Learn the tips and tricks for painting a bathroom vanity that will last! This inexpensive yet professional-looking project saved our builder-grade vanity with a fresh coat of paint!
Painting this oak bathroom cabinet has been on our to-do list for years! We are so close to finishing up this bathroom renovation, that I almost can’t stand it!
So this is what we started with:
It’s not in great shape and the missing front piece has never been there since we moved in.
The awesome power of paint in a makeover never ceases to amaze and, frankly, I love that it is a huge budget saver. I have painted several furniture pieces over the years and am ready to tackle a little different job.
With only a quart of paint, the right tools, and a little knowledge, I made this into to a more modern guest bathroom!
Looking for some paint color inspiration for your project? I have scoured the internet to find specific examples and real-life paint examples in our post on Colorful Furniture Makeovers, 20 Sage Green Cabinet Paints, and the Best Blue Cabinet Paint Colors.
While it might seem like an intimidating project, with the right tools and some good advice, it’s perfect for a beginner DIY project. If this is a project you’ve considered tackling, this post will give you the step by step how-to to get it done! Let’s go…
Best Paint for Refinishing Bathroom Cabinet Doors
My best suggestion for a high-quality paint to use for painting your bathroom cabinets would be to use an enamel or acrylic type of paint. Do not use wall or latex paint to paint furniture!
I prefer Fusion Mineral Paint (which is an acrylic emulsion-based paint) for it’s waterproof matte finish that is HIGHLY durable. That is what I used for this bathroom makeover. I also really liked the color.
You Can Buy Fusion Mineral Paint Here.
I have tested many paints over the years, though, and have collected a giant list of the best paints for furniture to help you find the right one for your project!
Recommended Paint Project Supplies
- TSP Cleaner – A good quality degreasing cleaner should be fine too.
- Orbital Palm sander or mouse sander – 120 and 220 (or higher) grits
- Sanding blocks – this is for any areas that need hand sanding like details, edges, or inside corners.
- Painter’s Tape
- Stain-Blocker or Shellac Based Primer. These are only needed for very light or white colors. With Fusion mineral, I don’t need to prime a project unless it’s a tricky surface like laminate furniture.
- Paint Brush – my favorite for a smooth finish is 1.5-inch taklon brushes you can buy at craft stores. I have also used Wooster Angled Brushes and Purdy, which are good quality.
- Microfiber rollers
- Paint – (my favorites) Benjamin Moore Advance, Cabinet Transformations, Fusion Mineral, Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte
- Protective Topcoat – Here is my list of favorite protective topcoats. (optional- more on that later)
Pro Tip: If you use sanding sponges, I recommend getting a slightly lower (more coarse) grit than you would normally use in sandpaper. For example, instead of 220, I would use 180 grit or 80-100 to replace 120. The sanding sponge has a softer backing and seems to need a little more grabbing power than hard back sandpaper to provide the same smoothness. Also, save your sandpaper with these sandpaper cleaners!
Before Starting
The first step when painting a bathroom vanity is to remove the drawers, doors, and any cabinet hardware present so that only the frame is left.
If you are changing out the hardware to a different size, fill any holes in the old hardware.
Next, clean the frames and all doors and drawer fronts with either teaspoon or a household cleaner if the cabinet isn’t too nasty. I try to limit how much chemicals and teaspoon I use these days as it is quite strong and leaves a filmy residue that can be tricky to fully remove.
How To Prep Furniture for Painting
After cleaning, lightly sand the surface. The best bond requires some sanding, so I do not recommend skipping the sanding step. You want your paint to have the best bond for long-lasting results and a perfect finish.
For sanding, you only need to “rough up” the surface. Unless the finish is peeling or breaking down, you do not need to completely remove all previous stain and varnish. I use an orbital sander with 80-120 grit and leave it at that. A 220 can be used for hand sanding any corners.
If you want to get a completely smooth finish on your cabinets and drawer fronts, we have a tutorial for filling in woodgrain on furniture. For dark colors with a matte sheen, I generally don’t find oak texture to be bothersome.
After everything is sanded, vacuum off the dust and wipe all of the surfaces down with a clean microfiber cloth or lint-free rag.
