Painting my daughters’ bathroom vanity is something that has been on my to-do list for YEARS but somehow other projects always took priority, keeping it from ever getting done. With our master bathroom addition currently in progress, my girls’ bathroom was the lone untouched bathroom in the house. I finally decided to bump this project to the top of the to-do list and knock it out before my oldest daughter comes home from college for the holidays. I’m now kicking myself for not having done it years ago because it made such a huge difference to the look and feel of the space! By using the right paint and painting tools, you’d honestly never know that it was a DIY rather than a job I hired out to have professionally done. (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
Here’s what my girls’ bathroom vanity has looked like for the past six years:
From a distance, it doesn’t look too terrible but the dark cabinets in combination with the dark countertops gave the room a really gloomy feel. And closer up you can see that the cabinet doors were a hot mess with a lot of wear and tear from previous owners:
With only a quart of paint, the right tools, and a little DIY action, say hello to my newly painted, brighter and lighter girls’ bathroom!
I’m thrilled with how it turned out – the vanity truly looks brand new:
While it might seem like an intimidating project, with the right tools and know-how, it’s one that even a beginner DIYer can do. If it’s a project you’ve considered tackling, this post will give you the step by step how-to to get it done! Let’s go…
Step 1: Remove Vanity Doors & Drawers
The first step is to remove your vanity’s doors and drawers along with any hardware so that all that’s left is the frame:
Be sure to take photos or notes and label the hardware that you remove so you know what goes back on where when it’s time to put your vanity back together.
Step 2: Set Up a Painting Station
A lot of people paint in their basement or their garage but unless there’s a ton of sanding involved, I prefer to set up shop somewhere that I have good natural light and a TV 🙂 (I don’t mind painting one bit if I can binge-watch Netflix while doing it!). My go-to spot is our bonus room at the top of the stairs since there’s a large open area to use. I put a dropcloth on the floor and set up a folding table covered with a second drop cloth to lay all of the cabinet doors and drawer fronts on.
Step 3: Clean All Surfaces You’re Painting
Preparation is key and it begins with cleaning all of the surfaces that you’re going to paint. Even if your cabinet doors don’t look dirty, you might be surprised by what you get off of them with a good cleaning! There are various products you can use but I use a small amount of no-rinse TSP substitute like {this one}. Using a clean cloth dampened with the solution, give all of the vanity surfaces a good scrub (don’t forget gloves and eye protection).
Step 4: Fill Holes & Scratches and Sand
If you’re going to be changing out your cabinet hardware and the new hardware will be in a different location than the old, now’s the time to fill the old holes. I used {this white wood filler} and {this 2″ Purdy flexible putty knife} to push the wood filler down into the holes on both sides and remove the excess filler:
If your cabinets have any nicks or scratches, fill those too. Once the wood filler has dried, sand your filled holes, nicks, and scratches smooth:
You’ll sometimes find that hardware holes require a second layer of wood filler to sand completely smooth. Also lightly sand (I use 220 grit sandpaper) all of the surfaces that you’re going to paint including the vanity frame, doors, and drawers. Sanding is an important step for helping your primer & paint adhere, especially when your cabinets have a glossy top-coat like mine did:
After everything is sanded, vacuum off the sanding dust and wipe all of the surfaces down with a clean microfiber cloth. I finish off my prep by wiping all of the surfaces down with a liquid deglosser like {this one} which both cleans off any remaining dust particles and is extra assurance that you’ll get good adhesion of primer and paint.
Step 5: Brush & Roll on a Bonding Primer
The next step is to brush and roll on the bonding primer. Since my bathroom vanity was previously stained and coated with a glossy polyurethane, I chose Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond Primer which is made for adhering to hard to stick surfaces. It truly sticks to anything – I highly recommend it! {This STIX primer} is another one I’ve used several times that’s a great choice! I start by rolling the backs and edges of the vanity doors with the doors sitting on top of four {these plastic painter’s tripods} to raise them up off the table I’m painting on. Once thoroughly dry, I flip the doors over to paint the front, using a combination of a paint brush and roller.
Having the right tools makes all the difference for this step and every other step in this project. If you’re guilty of spending days figuring out paint colors but then grab the closest paint brush and roller on the shelf to apply it, rethink that the next time you have a painting project. Investing in high-quality tools will keep you from getting the excessive brush marks and lint that come from using cheaper products and can ruin your final finish. Ever since I took a painting class with Jeff as newlyweds and we were told that Purdy has the best brushes and rollers, it’s what I’ve always used – I still have and use some Purdy brushes that I bought over 20 years ago:
For priming, I started with {this Purdy 1.5″ Nylox Glide brush}, brushing the primer into all non-flat areas of the door:
Then I immediately rolled all flat surfaces with {this 1/4″ nap Purdy White Dove Mini Roller} on {this Jumbo Mini Roller Frame} using a mini roller tray like {this} (Note: be sure to use a 1/4″ nap roller instead of a 3/8″ nap roller – you’ll get a smoother finish!):
While you don’t need to rush going from brushing to rolling, you’ll get the best results if you do them back to back before the brushed paint dries. And don’t forget to primer the vanity frame too:
Step 6: Paint!
