We're Cabbin' It

This is what happens when you get stuck at home without a car…I got bored so I decided to update the look in our bathroom. It is not a big space to begin with and I have always wanted a new vanity but have been too afraid to buy a new one to replace the old one. Maybe someday I will get the guts to put in a new one…

Until we can replace it I figured if I just paint the vanity cabinet white maybe the space would appear bigger and feel cleaner. What do you think?!

Doesn't it make the whole space look brighter - one way to help us wake up in the morning...

Tools Required:

Random Orbital Sander – sanding by hand would also work perfectly but I am impatient

Primer – oil based

Paint – We used Behr paint and primer in one to get more cover

Screwdriver – First thing to do is remove the doors and all old hinges and hardware

Tips:

1.       Using a random orbital sander (electric sander)

a.       Make sure that you get the proper grit of sandpaper. The larger the grit (number) the finer it sands. For example, you should use 60 grit to remove paint and/or other thinks you hope to remove from the surface, where 120 grit is fine sandpaper that will help smooth out the surface. For this project I started with 60 grit and finished with 120 grit.
b. Use light and even pressure when sanding - if you are not careful you could end up with divots in your surface

2.       Updating hinges

a.       Find similar hinge styles to those that were previously there. We got rid of the brass looking hinges and opted for a lighter brushed nickel finish. They looked the same just a different color.

3.       Drill the holes for the hardware before you paint. I did not and I kinda messed up the top coat of paint where I drilled the new hole for the new knobs. It wasn’t totally noticeable since the new knobs cover, but it could have been seen if I wasn’t careful. I think if I would have put painters tape over the hole it would have protected better.

4. Oil based primer DOES NOT come off easily from your hands or your paint brushes and pretty much anything else it adheres to. After some googling I figured out you need mineral spirits to remove oil based primer from skin and brushes. It apparently smells really bad - I didn't want to deal with atrocious smell so I just threw out the brush when I was done and left the primer on my hands until it eventually washed off like a week later. People at my office asked me what was on my legs...awesome.