cant afford new bathroom - ideas needed

[e&tsmom]

Hi All,

I am not sure if this is in the right place, so feel free to tell me to move on out and go somewhere else!!

We cannot afford an entire bathroom redo, but because we have little ones the doors on our bathroom vanity are falling apart. The water from running over the edge has made the faux wood edge (not sure what to call it) start peeling off. We cannot afford a new vanity without this weirdo liner and so here is my question: I think the vanity is 48 inches long. It was put into our house in the early 90's but is a very basic vanity. The doors are particle board I am sure, but are in good shape minus the peeling edges. But, they are not very attractive and (this is the vain part of my problem) I am going ot have a LOT of people in my house over the next few months for family events. I am hoping I can redo the doors and just leave the rest. The main part of the door in the front and back is smooth and cream colored, but the edges have this, again, fake wook covering and as it peels away the particle board is exposed. Could I (dh really, I havent discussed this with him yet because he would favor buying new no matter what and I am the more mindful one when it comes to money) sand the edges, stain and put that laquer over it? Would it look okay? We stained out medicine cabinet and it looks fine. But, I dont like the cream color. Could we paint the doors a different color? II cant think it would take stain because it is super smooth and not really porous. Augh! The current finish on the outside is maybe a walnut and i want mahogony. Can anyone give me ideas?

[leavemealone]

What kind of weird lining in on the cabinet? I would think that you could sand, paint and lacquer over the edges, but I have never tried it. You may also be able to buy new doors for the cabinet, but those might cost as much as a new cabinet so I would also look into a new cabinet. You may be able to find one on Craigslist or places like Home Depot/Lowe's have basic ones for not a lot of money. They don't usually have the cheapest ones online so you may have to go to the store to see them.

[pbjmama]

I think I understand your question but a picture would be helpful if you have one. I would not stain and lacquer. Particle board is not going to stain like wood. You could stand and paint but I would urge you to also use a coat of primer to even things out and make the whole unit look the same. I have had luck finding primer and paints that I like at the paint counter in lowes and home depot. Sometimes customers return a whole gallon of paint if it isn't matched correctly. I've paid as little as $3 for paint! Good luck!

[karlin]

Do you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore near you? You could probably find a "new" vanity for less than buying a bunch of paint and primer...or possibly find "new" doors there too.

[HeatherAtHome]

We just redid our bathroom and I found a second hand dresser (huge!) to use as a vanity. So much storage space and for only $55. If you go that route, you need to find one that's a good high/depth which is a little bit tricky.

Another option would be to remove the doors and hang a curtain across the front of the cabinet (make sure any toxic cleaners are stored out of reach of kids!)

Lastly, I agree with the painting option. The paint might not stick well to the cabinet, but it might look good over the short term. Look for special primers that could help with this.

[cschick]

What shape is the counter itself in? Could it be lifted and put on a new vanity?

Menards has some pretty inexpensive but real oak unstained cabinets that can be stained and used as vanities. The advantage to them being real oak is that you can do whatever you want to them: stain them the color you want or prime and paint them if that's the style. 48 inches is such a common size, that I'm sure you can find something that'll pretty much exactly fit.

My vague memory is that you can do those for under $100--we've been looking at nicer vanities for our basement bathroom and we're only looking at ~$200 all told.

[daytripper75]

You can often buy doors only at Ikea in the clearance section. I would try that or try buying a new vanity on Craigslist.

[Chloe&Coop'sMom]

You can find cabinets for cheap on craigslist that people who are remodeling their home want to get rid of.

[honeybunmom]

Originally Posted by cschick

What shape is the counter itself in? Could it be lifted and put on a new vanity?

Menards has some pretty inexpensive but real oak unstained cabinets that can be stained and used as vanities. The advantage to them being real oak is that you can do whatever you want to them: stain them the color you want or prime and paint them if that's the style. 48 inches is such a common size, that I'm sure you can find something that'll pretty much exactly fit.

My vague memory is that you can do those for under $100--we've been looking at nicer vanities for our basement bathroom and we're only looking at ~$200 all told.

Menards is good for the low end, too. They have a product called Vanity in a Box. Super cheap. Under $100. We just bought 2 because I couldn't find what I wanted in the time frame I needed it and we were having family in town for Christmas. I could but did not want to require everyone to wash their hands in either the kitchen sink or the tub, so, we went with these! They were so inexpensive, I don't even feel bad about replacing them soon. They'll still be in great shape, so, I bet we can even donate them.

[lucifugous]

As others have said, I'm sure you could find either new doors or a whole new vanity secondhand or something... especially if it's something you can live with for a few weeks while you take your time to look for a good deal Maybe take one of the doors off and put it in your trunk for a weekend while you go hunting? Otherwise I would paint it. It won't look like or be able to match wood so ...pick a color!

[bigteamug]

Ask at the paint store, but I'm guessing that because water is causing the problem, that without sealing it first with something oil-based (read: stinky VOC's) you won't be able to paint particle board.

Any water based paints will just add to the problem. Spray paints might work, but if you need to use the stinky stuff, be sure and take the doors off and do the work outside.

I'd check with a local salvage or discount store for doors, or craig's list, or ask a business that does kitchen remodeling to salvage some for you.....

[Knittin' in the Shade]

if it's anything like my early-90's bathroom cabinet, it's particle board with a laminateover the top. You can't sand and stain, and painting will require some heavy duty primer to get it to stick. The cost of the primer + paint would probably equal out to one of the generic bathroom vanity cabinets (complete with sink) that you can buy at home depot/lowes for less than $100. They're certainly not the most beautiful pieces of art, but they function well and serve the purpose.