After letting your primed door fronts dry overnight, lightly sand all of your primed surfaces (I like to use a sanding sponge like {this one} for this) and remove sanding dust with a microfiber cloth or tack cloth like {this}. Then it’s time for paint! Just like with the primer, start by rolling the paint on the back and edges of the vanity doors and drawers. Once they’re thoroughly dry, flip them over and use the combination of a paint brush and roller on the front just like you did with the primer. The key to getting an ultra smooth finish is to use the right paint, brush, and roller for the job.
For paint, I used Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel in Semi-gloss which provides the durable surface you want for a bathroom vanity. I chose Alabaster for my paint color which is a white with just a touch of warmth (quick tip: when choosing a white paint color, use a cool white if your vanity top has cool colors in it and a warm white if your vanity top has warm colors). I used the same combination of the Purdy 1.5″ Nylox Glide brush:
with a 1/4″ nap mini roller as I did when priming. The combination of this Purdy paint brush and mini roller results in a beautiful, ultra smooth finish:
Along with painting both sides of your vanity doors and drawers, remember to paint the frame of your bathroom vanity too.
Step 7: Lightly Sand and Repeat
Once you have a coat of paint on the vanity frame and both the front and back of the vanity doors and everything is thoroughly dry, lightly sand all of your painted surfaces and repeat the process with a second coat of paint.
Step 8: Reinstall Your Cabinet Doors & Drawers
After your last coat of paint, give your doors and drawers at a day or two to dry before reinstalling them on your vanity. If you’re adding new hardware, drill the new holes for it before reinstalling your doors and drawers, and then add your new hardware at the end:
Also reinstall any accessories that attach to them. The faux drawer panels under each sink in my daughters’ bathroom have small tilt out trays that hold their toothbrush and toothpaste so those needed to be reattached:
And the large door in the middle that looks like a cabinet is actually attached to a pull out hamper so I had to reattach the newly painted door front to it:
It can take a week or two for paint to 100% cure so treat your vanity with a little extra TLC for the first few weeks, immediately wiping off anything that gets on it. Oh and don’t forget to marvel at what a difference a few hours of DIYing made to your bathroom:
I kept myself on a tight budget for this bathroom makeover so didn’t make any more costly changes like replacing the mirror or lighting but I did make two other inexpensive changes that made a big difference. The first is that I swapped out the dated glass shades on the light above the mirror for {these more streamlined shades}. I was surprised by what a difference it made!
I also painted the bathroom walls – they were previously a light yellow which didn’t work with the colors of the granite vanity top at all. I chose Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Latex paint in Alpaca (Matte finish) which is a very light greige that complements the granite and the floors so much better!
The tools I used for painting the walls are {this 2″ Purdy XL Glide brush} and {this 3/8″ nap Purdy White Dove roller} (which is what I’ve used for every wall I’ve ever painted) on {this Purdy Revolution 9″ Frame}:
And with that, we’re done! Each step in painting our bathroom vanity took under an hour (I could actually coat one side of my cabinet doors in only about 20 minutes) so I’d estimate that the total time I spent working on this project was about 5-6 hours spread out over a week. I hope that including so many details will make this a clear, easy to follow project that you now feel confident tackling!
Thanks as always for stopping by the blog and be sure to share your bathroom vanity transformation photos with me – I’d love to see them!
Looks Wonderful! I so appreciate your step by step tutorials. This is one reason why I follow you. You are an inspiration! Thank you.
That’s so nice to hear! Glad you found it helpful! XO
what color and brand of paint did you use on the cabinets? It looks great.
You can find all the details in step 6! Thanks for your kind words!
Thank you for this very comprehensive guide and all the photos. It is great that you included the time it took to paint the vanity. You make this seem like a do-able project! The results are very nice.
Thank you so much Elle! I’m so glad you found my post helpful!
Simply beautiful and simple. Will save for my main bath paint project in February.
Barbara
Thank you! And good luck with your project!
Beautiful! Timing of this post is amazing. I am starting at my kitchen cabinets with a small budget.
Oh good! Good luck with it!
What a difference! SO much better. Great job!
