Kicking off a new series of posts about a project close to my heart: remodeling the bathroom in my parents’ home where I grew up. Last year, I had the chance to give this space a fresh new look—luckily, my mom was the “client,” so I had plenty of creative freedom. Originally remodeled by my dad almost 25 years ago with natural poplar and a lot of Formica, it was time for an upgrade to honor the past while creating something beautiful and modern for the future.
The design & build of the bathroom started with the vanity. I sourced the countertop, which is Swanstone, then started to draw the cabinet. I wanted the vanity to have as much drawer space and storage as possible but still have room for a waste can (per my client). The design of the drawers and door went through many iterations.
The case is made out of prefinished maple plywood. I made the drawers of the vanity out of poplar that my father had. It was nice to be able to use wood that he had stored away. The drawers and door were installed with Blum hardware.
I used an Amana cope and stick router bit set to make the drawer fronts. I then sprayed the cabinet and drawer fronts with Olympus Green by Benjamin Moore.
I installed the vanity over my spring break. I am fortunate that my mom didn’t care that I did the bathroom in stages.
Ellen Kaspern Design 