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Home / Bathroom / Sinks and Vanities

Kerri’s atomic bathroom vanity – before & after

pam kueber - Updated: April 14, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Here is the latest gift from the retro decorating gods:  Kerri’s bathroom vanity — which she renovated with terrific results.  Kerri wrote:

We found the cabinet at a salvage yard in Boulder, Colorado .  It is steel with glass doors.  We stripped the paint off the entire cabinet.  We frosted the doors with a starburst pattern similar to our vintage light fixture and painted the metal (not the chrome trim) turquoise. It turned out fantastic.

 

Yup, Kerri, the vanity is just fabulous. Kerri explains how they frosted the glass:

I made a paper stencil using a ruler and a protractor which we taped on to the doors.  Then we sprayed it with frosted glass spray which is just like using spray paint.  We had to use a razor blade to clean up some of the edges b/c the tape did not hold the stencil perfectly flat along some of the edges. Looking back, I would have used spray glue or some other way of holding the stencil on.

And she adds:

…We raised the vanity to kitchen cabinet height (you can see the turquoise blocks between the chrome legs and the cabinet) since my husband and I are both tall.

Kerri says her house was built in 1956 — “not a bungalow, not a ranch.” There was nothing much original remaining when they moved in, and they waited eight years to remodel — a big deal that included the kitchen, too. She’s taking more photos to share with us soon. Thanks, Kerri!

CATEGORIES:
Bathroom Sinks and Vanities

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29 comments

Comments

  1. Cindy says

    February 19, 2010 at 6:52 am

    Yikes, everytime I read things like this I want to quit my day job and become a creative, retro craftsperson. Awesome job!

  2. RetroSandie says

    February 18, 2010 at 9:46 pm

    Excellent job…very creative! Let’s definitely see more of Kerri’s renovating! 🙂

  3. CindyD says

    February 18, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    What a great way to start your morning! This is fantastic, Kerri!

  4. Dana Nash/Bakelitebebe says

    February 18, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Thanks Pam! 🙂 <3<3

  5. Dana Nash/Bakelitebebe says

    February 18, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    I love this!! I get so inspired when I hear about DIY projects. 🙂

    • pam kueber says

      February 18, 2010 at 5:26 pm

      Welcome, Dana. I added you to the blogroll. Love those three boston terrors, ahem, terriers!

  6. Colleen says

    February 18, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    That’s the same vanity I have! The top is formica on mine – it looks like they’ve swapped out for glass on the re-mod. I remember one from when I was young but hadn’t seen another until we bought this house. I like the way this is re-done. Great colors and I love the graphic element. I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to do with the bathrooms yet. They’re in great shape, so it’ll be awhile before we do anything. But this is inspirational.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_mod_vintage/4328970555/in/set-72157623310038156/

    • pam kueber says

      February 18, 2010 at 3:16 pm

      hey just to clarify: Kerri’s vanity came with glass originally. she adding the frosting. it seems pretty clear (pun) that this style of vanity came with several door options.

  7. deana says

    February 18, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    simply…orgasmic!!!!! 🙂

  8. Kristen says

    February 18, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    That’s awesome. I’m interested in knowing what you used to strip the paint and if you have any tips on how you repainted.
    Thanks!

  9. Janice says

    February 18, 2010 at 1:29 pm

    What a gorgeous focal point in your bathroom! Good for you that you could see its potential and made it happen! I picked out that exact same Mod Walls tile (Big Sur) to use in my kitchen but since we’re still in the demo phase, I don’t have it up yet. It was a treat to see it looking fabulous in your bathroom!

  10. Alice says

    February 18, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    Wow! wonderful job! and it looks like we can see a bit of the shower in the mirror…nice repeated use of the ModWalls tiles!
    Hurry up and send photos. Also, it’s an inspiration to hear that it has taken 8 years…now I don’t feel so bad about being in ours for two and not changing much yet!

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