Thank you Lizzy!
WOWWW! What a huge huge difference this made! I love your changes! Well done, Kris.
I wish I had more energy and stamina – my cabinets need it so badly.
Wanna come to Columbus and let me hire you? ♥♥♥
Bet your girls are so happy!
Ha! I actually do know someone in your area who has a cabinet painting business – check out Jenny at Evolution of Style blog!
Do you know anyone in Cleveland Ohio ?😊
Kris,
You did a wonderful before and after tutorial!!! I love how you explain every step you do. It really helps when you are a rookie at painting furniture. I just love your blog site and look forward to your emails and info on where to buy products. You are soooo good at blogging and your post is soooo informative!!!! Thanks so much Kris,
your blog friend,
jean
Jean your comment made my day – so sweet! Thank you!
I have shades just like your old ones — where did you find the new ones? I really like them and intend to buy them. I’m surprised you didn’t provide a link!
I didn’t have a Source List at the end like I usually done because I bought nothing for this project EXCEPT I forgot about those shades! I found them on Amazon – the exact ones are linked on my Shop page here: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/shop/
Aww bummer I can find the lamp shade from the link you posted. How do you know the size or are they standard? Thanks and can’t wait to try the Purdy roller for my vanity!
Just found the globes by clicking “Shop My House & My Favorite Finds!” Thanks so much for such a fantastic idea. I had already purchased a new fixture to install but now all I have to do is replace the globes!
It made a bigger difference than I expected!!
Kris, this made all the difference in the world! I’ve always been too scared to attempt cabinets but you make it look doable! Thank you for sharing- I may just have to tackle ours!
Thanks Kelley! You can totally do this!!
This is so amazing Kris! What a transformation and a savings! I get so inspired by your projects and fabulous tutorials but then I think I’m biting off more than I can chew! What do the painters tripods look like and are they Purdy as well? You are truly so talented and a fabulous blogger!
I should have included a good pic of those! If you look at the second pic under Step 4 you can spy them – they’re just little plastic triangular pods that you can get at hardware/home improvement stores. I use four under each cabinet door. I really appreciate your sweet words!
Love your blog and all your fab ideas… I also swaped lighting shades, painted my mirror & walls – what a difference !
Thanks for your inspirations and awesome ideas !!
Thank you Catherine!!
Thanks so much , Kris. I really should write oftener to tell you how much I appreciate your blog and your many talents. The painting tutorial was fantastic!
I appreciate that so much Judy – thank you!!
Thank you! I think I’m ready to tackle my bathrooms!
I’m so glad this post gave you the confidence to do it! Good luck – you’ve got this!
Kris, you did a wonderful job, her bathroom looks so fresh and updated. Isn’t it wonderful what some paint can little changes can do? Purdue brushes are the only brushes I use. I have a whole collection and they are the best for all my painting projects.
Thank you! I too am always surprised by what a huge difference a little bit of paint can make!
What a huge improvement. You always do such a thorough job. Whoever buys your Connecticut house is going to be thrilled with all of the upgrades.
xo,
Karen
Thank you Karen!!
Seriously awesome step by step guide- thank you! I have been wanting to do this for my mom ‘s bathroom for awhile but was overwhelmed- now I am motivated!
Thanks Lizzie – I’m so glad you found it helpful!
The bathroom is beautiful. What a difference painting makes. Where did you het the replacement light fixture glass? I didnt know they were available. Very fun.
Thanks Carol! I got them on Amazon – the exact ones are linked on my Shop page here: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/shop/
I love how you have left, it is beautiful and, with your tutorial, it seems easy, good job!
Thank you so much!
Looks great, and a heads up when I did all my cabinets I used a flock roller. It’s so much better than the nap rollers. If you ever do anymore I’d look into it. The finish result is so much better
Thanks Lisa! I’ve used that type of roller before and love the smooth finish but always got tiny bubbles when using foam rollers so found this one works better for me!
Nice, easy tutorial. Thank you.
Thanks – I’m glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for the painting tips … you’ve covered all the things I’ve been “wondering” about!!
I’m so glad – thanks Jean!
So very helpful Kris! I love your “how to” blogs because you are so detailed. Makes it easier to duplicate. The space turned out great!
Thank you Fran – I always like as many details as possible when doing projects so try to include whatever I can! So glad you find it helpful!
Paint has always been my favorite budget friendly redecorating tool. I totally agree on using quality paint, brushes and rollers. You tutorial is to the point and easy to understand. The vanity, walls and light fixtures look great!
Thank you so much!