Tips for Painting a Vanity
Yes, the fun part! Here are some tips for the smoothest finish on your cabinets during your bathroom makeover:
- Get the right tools. A few extra dollars will save you a lot of heartache and frustration. I prefer fine taklon brushes like you find at craft stores for the least amount of brush strokes, but Purdy Brushes are also good especially if you have a self-leveling paint.
- Number the doors before you paint them. It just makes things a little easier, particularly if you have a lot of drawers that are the same size. The photo below is from a kitchen I painted.
- Use an orbital sander with 100-120 grit sandpaper for the fastest, no marks removal of finish. You can sand with 220 just before the last coat if you like.
- Use a lint-free roller across all flat surfaces for the smoothest finish. Most paints prefer a low nap microfiber roller, but a few work well with foam rollers.
- Brush/rolling works better with matte paints than high sheen. A paint sprayer will consistently produce no brush marks though.
- Brush detail areas, then roll large flat surfaces before the paint has time to dry. You will get the best results, and this will eliminate brush strokes for a smooth paint finish.
- Paint in the direction of the grain. Painting across grain will look sloppy and show more brush strokes.
- Use a sandpaper cleaner block. Sandpaper is shockingly expensive, and you can usually make the sandpaper last twice as long with these cleaning blocks.
- Save rollers overnight. If you can’t finish a project all the coats in one day, it’s perfectly fine to wrap your rollers tightly in plastic wrap between coats for a day or two.
More furniture transformations!
- How to Eliminate Brush Marks or Strokes
- How to Paint Laminate Furniture
- How to Paint Old Kitchen Cabinets
- How to Paint a Stair Rail that Lasts
- The Best Sage Green Cabinet Paint Colors
With a brush and microfiber roller, I painted 2 coats of paint. And that’s it!
Because I wanted to add hardware to this vanity, I drilled holes in each piece and screwed them in just like any other hardware.
See our full bathroom remodel reveal here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you do not have any of the below problems, I would skip priming:
1. You are using an enamel paint that doesn’t require priming.
2. There is no risk of stains, tannins, oils, or grease coming through the paint. You do need to prime unfinished wood and knots every time.
3. You aren’t painting bright white (I like to use a stain-blocking coat of primer for white).
The color is Midnight Blue from Fusion Mineral Paints. The above pictures are the best reference for what the true color looks like in LOTS of natural light. However, it does appear darker at night or in shadow (it looks almost black). If you like navy blue, check out our post on the best Navy and Blue Cabinet Paint Colors.
I usually don’t paint the inside of the cabinets because it just isn’t worth the effort for me and is prone to scratching from heavy objects. Instead, I have used high quality contact paper or sealed the insides with a very durable clear coat to protect these areas.
Moisture is definitely going to be a factor when deciding what paint to use. As a result, I would use an enamel or acrylic type of paint. Fusion Mineral Paint is an Acrylic emulsion-based paint rather than something like chalk or latex which I would never use in a bathroom.
You can read more about the best paints for furniture here which shows my personal recommendations developed over years of refinishing and living with painted furniture.
No. The biggest misconception I see in painting is the idea that you need to sand between coats. Sanding is required only if your paint is not smooth to your liking and you are looking for a smoother surface. Paint bonds to paint without a problem.
With the paints I use, a topcoat is not usually required except in high traffic areas like kitchen cabinets. If you do choose to add a protective topcoat, read my recommendations on the best topcoats for furniture to help make a decision. Just make sure that it is water-based.
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More Furniture Painting Tutorials
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How To Paint a Bathroom Cabinet
Tools
- Orbital Sander with 120 and maybe 220 grit sandpaper
- Mouse Sander optional – better for corners
- Sanding Blocks
- Paint Tray
- Roller Frame
Supplies
- Degreasing Cleaner or TSP
- Sanding sponges 80-100 grit
- Paint's Tape
- Paint brushes see post for recommendations.
- Lint-free microfiber rollers
- Paint See my favorites to use in Notes
- Protective Top Coat Optional, but recommended.
- Stir sticks
- Something to prop up the doors/drawers for drying I use solo cups.
