Couple Replaced the Dated Tiled Vanity With a Double Sink and the Bathroom Looks Twice as Big
Small square tiles covered the vanity countertop and backsplash in this 1962 home’s primary bathroom, surrounding a single sink with rows of dark grout lines. A mirrored medicine cabinet filled the wall above, while patterned vinyl flooring and a beige tub liner added finishes from later renovations.
Jess Bond of The Bond House and her husband wanted two sinks, more storage, and a cleaner bathroom without expanding the footprint. The couple completed the $2,200 remodel themselves with help from Jess’s father-in-law, replacing the one-sink vanity while finding ways to keep parts of the original 1962 bathroom. Apartment Therapy reported that the project took about a week and a half.
Small Tiles Covered the Counter, Backsplash, and Vanity Edge
White square tiles ran across the countertop, up the backsplash, and over the front edge of the vanity. Dark grout divided the surface into a tight grid around a single drop-in sink, while the wide mirrored cabinet above added another large fixture to the same wall.
The vanity occupied substantial wall space without providing the two wash stations the couple wanted. Instead of trying to modify the tiled counter, they removed the unit and planned its replacement around a double sink.
Demolition Opened the Wall for the New Sink Setup
Removing the vanity exposed the wall behind it, including framing, plumbing, and sections damaged during demolition. Since the main bathroom footprint would remain intact, the work centered on adapting this wall for the new vanity rather than relocating the sink across the room.
The existing sink line was split to serve a second basin, allowing two faucets to occupy the space that had supported one. Wall repairs also created an opportunity to replace the old backsplash with a different surface.
Vertical Paneling Covered the Repaired Wall
Matching the existing wall texture would have added another repair step, so sheet paneling covered the rebuilt section instead. Narrow vertical grooves extend toward the ceiling, replacing the horizontal and vertical grout grid that had surrounded the old vanity.
The paneling was finished with corner molding, caulk, and white paint. It also continues beside the toilet, connecting the new sink area with another part of the room instead of stopping at the vanity edge.
Maple Flooring Replaced the Patterned Vinyl
The old vinyl floor came out during demolition and SmartCore Naturals maple engineered flooring went in its place. The couple had used the same flooring through the rest of the house and continued it into the bathroom to remove the change in material at the doorway.
Long pale planks create fewer breaks across the floor than the previous geometric vinyl pattern. Jess also chose the product because it is waterproof, making it suitable for continuing the same flooring into the bathroom.
Two Sinks Now Fit Where the Tiled Vanity Had One
An IKEA GODMORGON cabinet paired with a porcelain double-sink top became the main replacement for the tiled vanity. Two rectangular basins now sit side by side, each with its own faucet, without adding square footage to the bathroom.
The new cabinet also changes the storage arrangement below. Drawers replace much of the old combination of doors and small drawers, while the raised base leaves usable floor space beneath the vanity. Apartment Therapy noted that the GODMORGON drawers provided more practical storage and left room underneath for extra supplies.
An Arched Mirror Replaced the Mirrored Medicine Cabinet
A large arched mirror now spans the double vanity without enclosing the wall in another rectangular cabinet. Curved upper corners contrast with the straight panel grooves, vanity edges, window trim, and twin rectangular basins.
Black faucets break up the white sink surface, while brass appears on the mirror frame, drawer pulls, and light fixture. The Cedar & Moss sconce above the mirror uses two white globes on a brass arm, continuing the mix of black and brass rather than matching every fixture.
Demolition Revealed the Original 1960s Tub
The beige bathtub appeared headed for replacement until demolition exposed a liner covering the original tub. Once the liner was pulled away, the couple found the home’s 1960s porcelain tub underneath and decided to see whether it could be saved.
Adhesive and buildup were removed with Goo Gone, rubbing alcohol, Magic Erasers, and repeated cleaning. The original tub remained intact beneath the later covering, eliminating the need to install a new one.
Cleaning Brought the Original Tub Back Into the Room
Once the liner and residue were gone, the white tub worked with the existing white shower tile that the couple chose to keep. New fixtures updated the bathing area without tearing out another large section of the 1962 bathroom.
Keeping the tub also reduced the number of new materials competing for attention. White tile, white porcelain, pale flooring, and a soft pink shower curtain now occupy the area where the stained beige liner once stood out.
Wall Hooks Replaced the Bulky Storage Cabinet
A deep wall-mounted cabinet once projected into the space beside the shower, with a towel bar attached beneath it. The remodel removed the entire unit and left the wall open, replacing enclosed storage with three small brass hooks for robes and towels.
The change gives the shower entrance more open wall space and removes another boxy element from the room. Storage lost here was offset by the larger double-vanity drawers, while the hooks keep items used after a shower within reach.
Same Bathroom Footprint Now Holds a Double Vanity
The finished room keeps the toilet, vanity, window, and bathtub within the existing footprint, yet the sink wall now serves two people. Wide drawers sit beneath the basins, baskets fit below the raised cabinet, and the large mirror covers both wash stations without the bulk of the old medicine cabinet.
Removing the tiled counter also changed how the room reads from the doorway. Broad white surfaces, vertical paneling, pale wood flooring, and fewer grout lines replace the dense patterns around the former vanity, making the bathroom appear larger without gaining another square foot.
Would you have kept the tiled vanity or added a clawfoot tub, or do you prefer the finished bathroom as it is?
Image credits go to The Bond House.