This tutorial will really come in handy, as I’ve been procrastinating my own bathroom vanity. Can you tell us where you found that great hardware
I’m glad you found it helpful! I bought the hardware from Anthropologie over a year ago when it was being clearanced out so unfortunately it’s no longer available 🙁
The new bathroom looks amazing! You have inspired me to try something similar with our tired, old outdated bathroom. I love the new hardware, are the pulls available online?
They were from Anthropologie but unfortunately are no longer available!
Kris it really looks great, but my question is why you didn’t opt for chalk paint? I’ve used it many times and when you do, you don’t have the prep work of sanding, etc. I looked at your finish product and wondered if you plan on putting a frame (easy to make) around your mirror to give it a custom look.
Hi Liz! I’ve used chalk paint on several furniture pieces and it’s worked great but in doing some research on using it when it’s going to be exposed to water and a lot of use and abuse, some people have said it didn’t hold up very well. So I decided to go the tried and true route – takes a little longer but I know if will work in the long run! And as far as the mirror frame, I thought of doing it but the sinks are so close to the edges of the vanity that it would take away from some of the above the sink mirror space that my girls use so I’ll likely leave it as-is.
This has truly inspired me to redo my girls’ bathroom starting now! One question, how much paint did you need to do the vanity?
I was able to get mine done using just a quart of paint!
Shows how small projects can have a huge impact! Love it!
Great tutorial… It gave me the confidence I needed and followed everything step by step. I wished I knew that it would only take less than 2 quarts to complete FOUR vanities! Would’ve saved a lot of money.
Also I don’t think the roller was necessary. It seemed to put too much paint on. The one and a half inch brush was perfect and left a better finish! Thanks for all the other tips!
Thank you for such great details! It looks beautiful.
How much paint did you use for this project?
Hi, Love your tutorial. It looks great. Can you share with me where you got your cabinet knobs from, I LOVE them!
Love the way the vanity came out! Thanks for all of your details snd helpful tips. Beautiful home! ?
Hi. Did you not use a poly on top the the coats of paint?
Where are the knobs from? They are so cute!
I am redoing my bathroom, and wash room would love any input that you have to help me.Can you use chalk paint to paint old cabinets in your wash room. I am trying to give it that rustic look.
The bathroom looks great! Where did you get the hardware?
It’s from Anthropologie but I got it several months back – I don’t think it’s available any more unfortunately!
Thank you so much for this tutorial, it’s so helpful! We just bought a new house and have some vanities for paint. When do you recommend to use chalk paint versus regular latex paint? Do both hold up equally well in high humidity? I need something super durable because I have two young boys. Thank you!
I love chalk paint for certain things but wouldn’t recommend it for a bathroom vanity – it doesn’t hold up to the humidity as well.
Thank you for the thorough instructions! I painting by bathroom vanity on Sunday! I went to put the doors on today and just touching the paint with my finger nail brought it up leaving a wood colored nick! Any ideas?
Depending on what paint you used, the time to full cure can be a few days or even a few weeks so I would take extra care with them for several days. But if you prepped and primed well it shouldn’t do that – mine still look like new after months of abuse from my kids!
Kris, what a difference the paint made. It truly looks like a new bathroom. Even the floor looks better up against the white vanity.
One thought: the screws holding the hardware are too long. Afraid your daughter may catch a finger reaching in the drawers.
You have a good eye and are so right! I couldn’t find the tool I use to cut off stems from knobs at the time of my post but rest assured, they were shortened not too long after 🙂
have you considered painting or using contact paper on your countertop. Or painting your floor tiles? Would make a big difference and would be a great post!
Where did you get your vanity top? I really like your colors and I would like to try and do it in my master bathroom.
What grit sandpaper did you use on the primer?
How much paint did you need to cover the a cabinet that size? Will one quart be sufficient or should i get a gallon?
Thank you for sharing this! Your instructions were so helpful during our bathroom remodel!
It’s amazing what a little paint can do! I just finished doing this exact update in both our master bath and our kids’ bath. They look like totally different rooms now. We changed out everything from faucets to lighting to hardware to paint colors and linens. I used your guest bath and master bath photos for a ton of my inspiration! Love your blog and your insta feed!
Eager to get more ideas. Superb
Thanks for the details! Very helpful. You mention painters tripods, but I didn’t notice those in the pictures. Can you share what they look like and how they were used? Thanks!
Brilliant tutorial, exactly what I needed
Yay!! So glad I saw your post! We are right now doing upgrade to our “Tuscan/Med” master bathroom. We have the same cherry like cabinets but dual, both with tall/wall cabinets on each side. We have the bossy granite and all travertine floors/showers/walls. I picked Alabaster for the walls and cabinets and trim and making the travertine the color in the room with the bossy granite. I am taking your advice and can’t wait to start!! This made my day today!!
