Expert: Jamie Yocono - 6/14/2007

Question
I am redoing my bathroom and I don't know where to find a vanity to replace my existing one. The problem is when you open the cabinet doors under my existing vanity...instead of shelves or even a vanity bottom you find sheetrock jutting out from the stairwell located below my bathroom. My question is where can I buy a vanity "frame" (open back and open inside no shelves or bottom) to replace my exisitng vanity?

Answer
Hi Laura,

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're describing with your bathroom vanity. But it sounds like you're looking for a vanity with no back and no bottom, am I correct?

Most cabinets that have to accommodate plumbing (like kitchen sink cabinets or bathroom vanities) are usually built with bottom and top rails, but no back. This is so the drain and shutoff valves can be connected to the sink above.  The solution to your problem might be as simple as altering an existing vanity, like one you would purchase, so that your plumbing needs could be addressed.

Do you have  a saw handy? :)

It's quite possible that your vanity was built onsite but a cabinetmaker/carpenter who saw the need for having it open. If a store-bought vanity won't work for you (with modifications), you're probably going to have to find someone to build one for you. This actually might not be that hard to do, although it becomes increasingly more difficult as our society moves away from training "tradespeople" and leans more toward white collar endeavors. A carpenter friend of mine told me he thinks in another 10 years, it's going to be impossible to find someone to hang a replacement door in our home. He's probably right.

I have a couple of suggestions. First, you might check the member list of the Furniture Society, an international group of woodworkers/furnituremakers. You can find them at www.furnituresociety.org. Do a search by state, and you might get lucky to find someone in your area. Some of these people are quite "big-time" woodworkers, and will turn down your request. But you'll find a decent range of the woodworking spectrum- from educators to artists to students. Someone there can probably build your vanity, but you'll need to make a few calls and figure out who will fit the bill.

Another option would be to buy an existing vanity and alter it to fit your situation. I get calls like this from time to time, so it's somewhat common. I think the key is to do most of the work for the woodworker, like the measuring and marking of the vanity, so that all they have to do is cut it. See, this is sort of a small job, and most will just turn you down. But if you do most of the work, so that all they have to do is cut, they're likely to accept the job. Yes, it's probably "coddling" them a little too much, but most prefer to work on jobs that they are familiar with.

Last suggestion- if there is a woodworking program at your local high school or college, you might call and ask them about this.  Programs like these are usually looking for a challenge, and can accommodate something like this quite easily.  I taught for many years, and I always had someone wandering in the woodshop looking for help. Bringing a dozen doughnuts helps!

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com