We updated the vanities in our master bathroom and the main hallway bathroom, and I’m really happy with how they turned out!
We’ve lived in this house for almost nine years, and while I love so much about it, the cabinets in the bathrooms, laundry room and kitchen have always bothered me. Since we don’t plan to move anytime soon, we decided to update the bathroom cabinetry. You can dramatically change the feel of a room without a full renovation simply by changing the cabinets, and we were lucky: our neighbor Mike builds custom cabinets for a living and helped with the design.
We sold both old vanities locally on KSL, which helped offset the cost of the new pieces and gave the old cabinets a new home.
Here’s the old vanity in our master bathroom before the update:
On my list of changes were: taller countertop height, a new countertop and an undermount sink. I also wanted a lot of white—clean and bright.
A big motivator for starting the project was the old sink. I like to sit on the counter and soak my feet in the sink while I read, and over time the sink had shifted so it was no longer properly attached to the countertop. That needed fixing, and it sparked the whole refresh.
Here are some before-and-after shots to show the difference:
The new cabinets are 36 inches tall—four inches taller than the originals—which gives a much better countertop height for comfort and usability. The center cabinet is slightly recessed from the two side drawer cabinets, so the whole unit reads more like a freestanding piece of furniture. I love that detail, and the cabinet even has feet. Mike helped refine the design and I’m thrilled with the result.
After the cabinet installation, the countertop fabricators installed an under-mount sink and a remnant piece of granite they had on hand. The granite is called Ornamental Light—the lightest remnant available—and using a remnant helped reduce costs. The sink was adhered to the countertop with a strong bondo adhesive, which holds surprisingly well.
We also repainted the room. The previous color was Harvest Brown by Behr; we switched to Autumn Haze by Glidden. I was inspired by a friend who uses this shade in her home—the lighter tone brightened the space and makes the bathroom feel fresh and airy.
The transformation is dramatic—the room feels so much brighter now. It’s funny to realize the original color when we moved in was closer to this lighter tone; we’d gone darker at some point and now it feels right to bring the lighter shade back. Paint is such an easy way to refresh a room—you can always change it again.
To keep costs down, we kept the existing mirror and added a new frame around it instead of installing a new mirror. That left little room for a traditional backsplash, so Mike finished the frame using a water-tolerant method that functions like a backsplash and holds up to occasional splashes.
One small change I adore is the new faucet. It’s a single-handle design that’s simple to operate with one hand and fun to watch as the water flows—those little details make daily routines more enjoyable.
When you consider the rooms you use most—the kitchen and bathrooms—updating those spaces makes a big difference in daily life. I’m so glad I enjoy spending time in this bathroom now.
I haven’t replaced the towels yet to match the new look, but that’s an easy and inexpensive update for later. For now, the existing towels work fine.
That’s the update—thanks for reading and letting me share this makeover. For more home improvements and before-and-after photos from our ongoing projects, see the posts listed below:
– the kitchen table (January 2010)
– our family room makeover (June 2012)