Instructions
- Sand the surface. Sand enough to remove any sheen or gloss. An orbital sander with 100-120 grit makes the sanding much easier. 120 grit can be used for hand sanding any corners.
- Prepare your paint space. Tape off any edges you don't want painted such as under countertops or walls. For doors and drawer fronts, I allow them to dry on top of solo cups so they don't touch anything. If I left the drawers fronts on the drawers, it is fine to carefully put them in the vanity in open position to dry.
- Paint. See my notes below to decide if you need to prime first. Because these are small projects, we brush the details and then roll the large flat surfaces. Brush with the grain and always from one end to the other. If paint starts to dry, don't go back over it. Finish them off with a roller brush before the paint has time to dry for the smoothest finish.
Notes
- Painting over dark cabinets with a light or white color
- Oak Cabinets that have bad stains stains like deeply embedded oil or markers.
- Cabinets with knots in the wood such as knotty pine.
- Raw or unfinished wood.
Jessica Ball says
Did you unscrew all the cabinet doors to paint them or just leave them on? I’m getting ready to start this project in my son’s bathroom and then move onto my master bath.. thanks for any info! Love love love the blue
Rachel says
Thank you for your kind words. I did not unscrew the doors in this case since I was brushing them. I usually only take off the doors when I am using a paint sprayer.
Kat says
Hello! I painted my cabinets before reading this post and used a regular semi-gloss paint. It has been a week or so now and the cabinets are still sticky. I was thinking of doing a top coat and was wondering if you have any recommendations.
Rachel says
The paint probably just hasn’t cured yet. The higher the sheen (flat being the lowest and gloss being the highest), the longer they make take to cure or reach maximum hardness. I am not sure of the paint you used, so I can’t say for sure. I would just give them some time. A topcoat won’t make them less sticky. In fact, it may make it worse. Some top coats can take up to 60 days to fully cure in high humidity.
Ellen says
Love your bathroom updates; the navy vanity is so sharp. I have a vanity similar to yours; gotta love builders grade! Like yours, my panel drawers are either crooked or have fallen off. Please share how you secured yours. I’ve tried gluing but they just fall off. Thank you in advance and thanks for sharing.
Rachel says
We had a drawer front completely missing so we cut a new drawer front with a router, which I understand that not everyone has. I kind of really like this idea. The trays come in different sizes too. If you don’t like the tray, there are these clips. I will admit the clips work just ok. I hope that helps!
Anne says
Absolutely incredible, I never would have thought of a dark blue but it looks so good with the gold hardware!
Jeana Coleman says
This looks beautiful. HOW did you get that mirror off of the wall? Did you have to tape and smash it, or did i pop right off? I’m a bit scared about removing mine. My bathroom looks just like this one.
Rachel says
Our mirror did pop right off, which actually scared me! Such a large mirror being held on by nothing but 4 clips seemed a little precarious. I thought for sure it was going to be caulked or glued to the wall.
Amy Richey says
Your bathroom is beautiful! I have a similar vanity that I am installing in my children’s bathroom and will be adding new countertops and sinks.
Are your sinks centered within the entire cabinet(door and drawers) or just centered on the cabinet door? I hope this question makes sense:)
Rachel says
The sinks are more centered on the drawers and door. You can see it better in a photo from our Bathroom Reveal Post. That wasn’t necessarily a design decision, however, as I didn’t want to move the plumbing in the wall. It was just the easiest route. But I do think I would have picked centered over both the doors and drawers better anyhow. Hope that helps!
Lynn says
Bathroom looks amazing. was thinking of doing the same to mine.
where did you get the vanity top and sinks?
Rachel says
Hi! Thank you so much. To make it easier, I put a list of all our sources at the bottom of our Bathroom Makeover Reveal post here.
Clarissa says
How many cans of paint did u use??
Rachel says
For this cabinet, I used 1 quart.
Corrine says
It looks great! How many quarts of paint did you use?
Rachel says
This vanity was less than one quart in total. The Fusion Mineral paint goes a long way.
Lara says
The bathroom is gorgeous! That vanity is so chic!! Thank you for sharing you techniques and the materials that you used for this project.
