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Half Bath Updates


Well, it took me long enough, but I finally finished updating our downstairs half bath. What was going to be a small project (ha!) turned into a weeks-long one.

It all started with brass hardware. We changed out the light fixture to a brushed nickel one, and planned on changing out the rest of the brass hardware in the bathroom to match. Since we would already be unhooking the plumbing, I figured we should also update the sink. It was one of those that's shaped like a giant seashell. We're about 5 hours from the nearest beach so I thought a plain sink would be better. No big deal, right? Wrong.

I came to learn that the vanity was far from standard, and it seemed that the previous owner had miss-cut the drop-in hole so that it was too narrow, so they just cut it wider without measuring again. We were left with a sink hole that was extra wide and super shallow from front to back. Not to mention the overall depth (front to back) of the vanity wouldn't allow anything deeper than 17". I bought three different sinks before finally finding one that fit. I also ended up having to spend about $70 more than I originally thought because we weren't able to use a standard sink. Thankfully, Home Depot is great about returns, because I was able to purchase two sinks online, and one in the store, then return the two that didn't work in our local store. It was much more convenient than having to ship the ones that didn't work back. This is the sink we settled on. I love that it looks vintage! Thanks to the extended overhang, it fit over the hole, plus I like that it is so wide because that is just another level of protection for the wood countertop.

The fact that the sink's overhang size was different than the previous sink required that I refinish the top of the vanity. I decided to sand off the paint and stain it with a dark stain. I used a piece of cardboard to protect the walls while sanding, then just taped up the edges for staining. I used two coats of Minwax Polyshades in Espresso for the color. Finally, I topped it with about seven coats of Minwax Wipe-on Poly in a matte finish. You really only need to use three coats, but since this countertop will be exposed to water, I wanted to make sure it was extra protected from drips.

I installed the sink and faucet. The faucet was difficult because I have very little plumbing experience, and how vague is, "tighten, but don't over tighten"?! Anyway, it took a few days and a few trips back to Home Depot, but I finally got it installed. The drain was the hardest part because there was a dripping leak on the side of the drain no matter how much I tightened it. I had to tape the threads and get Chris to tighten it after me. Then it finally stopped dripping. If you are ever in the need for a few cool drawer pulls, check out Marshall's or TJ Maxx. I picked up these knobs at Marshall's for $5 for a pack of four. Now we have an awesome vintage looking vanity that didn't cost too much. I'm still considering if I want to replace that mirror or paint it. If I go with painting, I would paint it black, brick red, or a strong green, since any of those colors would be safe throughout our house. That is a project for another day!


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