This is SO HELPFUL KRIS! I’ve been gathering my supplies and getting ready to do my bathroom cabinets. Question for you – which liquid deglosser and sanding sponge do you use / recommend?
Lovely!!! Could you please link your new knobs? I love them!!
This such a wonderful improvement! I have a similar wooden vanity that I am looking to renovate and this inspired me. Awesome to see how you got the girls involved in the project as well!
This is so helpful! Also- where are the sheets/quit/bed cover from on the day bed in your bonus room?! I’ve been looking for something like that!
Thank you
I did not see that you caulked the outside front of the doors where the molding meets the flat part of the door. Yet the finish product has no gaps. I’ve watched a number of videos where they spray paint the doors and caulking was necessary. Is it just a difference between the thickness of the paint layers?
This looks amazing! I’m going to try this same look in my bathroom. How much paint did you use for your cabinets? Would a quart be enough? Thanks!
Thank you. You gave me a push to go ahead and take on the project. I will hope mine is as nice as yours.
LOVE it!! Exactly what I needed guidance on for my bathroom re-vamps, so thank you! You should check out trimming your mirrors with cheap trim. Lots of ideas out there and can apply with hot glue or silicone caulk so they are removable! On my project list 🙂
How do you paint laminate bathroom doors
I have the same exact marble top on my handmade vanity (made by previous owners)! I don’t LOVE it and it makes my extremely pink/brown bathroom more drab. I will be painting the vanity black and getting a white marble countertop vinyl stick & peel for my new black/white themed bathroom. Hopefully I can paint it as smoothly and aesthetically pleasing as you got yours!
Wow. That came out beautiful. Thank you for all the tips and especially about using correct brushes and rollers. I bet your daughter loves her new bathroom. Did you make the tilt out under sink drawers or was the vanity already built that way? Such a cool utilization of normally unused space.
Iris
Thank you! The vanity was actually already built that way – it really is a great feature that I’ve never had in a vanity before!
Hi. It looks beautiful!
If my bathroom cabinets are already white (but I want to freshen them up with a brighter white, do I still need to sand and prime all that ? Can I just roll on some fresh white paint?
Yes unfortunately you’d want to still sand and prime or the new paint might not adhere to the existing paint.
Amazing Kris! You have inspired me to tackle my laundry room. My cabinets are painted light blue, and I’d like to paint them white. Would the process be the same?
So glad you got some inspiration from this post! Yes, you’d follow the same steps for your laundry room – good luck!
Thank you so much for this detailed post! I’m using all the supplies you’ve recommended to paint my vanity but was wondering if I need to wash the paint brush in any special way once I am finished with the primer before I paint with the emerald paint?
Thank you!
Hi Brigid – assuming you use a water-based primer like either of the two I recommended, just rinse your brush with water really well to get all of the primer off before using it to paint with.
I have a honey oak vanity. The finish has quite a bit of texture. I have been told that the texture will always show. Will I be able to have a smooth paint job on it or will the texture still show?
If you’re able to sand them until they’re smooth then it will be smooth after painting but if you’re starting with a textured surface, the texture will show through the paint.
Your cabinets look great. Nice job. I have done our main bath cabinets and am now in the process of doing the master bath cabinets. I have to say, great minds think alike because all of the steps you outlined are exactly what I did and it came out beautiful. My wife even thought so! We changed out hardware and will be changing light fixtures too. It’s amazing what a couple hundred dollars will do for a bathroom makeover. I also built a frame around the main bath mirror and painted it the same color as the cabinets. Awesome look. Thanks for the info here.
Looks great and thank you for your thoughtful approach to describing the steps you did. Very easy to follow, I just finished my vanity thanks to you. Another nice update on a budget is a frame around mirrors like yours. I’m sure some can diy it, but we bought some from mirror mate and they look great and really make the space look nice.
Help! Almost completed the project…exactly as described, using the same products. Was drilling holes for new pulls on last (only) drawer and the paint peeled off the entire drawer front-trying to attach pic but can’t . What did I do wrong??
Lisa did you use a bonding primer like I mentioned or just a general paint primer? If you used a bonding primer, sanded, and allowed for adequate dry time between coats, you shouldn’t have that issue.
How long do you let the cabinet door to dry before you paint the other side?
Thanks
It depends on the exact paint you use and the temperature/humidity but I let mine dry overnight (you might want to wait 24 hours in a humid environment) before flipping them to paint the other side.
I painted my bathroom vanity when we moved into our new home and it made a world of difference! Love the light shade swap-out…such a huge improvement. Thanks for sharing.