Bathroom reno what color stain for vanity?

10 years ago

Here is my bathroom renovation so far. As you can see, the vanity isn't in yet. Nor is the tile and trim. We plan to only tile the tub surround. The tile is a light beige color. And I plan to paint the walls a lighter color as well.

My question is this; what color would you suggest I stain the vanity? I bought a light beige granite vanity top. Because the floor is dark, I don't want to stain it too dark as I fear that it would make an already small bathroom look even smaller. However, I don't want to paint it white. I was considering a rustic walnut stain because I love the rustic modern or traditional farmhouse decor. Any suggestions? Thank you for any help you can provide. :)

Featured Answer

Susie .

10 years ago

Are you doing the finishing yourself or hiring it out? Make sure you test it on a like wood (I can't tell from the photo what kind of wood that is). I wouldn't go too dark, because you need some contrast between floor color and cabinet. You could always do a more honey color stain and do an antiquing glaze around the edges in a darker color to repeat the tones of the floor.

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Comments (13)

Susie .
10 years ago
This is a similar treatment I used on maple cabinets. Lighting is not great, but the darker glaze settles in the crevices.
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User
10 years ago
That's gonna blotch on you big time if you try to stain. You'd have better luck painting it. Also, it appears to be a kitchen cabinet, not a vanity cabinet. That can impact the code required clearances in your room, so double check your measurements before buying something that isn't returnable. It also means you'll need a custom vanity top rather than one off the shelf.
s c
10 years ago
second what Sophie said. that's a paint grade cabinet with poplar frame and birch panels, you'd be much better off painting it.
Vanessa Burcham
Original Author
10 years ago
I feel completely dumb right now. You're right! It's a sink base for a kitchen not a bathroom. So a 37x22 inch vanity top might not work. UGH.. I'm stressing now. But I'm so glad someone brought that to light. I was at a local flea market where they are sold cheap and thought it would work well for the bathroom. Not even considering that it was for a kitchen and not all vanities are made alike.

What about chalk paint? Would that work? (That is... if the top we bought even fits the darn thing).
emmarene9
10 years ago
Sherwin Williams sees these colors in your tile

Maybe you can use the cabinet in the garage.
User
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Kitchen counters are 25.5" deep. The extra 3" impacts the space in front of the vanity as well, which is part of the required clearances I mentioned. You need a 30" wide clear space for a toilet, and you need 24" clear space in front of your vanity. If your bath is the standard 60" wide, it would be fine for use there, as long as you do a custom top. You will end up with extra space behind the faucet though.

No way would I do something so poor wearing as chalk paint for a hard wearing and challenging environment like a bathroom. You need to properly prime the piece, preferably with a stellar based primer in order to seal in the tannins. Then paint with an water borne enamel top coat.
katinparadise
10 years ago
If you're working at all with a finish carpenter, you may be able to have him remove the corner blocks, take off the back and cut the back down to size. Then replace the back and corner blocks. Standard vanity depth is 21".
Vanessa Burcham
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you. I have plenty of clearance space as the previous vanity was the same width. My biggest issue now is that I bought the dang cabinet (What was I thinking?!) and it can't be returned. SO now I have to modify it to fit the depth of the vanity top. Katinparadise, thanks for the advice. Yes, I think that the best route to take now is to have it cut down to the 21" depth. UGH... I continue to amaze myself with the number of issues I can have with something that should have been simple. But given that the unfinished base cabinet was mixed in with the vanities, I simply didn't measure the depth. Lesson learned. Thanks for all of the help.
katinparadise
10 years ago
At least it's not something that can't be remedied. By the way, you could take advantage of those top drawers by installing tilt out trays to hold toothbrushes and toothpaste if you have enough clearance from the drawer to where the sink will sit in your vanity. Normally they're used in the kitchen but why not take advantage of the dead space. I hope you'll post pictures when it's all finished!
Heather Macdonald
10 years ago
Anytime you stain ,use a minwax prefinish, it evens out the stain. It looks like water, you apply with a brush, wait 20 minutes , then apply a thin layer of stain with a rag. Buy 3 different stains, small cans and after first coat is dry , a very light sanding, while and apply another thin stain. Keep repeating until you get the colour you want.
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
10 years ago
Listen to Sophie, she's a wealth of knowledge.
Paige Sessions
10 years ago
Hi Vanessa - yes you could chalk paint the cabinet. Just be sure to wax well and you may need to rewax periodically (yearly?) due to use and wear. Remember wax takes approx. 21 days to fully cure and harden.