apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hi Opoponax,
We had exactly the same vanity in our apartment. Initially I changed the pulls on it and that helped, but like you I coveted a pedestal sink. Really nice ones are only about $90 for the sink and the base at Home Depot. It looks like you could use your current faucet so you wouldn't have to buy a new one of those. The only other costs would be getting the sink home from HD and paying your super to rip out the vanity and put in the new sink (mine charged $60).

Any chance your landlord would spring for $160 for a significant improvement? If not, add up how much new pulls cost and how much you might pay for painting/refinishing. It might not be that much more to get the pedestal sink. Also, if this is some place you think you'll stay for a while, it might be worth it.

When I first saw the pic, I thought: PEDESTAL SINK! But then I read that you're in a rental so you are limited to what you can do.
New pulls, for sure.
Is the whole thing beige or is it white? I agree with Maxwell that a sparkling white would be best.
AND I would put away the toothpaste tube and such, keep the sink sparkling clean and add a small vase of flowers.
Also--- nice white towels!

It's possible to paint formica -- it requires making a tooth, priming, and using oil-based paint -- so you could potentially repaint the formica to blend with the tiles. Another alternative is to do a gathered fabric skirt that covers the entire vanity base, with a slit in the center so you can open the doors.

Am I the only person that feels like the standard pedastal sink is getting a little played out? Granted, that are some neat variations, but I'm still feeling a little "blah" about it.

Op, maybe get some new cabinet fronts with frosted glass? That's the best I can come up with and it unfortunately still leaves you with a sink that's shaped like a shell :)

I have had lasting success painting Formica after priming it with KILZ and then using latex paint.

w00t! finally, some input.

first, the name. The Opoponax is a novel by Monique Wittig. In it, a young girl invents a monster she names the Opoponax as a mouthpiece to say in writing all the outrageous things she wishes she could say in life. When i first came to this site, that was very much the way i felt about my ability to comment here -- i was going to cut through the polite "oh, what a lovely wildcat that is on your nursery walls" B.S. and call things as i saw them. i still do feel that way, though as i've gotten more attached to the community here i've tried to see things from all sides more and temper my opinions a little.

Opoponax is also an aromatic plant, the resin of which is used similarly to Myrrh. it's a pretty rare scent these days, i think, and i have to say i've never knowingly come across it.

now onto the bathroom!

i had no idea pedestal sinks could be had so cheaply! it might be something to look into, after all. as for whether pedestal sinks have had their day or not, the reason i've wanted one of those is because it will work well in the space -- i already have plenty of storage, and the tilework and other fixtures are original to the space, from the 40's. the rest of the apartment is not particularly trendy or uber-modern, and my style is pretty eclectic. i'm much more interested in the needs of the space and highlighting what my apartment already has going for it rather than gutting everything and putting in the latest.

new cabinet fronts might not be a terrible option either, though i'm not sure how that will work with the drawers, which can't be simply detached at the hinges as the door can. it seems like i'd have to bring in a professional for that, and if i'm going down that road i'd much rather put in a pedestal sink.

the bad thing about this sink setup is that the basin part on top is this pinky beige color, whereas the vanity is stark white. there are no additional beige accents in the space, and my plans don't incorporate it. i am not a beige fan. stark white would definitely be my first choice.

my cheapo DIY ideas were to possibly cover the formica with adhesive brushed aluminum (janovic plaza carries it), or simply to paint it in an enamel or extreme high gloss finish. it's that nasty formica texture i hate the most. i like wende's curtain idea, too, though.

as to the clutter around the sink, there isn't too much i can do about it. my roommate is one of those people who likes the stuff he needs every day to be visible, especially in terms of kitchen, bath, and landing strip. this seems to be pretty non-negotiable with him. he would also freak if i put flowers in there -- way to girly. bamboo or wheatgrass might be an option, though. i do plan on replacing the toothbrush mug with something nicer after i paint and replace the shower curtain and mat and can better figure out what works in the space.

i think i'll probably source pedestal sinks and look into how that sits with my landlady, and if it still ends up being expensive or unfeasible, i will probably just change out the pulls and either curtain over it or paint.

I've been thinking about redoing my bathroom sink as well and wondered about painting the formica. Good to know that it can be done with primer and latex. The one thing I thought would make a huge improvement and you might want to consider this for your sink Opoponax - remove the top, install a new top of granite, marble or an inexpensive facimile and put a large bowl in to replace to actual sink. I have a huge bowl that I've had forever and always planned on putting a hole in the bottom and using as a sink. The cost would be minimal since the only thing I'd have to buy is the counter. Does that make sense?

Pedestal Sink?! NOOOO. I bought a house with one in it. I thought I was so lucky because it is so pretty. BUT. There isn't anywhere to set anything larger than a toothbrush. I was reduced to putting a stool next to the sink to hold a small costmetic bag and some lotions. Guests who come to visit comment on the lack of space to set anything on. I covet a vanity and yours looks spacious to me. Too bad I live in Alaska and we can't trade!

The drawer fronts can be done.
If they are screwed on from behind as faces to the actual drawer boxes then you can replace them easily.

If the faces are infact part of the drawer box then, if you can remove the faces, cut wood to fit the front inside the sides, screw or glue in and then buy a new face piece to be screwed on from behind. Or simply glue the new face piece onto the drawer box.

Don't you think a nice espresso wood finish would go well with the pinky beige sink? Paint the sides dark brown and coupled with stainless steel bar pulls you can't go wrong ;)
Actually I am serious about the dark wood. I think it would match the sink.

we actually have more storage than we need in the bathroom right now - the mirror slides open to reveal a huge built-in medicine cabinet, and there's also a large etagere type thing just out of camera range. we barely use the vanity for storage at all. as for toothbrushes and such, if i got a pedestal sink i'd probably install something on the wall -- either a small shelf or a specially designed bathroom fixture.

thanks, jamiepup! that's actually secretly what i wanted, and figured it wouldn't be possible without professional help! since i'm going to be painting the walls a deep red, there'll ultimately be a lot less stark white in the room, so better to find something that matches the sink, right?

also, if i can get cabinet fronts cheaply (ikea, say), the notion of cabinetry that isn't 'classic' doesn't really faze me. though i'll probably go for something that isn't ultra-contemporary or minimalist, since the rest of the fixtures are WW2 era. i'd probably go with espresso wood and some shiny metal pulls that aren't brushed-texture.

Just to clarify-I've only painted cabinets and countertops with primer and latex paint. I don't think that it would work well for a sink.

The new ash Askome cabs from IKEA are stainable and paintable. And there is a new Nexus dark (brown black) that might work for you. And IKEA sells cover panels that match their cabs that you could even glue over your existing faces (with good glue, clamps etc).

If you go to IKEA/Kitchen system/Decorative finishes you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.

regards,
trillium

Arin, if you are referring to my post - I meant the base cabinet and not the sink. I want to use the large bowl for a sink. I could paint the cabinet and then put in a new door as referred to by JP. These posts have got me revved up on the idea. It will probably be my next project.

Opo--- I wasn't aware that there was a roommate involved here. Figures that it wouldn't be you leaving the Crest out in the open.

Is it possible that your roommate could bend a little--- say, an attractive basket which would make his items available and yet make them neater?

Just a thought.

Another idea on where to get the pedestal sink...

I am doing the exact same thing with my bathroom right now (ditching the fat 1960's box sink and replacing it with a pedestal). Check Craigslist. Plenty of people in my area are getting new sinks and know they can get some cash by selling their old pedestal sink. You can get them for even cheaper than Home Depot since they are used.

well, just got back from home despot, where i checked out the pedestal sink selection whilst also running a different errand. they are SOOO not like $90. the cheapest one, which i wasn't in love with or anything, went for somewhere in the neighborhood of $200. add to that paying someone to install it AND the potential headache of running this by my landlady, and i really don't think it's an option. but i'm liking the idea of replacing the cabinet fronts more and more.

as for the issue of getting roomie to bend, honestly, i just don't see why he should have to. the visible toothpaste is not hurting me -- i'm just not that OCD about this stuff.

Opponax,

Does the tile on the wall continue behind the vanity cabinet? Before you seriously consider removing the cabinet, please make sure that tile is behind it and verify that it's in good shape. Or be prepared to come up with a tile design to fill things in. I'm a designer for a tile showroom, and five or six times a day, I get distraught customers who rush in trying to match an obsolete tile from the 1950's or earlier because they thought a pedestal sink would be swell...but they didn't check behind their cabinetry to see what was on the wall. You might have tile back there, but you might have plaster or drywall. Also, "standard" wall tile thicknesses and sizes have changed, as have colors, so don't plan on being able to find a match that will result in a seamless repair if you need to fill in the untiled area that may be revealed when a pedestal sink is installed.

Opoponax,
I had the same problem. I took off all the doors and left the cabinet frame then added baskets to the frame to place my bathroom goods in. I painted the frame and replaced the sink top and placed a metal kitchen sink in there, with cheapo Ikea cute faucet fixtures. It didn't touch my wall so I was good.

took another look at the logistical stuff:

the tile behind the vanity is completely intact, except for some minor imperfections where i believe the original sink was attached to the wall. however, after pricing pedestal sinks, it's unlikely that i'll go there unless i buy the place. which is possible, but not for years and years.

it looks like the drawer fronts are attached with both screws and some kind of glue. not sure how much of a problem this will be if i decide to replace the door and drawer fronts, which is the direction i'm leaning in at the moment depending on prices.

if i can't do new drawer fronts, i think i'll probably just paint it, more to change the texture than color, as i can't think what color would be best.

OPP- maybe we got ours at Lowes? Or did you go to the Home Depot in the city, which stocks less merchandise? In any case there were at least 4 models under $100 there when we bought ours, which was less than 3 months ago. Check out this link: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&Ntt=Pedestal%20sink&Ntk=i_products&Ns=p_product_price|0&N=0
whoops, should have used tinyurl. Anyway, you can see our sink in the house tour slide show.

And we also have the problem of no place to put things on the pedestal sink, but what this has translated into is that a certain husband-style presence has to put away the shaving paraphenalia and morning coffee cup rather than just leaving them out. Cost of pedestal sink: $90. No clutter around the sink: priceless.

this was the Bed-Stuy home depot, which is a nice 15 minute walk from my place. it's smaller than most, but definitely not of the Manhattan luxe ilk. they only seemed to stock kohler models, though, so that might explain it.

is there a lowe's in the city, other than the staten island location? because hauling a huge chunk of ceramic from staten island to brooklyn might be a deal breaker for me.

I agree with Joanie on the pedestal sink...my vote is no. It's impossible to get ready in the morning because there is absolutely no counter space...I end up using a shelf in my linen closet as a counter, with a mirror mounted on the door. Also, it's hard to find a decent liquid soap dispenser that will fit on the pedestal sink - one that doesn't fall in when you turn the handle to shut off the water. Both Home Depot and IKEA have some decent small sink consoles for $200-$300. Good luck!

It really depends on how much you can afford, and how much of your own dough you're willing to spend on permanent fixtures for a rented space. If you are willing and able to spend the cash, go nuts!

Personally, I'm the sort who, if I can't afford to do something EXACTLY the way I want (usually the case), then I do the cheapest, quickest cover up. I'm also a big fan of trying to work with what I've got, rather than doing away with something functional just because it's ugly.

I'd look for a cheerful, era-inspired fabric, stitch up a skirt (nothing too flouncy, just enough to cover the damn thing). Maybe get some fun accessories to display all your roommate's jars of brilliantine and various unguents.

Good luck, I hope you post your solution.

the 'counter' area on this baby, as it stands, is about 4 inches, maybe 6 at the corners if measured diagonally.

i'm an incredibly low-maintenance woman. seriously, i don't own so much as a tube of mascara. the mirror mounted on the wall directly in front of the sink is plenty good for me. i keep all my toiletries (which amount to lotion, deodorant, and a couple other things i use all of twice a year) on the etagere which is directly opposite the sink, and they generally get pulled down and put back for each use. i don't really do a lot of balancing on sides of sink.

my roommate, being a heterosexual male, has pretty much the same routine as me.

hand soap is something to think about, but again i'd probably mount a small shelf for that sort of thing. i certainly wouldn't decide not to get the sink i want because Horror Of Horrors, wherever would i put the hand soap.

kind of creepy that everyone assumes that, as there's a woman in the house, one needs shitloads of storage and staging areas for makeup and girlie products and such. even creepier that, as women, we let our 'beauty needs' limit our comfort and creativity when it comes to our homes.

Putting in a straight curtain all around it is a good idea. You could also remove the door and the handles on everything so the curtain falls flat and it would let you use the shelves more easily.

There is a Lowes on 9th Street by the Gowanus Canal. Right by the Smith/9th train station. If you take the G there, get out and walk over the Canal on your right hand side is the Lowes. It's kind of hidden, but huge.

Also, on our sink we have room for a Method soap dispenser on one side and a cup or something else that size on the other, so it's not too bad.

Hmm, although the curtain suggestion is a very understandable one I'm not sure if it will match the modern aesthetic Opo seems to want.

I would look online for sinks, check out this one:
http://www.homeclick.com/showpage.asp?itemid=99378

Or a ghetto approach could possibly be mounting a towel rack on the front of the vanity and hanging a large towel over the offending formica? Although that still leaves the unsightly sink. . .

In many earlier years as a renter, prior to becoming and OCD coop owner, I was often able to make improvements to rental property, such as replacing a sink/vanity. Landlords-at least individuals, not necessarily faceless managing agents-are often pleased when tenants initiate a change that the l. doesn't have to pay for and will get to keep after you leave. Esp. if you show a pic and promise to have a licensed plumber install it. The 'no changes' clause in the lease protects them against horrors.

like you, opoponax, i don't have all the girly products around...then again, i don't wear makeup, either.

hey, i'm wondering if there's a way to play up or contrast the cheesy pinky beige shell-sink--it's kitsch, what can you do to emphasize it or isolate it?

1. play up kitsch: paint walls gold! put on super campy OR super-modern (mid-centuryish, maybe amoeboid) gold hardware on vanity.

2. contrast kitsch: what's the opposite of the faux-luxe that the shell sink implies? not sure. something tells me a jute/burlap curtain might be nice--you could even get a plastic jute (iron it carefully so it doesn't hang w/wrinkles)--in a color or in white or beige. it would contrast the shell in texture and connotation. anyone sourced plastic jute? i'm talking about the kind of fabric that vegetables are wholesaled in (without the printing). hm.

i dunno, really.

Running with the campiness would call for a shell theme in pearly pastel tones that pick up both the gray of the tiles and the pinky-beige of the sink. Either Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore is pushing this look big as a color trend for 2006. Their palette includes greens and blues for the walls.

This could look pretty cool if you're open to liking that sort of thing in the first place.

Ideally I would say replace the vanity with a pedestal sink. Something to keep in mind should you go this route is that the flooring (tile or lino) may have been installed around the vanity not under it as well.

Alternatively, you could freshen it up with new hardware (as others have said), or have new doors built to replace the old ones. Either way I would definately accessorize with lots of white towels.

The wood on the drawer fronts.
I was afraid of that. Wood glue is so strong that the wood will break apart when you try to separate the pieces.

Best bet, if you are still into refacing, is to invest in a Japanese or Nokogiri saw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_saw
Picture here:
http://tinyurl.com/edfs3
and try to saw off the front face.

Oops, I meant the wood glue on the drawer fronts.

bah. so there's no melting it off with a hairdryer or any other handy obvious trick?

looks like painting it is, then.

why is everyone suggesting white towels? i neither store nor hang towels anywhere in the vicinity of this thing. while obviously it's a small bathroom and there'll be towels in view, i see no difference whether the towels are white or some other color, in terms of camoflaging this particular fixture. and i'm already decidedly not going with the classic white-on-white bathroom. the extent to which i've already done that has actually washed out the tile rather than highlighted it.

Painting the vanity sounds like a pain. How about drawing attention away from it by getting a really cool shower curtain, putting some art on the walls and fun rugs or painting. The more color and pattern you have elsewhere the less you'll notice it.

I wallpapered in my bathroom and put up a new light ($11 at home depot) and a new vanity ($80 home depot) and get tons of compliments on how great it looks. I live in a rental too...
d

i have thoughts/opinions for you to take or leave.

how do you feel about shells or starfish? (glitter optional) perhaps in addition to a hardware change--something silver, vintage--you could glue some starfish and/or shells to the front top and on the sides of the cabinet.

or

change the faucet to something vintage-looking with crystal (faux crystal or real) handles. this one is cheap, but has the look that i'm talking about:
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0601346331.1152283447@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccedaddiffjhgjicgelceffdfgidgmm.0&CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc/searchResults.jsp&MID=9876&N=2984+8992&pos=n08

or

you know that contact paper stuff. don't just lay it on in sheets, cut out a pattern, cut out your intials or make a "border" that can be adhered to the cabinet for a fun design. the pattern or design can even be created on the computer and then transferred--in reverse--onto the back of the contact paper. (contact paper comes in all sorts of colors and patterns. it could be as subtle as a frosted contact paper.) this link shows silver contact paper:
http://housewares.hardwarestore.com/37-188-contact-papers/metal-fx-brushed-nickel-contact-paper-105307.aspx

just some thoughts. have fun :)

how about doing some decoupage? that plus some new handles might do the trick. esp since it is 40's styles you could find some some nice paper or patterns at a nice paper shop.

The thing about a pedistal sink, do you know if that tile goes under that vanity? You might start tearing things apart and find out that oops! I don't have tile to go around the sink. It might be very hard to find someting that will look right with the tile now there.

When doing things like this you need to be really careful you might end up with more work than you hoped for. However again on the plus side, you hate this vanity. If there is no tile now you can get a different vanity and sink.