I’m wondering why you chose to use Fusion Mineral Paint instead of Benjamin Moore Advance, like you used on the stair banister? How you used Benjamin Moore Advanced on cabinetry before? If you have, what’s your option on it, in regards to smooth finish and durability?
I’m really enjoying your site! Thank you!!!
Rachel says
Thank you Lara for such kind words! I am so humbled you enjoy the blog and projects. I have another post about my favorite paints and why. I use a few different paints for different reasons. While BM advance would work great for a vanity, I liked the Matte finish that Fusion gives with almost the same durability for my particular project. Sheen is very important to me. In fact, I ask clients what sheen they are looking for before I ever ask about color! Fusion is pretty durable. Not perfect and some colors do seem better than others, but for a matte, it’s my favorite. I have scrubbed dried on toothpaste from my son many times and it looks as good today as when it was first painted! Also, honestly, I really liked that midnight blue color.
I have used BM advance on cabinets and highly recommend it. I have also used Sherwin Williams Emerald (I think it is?) and that one was good too, but I dislike SW primer. Kilz premium or pro-bond all the way there.
Danielle says
What matte top coat will you use for these cabinets when you decide to put a top coat on like you mentioned you wanted to do?
Rachel says
I have a list of my favorite topcoats for furniture in this post. I go more in depth of why I like different ones for different uses. However, Fusion Mineral also makes a matte wipe on poly and I do like General Finishes Matte Poly.
Mariane Prato says
Absolutely loved your post and I’m in the middle of painting my vanity the same colour. What Matte topcoat would you recommend? Thank you for sharing!
Rachel says
Your vanity is going to look so good! For this particular vanity, I don’t have a topcoat on it and I am extremely happy with it’s durability. However, I do have a list of my favorite topcoats for furniture in this post.
Pat says
Any recommendations on a paint brand from home depot instead?
Rachel says
Hi Pat, unfortunately I don’t have any paints that I definitively recommend for furniture from Home Depot. Most of the paints there are made for walls, which doesn’t have the durability that a furniture paint needs (in my humble opinion). Most people find that these paints often chip after a year or two around the knobs and other used areas. I have a post on my favorite furniture paints here. However, there is one you could check out. I do not have any experience with it, but Behr does make an Alkyd paint that should be specialized for furniture or cabinets. It only comes in semi-gloss and satin sheen.
Jaime says
Hello,
I know you mentioned you don’t paint the insides or side of the drawers, but what about the cabinets? Do you just paint the outsides of those and leave the insides the original wood color? Trying this for the first time. Yikes! I don’t want to not have enough paint (only have 500 mL). Thanks!
Rachel says
I don’t paint the cabinets inside at all. Maybe it’s laziness, but I just don’t feel it’s worth it, lol. I do paint the lip just inside the door if there is one, but not deep inside the cabinets. I do usually paint the insides of the doors, but sometimes not. No one ever sees that area, so it’s not needed. Good luck with your project and feel free to email me if you have any other questions!
Laura says
About how much paint did it take for the vanity? It looks like mine is similar in size and I’d like to purchase that paint from Etsy! I just don’t want to order too little and then half to wait.
Looks amazing!
Rachel says
I only used one of the bigger sizes and I still have some left over in case I ever need to touch it up. I haven’t in over a year and it is the boys bathroom so I have scrubbed dried toothpaste off a lot and the finish has held up great.
Rachael says
I plan to do a similar scheme so love all your links to products! Do you happen to have the info on the floor tile? Thanks!
Rachel says
Hi! Thank you so much for your kind words and I hope your project turns out great! I have a source list for the entire bathroom at the bottom of this Transitional Bathroom Remodel Reveal. The direct link for the tile is here from the Tile Shop. However, I have seen similar tile at Floor & Decor if you have one of those stores near you.
Ashlyn says
Wow!!! This makeover is fabulous. LOVE the navy color. I’m about to tackle a vanity myself so appreciate the tips.
Julia C says
Absolutely Love the makeover!
I’m planning on doing exactly the same in my bathroom.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Rachel says
Thank you! I love everything about this bathroom. We are gearing up for our master bathroom remodel as well.