a nice solid coverage.

Here it is mid way: You can see how the paint is still a little transparent. People often ask me how many coats of white are required. I say keep painting till your paint is no longer transparent. This will all depend on what colour your timber is, what colour white you choose, what sort of paint you are using and how much titanium is in it.

and finished

I just placed the timber top back on for photos but here it is below ready for installation in Rachael and Luke's bathroom.

Here's it in situ - beautiful.

I am now keeping my eyes peeled for more pieces like this for Rachael and Luke's main bathroom and for our two new bathrooms for our upstairs renovation. If you see anything that you might think is suitable I'd love to hear from you.

Also I thought you might like to see a few photos from a wonderful evening out last night. My daughter's school choir participated in the Combined Public Schools Choir at the Opera House. I was such a proud mummy, seeing all the children and hearing them sing so beautifully. A fabulous evening and a few tears were shed by proud parents. My daughter even said "Mummy I could see you crying from where I was standing."

Hopefully the rain settles down so I can do some more painting. Have a wonderful day.

cheers Fiona xx