Thread: Teak Vanity

FWIW, I suggest a solid teak top and teak veneered water resistant particle board or MDF for the back, sides, and base.
The drawers (if fitted) could be solid teak fronts with your choice of internals.
Similarly, any doors could be solid teak rails and styles and teak veneered panels.


You do have the ability and skill to make and apply shop sawn veneers?

thanks Ian
I haven't done veneers and wouldn't like to learn for this project as it is not for myself . I am ok with the exposed sides and faces in solid teak as there is no much volume in those, however i would like to save a bit on the structure of the vanity, which i would like to be pretty strong (this is why i was thinking of solid wood).
The drawers sides will be premanufactured Blum. Drawer backs and bottoms: i might use this:
White Melamine MDF Satin (High Moisture Resistant) | Plyco
cheers
Leo

New guinea rosewood is pretty similar to teak when finished.

You could make a melamine or similar suitable bathroom black laminate sub carass that makes up the structure then put a teak top and side panels. Will be more than strong enough and help reduce cost. The entire cabinet doesn't have to be solid. Just an idea.

We finally finished renovating our pocket handkerchief bathroom.
The vanity we installed was a commercial one - not shown in any photos here.

However, the choice of bath size led to 220 mm gap between the wall and the end of the bath where I had a planned to locate a narrow built in cupboard.
However I figured if I did that it would be very hard to get at the space between the bath and the wall so decided to build the cupboard above that gap.

The cupboard is made of 12mm marine ply just screwed together with SS screws.
The narrow side up against the wall is braced.
Even with the tiled shelve tops it's not that heavy and just sits on top of the bath edge on a HDPE edge/cleat screwed to the undersize of the cupboard edge
Bathendcup.JPG

For the gap I made a stainless steel mesh basket on wheels like this, we use it for toilet paper storage.
Its just 5 piece of mesh bolted together with 3mm SS wire rope U-bolts.
basket1.JPG

Yes the tiles are challenging but I like them partly because they were called "Arlecchnio Trentino".
Arlecchino is a Venetian Character from the Italian "commedia dell'arte, My mum is Venetian.
Tentino is the province in Italy where my dad comes from - so it had to be.

Actually SWMBO chose the tiles before we knew about the name.

BobL that's beautiful. Simple but great ideas there.

My friend saw the bill for teak and decided against it. The vanity is still going to be in wood but I will have to epoxy seal it and apply a marine varnish, new questions for you guys:
- would it be ok to use a wood with reasonable durability (say blackbutt, any other suggestions?)
- has anyone applied this type of finish? looking for references regarding the effect that would have in the wood grain and colour
thanks
Leo

Our previous vanity was (made by my brother 25years ago).from just pine and it was finished with two coats of ordinary poly.
Every time I used the basic I would drown the top with water so given that I reckon it has stood up pretty well.

I would like to have kept it, but SWMBO said she was sick of mopping up my mess and wanted a new vanity that had a larger basin, all drawers, and more in keeping with the new look of the bathroom

Vanity.JPG

I'm making 2 bathroom basin/bowls at the moment out of timber and resin. One out of Aus Red Cedar with Turqoise resin, the other Budgeroo with Antique Copper resin, both inside size diameter 400 x 160mm deep and 25mm thick walls. Both will be finished with Rustins Plastic Finish as it is waterproof, heatproof, food safe (not that anyone is going to eat out of it) and can be finished as satin or high gloss.