Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Make it a double sink vanity {A kitchen cabinet hack}

We had a 74” black (painted) double sink vanity with a black granite top and glass bowl vessel sinks.

Over time, because the sinks weren’t sealed properly, they began to leak, and the backer board below the granite disintegrated from water damage.

I tried to repair it, but nothing was working, so I decided to start from scratch and build a double sink vanity from IKEA kitchen cabinets (SEKTION).

IKEA items used:
  • SEKTION white frames, 24” wide, quantity 3
  • KUNGSBACKA doors and drawer fronts (recycled plastic material)
  • MAXIMERA drawers (3 low 14-3/4” depth, 1 high 17-3/4” depth)
  • EKBACKEN countertop, 74”, concrete effect
Double sink vanity IKEA SEKTION Kitchen Cabinets

SEKTION frame + KUNGSBACKA front | IKEA.com

EKBACKEN counter top concrete effect

EKBACKEN counter top concrete effect | IKEA.com

Other components:
  • Kraus vessel faucets and pop-up drains, satin finish (Amazon)
  • Seafulee 16-1/2” round ceramic vessel sinks (Amazon)
  • Various plumbing connectors, etc. (Lowe’s)
  • PVC trim boards (Menards)
  • LED light strip (Amazon)

Double sink vanity IKEA hack

Because kitchen cabinets are too deep for the space, I used a table saw to cut off about 4” from the sides and bottoms. This meant I also had to re-drill new holes for the mounting posts and other hardware. I used cabinet bolts to join the cabinets together tightly.

I had purchased steel CAPITA legs for the cabinets, but I realized that the IKEA cabinets were taller than the old ones and adding the legs would make the sinks uncomfortably high. So instead I created frames of PVC trim moulding and screwed them to the bottoms of the cabinets, set back a couple of inches.

This raised the cabinets 1” above the tile floor, enough to clear rugs that will eventually be in front of the vanity. The PVC is waterproof, so cleaning the floors won’t be a problem. I even added a strip of waterproof LED lights along the bottom, which I can controlled from my phone. At night they come on a dim blue, just enough to see your way around. (The color and brightness, as well as the timing, can be changed at any time.)

Double sink vanity – placing the countertop

The standard 74” EKBACKEN countertop was too deep, too, so I cut off about 5”. I flipped it up 90 degrees to create a backsplash. Some heavy-duty adhesive keeps it secured.

Hole saws cut the necessary holes for the sink drains and faucets. The middle 24” cabinet was quite a bit wider than the previous one, so it just barely fit between the water supply lines, but I lucked out. I secured the sinks to the countertop with silicone adhesive. Some flexible drain connectors under the sinks made everything work.

Double sink vanity IKEA SEKTION Kitchen Cabinets

Having the soft-close drawers and doors is really nice. This double sink vanity feels much more sturdy than the old one, and there is tons more storage. The bottom drawer is tall enough to hold spray bottles and other tall items easily.

I know this isn’t a hugely original hack, but I really love using IKEA kitchen cabinets for bathrooms. I’m getting ready to redo our main bathroom on the first floor of the house and have already built the vanity and a storage cabinet from AKURUM cabinets (it was bought some time ago and just not installed yet).

~ Steve Reubart, Chicago

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