Wood Vanity Plan: How to Build an Easy Wood Vanity

Are you looking for a wood vanity plan to replace your pedestal sink? Have you had your eye on something similar but can’t justify the high price tag? I did. So I built this classic wood vanity to replace the pedestal sink in our powder room.

Now, I’m sharing the vanity plan with you.

Some of the links I share are affiliate links, and if you purchase through them it won’t cost you any extra, however, I may be paid a small commission. That small support helps me keep the lights on and we appreciate all of it.

Have the stuff you need already? Jump right to the plan here.

Anyone can build this vanity

This wood vanity plan is very easy and I think it’s a great first time or beginner project. However, even my seasoned builders can happily appreciate building it too.

I used wood that is easy to find at any local home improvement store but if you’re looking for something more exotic head to your lumber store and pick out some walnut, alder or white oak.

Unfortunately, I built this vanity five years ago. Because of that, I had to piece together the tutorial from pictures I took then and pictures I took when refinishing it. If any of the tutorial isn’t clear please send me a message or comment on the post so others can see it in case they have the same questions. I love hearing from you and look forward to seeing pictures of your builds.

Tag me on Instagram @jhambel.hambelsgetreal and let me know if I can share it in my stories.

All of these supplies should be right off the shelf at any home improvement DIY supply store. 

List of supplies for the wood vanity plan

1. 4 – 29” table legs I used Waddell Country table legs #2921. You can use a different style, just modify the plan to fit the leg.
2. 3/4” 2’ x 4’ sheet of veneer plywood or a 4×8 sheet cut down (check the cut list, you might already have the scraps you need)
3. 12’ – 3/4” pine square molding 3/4″ x 3/4″ ***also called wood lattice molding
4. 16’ (2 – 8’ lengths) pine 1/2” x 3/4” wood shoe molding
5. 8’ of 2” x 2” (1 1/2”x 1 1/2” square wood or wood planed to this dimension) I bought pine (although the link is poplar because the pine was in store) in 2′ lengths but you could use this to save money
6. (100% Optional not noticeable if you skip this) 8’ of iron on edge banding in maple or birch
7. 1 – 3/4″ round wood dowel – as short of a length as you can you will only need 1 1/2″
8. 1 – 6′ length of 1/2″ x 1 5/8″ pine wood stop
9. Wood glue
10. 3/4” brad nails gauge for your nail gun
11. 1 1/4” Kreg Jig screws (or whatever pocket joinery you use)
12. 2 1/2″ Kreg jig screws (or whatever pocket joinery you use)
13. 4 – Screw dowels
14. Stain, sealer, wax, paint or finish of choice I used a combination of Minwax oil in provincial and Rubio Monocoat Havana you could substitute Minwax weathered gray for the Rubio.

This plan uses plywood for the upper boards but you can use solid wood instead. Just buy 1 - 8' length 1 x 4 in the wood specie you're building in - make sure it's straight (actual dimension 3/4" x 3 1/2").

List of tools to build the vanity

1. Brad nail gun – mine is an 18 gauge
2. Kreg jig or other pocket joinery tool
3. Drill
4. Clamps
5. Table saw or have your boards cut for you at a home improvement store
6. Miter or chop saw
7. 1/4″ drill bit

Steps to Build the Wood Vanity Plan

Cut your plywood for your wood vanity

1. Cut your 3/4” plywood board down to 21” x 18”.
   This should leave you with a remainder of around 24” x 29” and a scrap of 3” x 18”.
2. Rip and cut 2 – lengths of 3 1/2″ x 21″ make sure the grain runs lengthwise along the board.
3. Rip and cut 2 – lengths of 3 1/2″ x 18″ make sure the grain runs lengthwise along the board.

Cut your 2×2 wood

1. 2 – lengths of 21″
2. 2 – lengths of 18″
3. 4 – lengths of 2″
4. Cut 1/2″ wide rounds from your 3/4″ wood dowel – very important to get these the same thickness

Helpful tip: this cut list makes a wood vanity that is 32" tall if you want it to be 33" cut your 4 lengths of 2x2 to 3" and if you want a 34" tall vanity cut them to 4". This won't change the overall design, it will just add the height you need.

Create Pocket Holes in Your Wood Boards

1. Around the backside of your 21” x 18” plywood make four pocket holes with your jig set to 3/4″ material.
2. On the ends of your 3 1/2″ x 21″ and your 3 1/2″ x 18″ make two pocket holes (four per board) on the backside of the board with your jig set to 3/4″ material.
3. Now, set your jig for 1 1/2″ material and your drill bit.
4. Make two pocket holes on the ends of the 18″ – 2 x 2 and the 21″ – 2 x 2. Make them on the side you want to be on the bottom. There should be 4 holes on each board, 2 on either end. Make sure you use the two holes closest to each other and centered on the board.

Join your vanity base

1. Making sure your ends are flush and your plywood is also flush or sits just below, join your 21″x18″ plywood to your 2 x 2 – 18″ and 21″ lengths with 1 1/4″ kreg screws. Joining the 18″ side to the 18″ long board and the 21″ side to the 21″ board. This will leave you with a board that has 1 1/2″ cutout squares on each of the four corners. This will make the “base” of our vanity.
2. Now join the 1 1/2″ x 2″ blocks (or whatever height you decided on) to the “base” you just made. To do this, measure 1/4″ down from the top of the 1 1/2″ x 2″ block (1 1/2″ is the width and 2″ is the long side and will be the upright portion of the block) and mark a line. This line will act as a guide for where the base will join the block. Align the top of the base with the line on the block and join them at the corners with the 2 1/2″ kreg screws.

If you made a 3" block measure down 1/2"; if you made a 4" block measure down 1"

Create your wood vanity legs

1. Grab your table legs and cut the ends off right where the leg tapers. ***Make sure you measure from the bottom up and mark each leg and cut in the same spot.
2. Pre-drill your feet: clamp your feet with the top side facing up and mark the center of the foot. Using the 1/4″ drill bit drill as straight and square as you can into the foot about an 1 1/4″ down.
3. Take your “base” mark the corner blocks in the center and pre-drill them 1 1/4″ down as well.

Join your wood vanity legs together

1. Arrange your legs as how you want them to be installed as if they were going to be installed on a square table. At the top of each table leg, measure 3/4″ back from the front inside of the leg and mark a line 3 1/2″ long. This should give you a mark on the left inside and right inside of the legs.
2. Using 1 1/4″ kreg screws, join the 3 1/2″ x 21″ board to the table leg through the pocket holes you made on either end. Make sure the pocket holes are facing the backside and you are using the line as a guide for your board placement. Do this to the “back side”/”back legs” as well, but instead of joining the board flush, measure 2 1/2″ down from the top of the back legs and align the top of the 3 1/2″ x 21″ board there so you have more room to connect water lines.
3. You should have two sets of 24″ wide panels with table legs on either side. It’s time to join the front panel to the back panel. Grab the 3 1/2″ x 18″ boards. Align them the same way as the front panel, with the tops of the boards flush with the tops of the table legs and the front/face of the board with the 3/4″ mark from the front of the legs and join using 1 1/4″ kreg screws.

Getting the wood vanity all assembled

You should now have a 24″ x 21″ rectangular table leg assembly. As long as you aligned everything perfectly square when joining this should also be square and very stable. The feet on this should also line up perfectly centered on the square blocks of your “base”.

Put glue along the bottoms of the table leg assembly. Place your base on a level surface with the top side facing up. Aligning the feet of your table leg assembly so that they are centered on each of the square blocks on your “base”.

Wipe away any excess glue that seeps out.

The weight from the assembly should be enough to join the two together. For extra weight you can add weights, blocks or books at the four corners of the table leg assembly to help bear down on the "base". Let this dry at least 3 hours before moving on. 

Join the base of the wood vanity to the feet

1. Using your screw dowels, screw one side into the feet you cut from the table legs in the previous step.
2. Flip your new table leg and base assembly over. Screw the feet into the four corners of the base you already pre-drilled.
3. Place a dollop of glue on the bottom center of each foot and place your 3/4″ x 1/2″ wood dowel rounds on the center of each foot. Press the rounds down firmly (you can use blue painters tape if you like) so that they stay in place and then flip your assembly right side up so that the weight of it presses onto your 3/4″ rounds. This will be enough weight to join the two together.

Allow that to sit for at least one hour.

Cut your molding to add details on your wood vanity

While that dries, it’s time to start cutting your shoe molding.

1. Cut your 3/4″ square shoe molding to 2 – 18″ and 1 – 21″ lengths
2. Cut your 1/2″ x 3/4″ shoe molding. Using a miter saw, cut 45 degree corners on either side so that the final length of the long side, tip to tip is 18″ x 4; 21″ x 2; 2″ x 6 (you can cut these last in case your assembly is a little off). The 3/4″ sits flat against the 3/4″ square molding, the 1/2″ is the part that creates the “height” of the trim while the 3/4″ would be the “depth”.

Join the molding to the wood panels

1. Spread glue along the backside of each 3/4″ x 3/4″ shoe molding. