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Eco Friendly Bathroom Vanities

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You’ve probably heard a lot about eco friendly bathroom vanities? And you might be considering one yourself, but maybe you don’t know where to start? The first and perhaps most important question to ask yourself is, what defines an eco friendly bathroom vanity in the first place?

Think re-used and renewable materials

Shop co-op building supply’s and thrift stores.  You may be able to refashion or recreate an existing piece of furniture into the perfect vanity for your space.  Old dressers and workbenches make fabulous bathroom vanities! Or maybe make one yourself out of reclaimed wood. Re-used materials are eco friendly for the obvious reason that you are using something that otherwise would end up in a landfill.

If you can’t find something used or have a different design idea in mind, no worries.  There are tons of renewable materials available. Think bamboo, or other sustainable materials for the base.  Consider recycled concrete, paper or glass for the top. One popular style is a bamboo cabinet on the bottom and recycled glass countertop for the vanity top. This is a great pairing and usually gives off a very modern or contemporary feel.

eco friendly bathroom vanities

Finding an eco friendly vanity among others

Unfortunately there is a bit of work involved with locating eco friendly vanities for your bathroom as they are not stocked on the shelf in the big home improvement warehouses. More often than not, you’ll find these types of vanity’s by doing a bit of shopping around.

This being said, it’s also worth doing a bit of browsing around online to ensure that you are viewing as many choices in the bathroom vanity realm as possible.

Another approach is to search for eco friendly furniture stores online or locally. In either instance, you will likely find that eco friendly bathroom vanities may cost a bit more, but are worth it in the end regardless.

Tile Over Bathroom Vanity

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Quick and Easy Project Idea: Tile over a bathroom vanity top!

If you have an old or beat up laminate vanity top, you can tile over it in an afternoon just by using one of the new tile setting mats. With Bondera or SimpleMat you can change the look of your vanity in just six simple steps:

1) Measure your area and purchase the tile.

2) Clean the old countertop, remove sinks and faucets.

3) Lay out the mat and set it on the surface of the vanity.

4) Set the tile in the mat and apply pressure to secure the bond.

5) Grout your work area.

6) Replace sinks and re-attach faucets.

Tile over a bathroom vanity top

As you can see tiling over an existing laminate vanity top is a lot easier than it used to be!  With a little elbow grease you can give your bathroom an updated look without breaking the bank!

How To Choose A New Bathroom Vanity

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So how do you choose a new bathroom vanity? There are so many products out there it is difficult to know what to get and where to start.  Choosing a new bathroom vanity is definitely one of those products.  Whether you’re remodeling your entire bathroom or just replacing your vanity there are a few things you should know before you get started.

1) What size do I need for a new bathroom vanity? You will need to measure your existing vanity or if the old one is already gone, the space you have available for a new vanity.  This is the #1 mistake made during any vanity remodel.  Before you start your search you need to know what size parameters you have to stay in.  Otherwise the new vanity you painstakingly chose may not fit in your space and you’ll be back to square one.

New Bathroom Vanity

2) Where is the bathroom plumbing and how many sinks do you have? Because if you do not have a plumber at your disposal, you’ll need to know exactly where the plumbing is.  If you have a vanity that the sink is exactly in the middle and the new one, has the sink to the left or right side or is a double vanity with 2 sinks. Then you are going to have to spend more money to hire a plumber to make it work or have a sink that is not plumbed for water because adding an additional sink is not something most of can do on our own.

3) Now that you know what size you are looking for and where the plumbing needs to be, it’s time to choose your new bathroom vanity. A bathroom vanity can come either together as a set with the counter top and the cabinet or you can buy them separate.   It just depends on what style  and materials you are looking for.  Also, if you have a custom size you may need to have each piece made custom for you. If you’re looking for the best deal out there that would most likely come in a set. Usually you don’t have as many options when it comes to sets. So if you are looking for something specific in style, color, or size you will probably need to buy the counter top separate from the base cabinet.

What about style and color then? I didn’t mention style and color because most of us know what type of a style we lean towards.  Are you more traditional?  Then try for something with more details and more ornate.  Are you into modern?  Consider looking for something with simple clean lines.  If your not sure, then start looking and just see what catches your eye!  Also remember that shopping online is a great way to see what types of vanities and tops are out there.  Also, be sure to factor shipping into your budget!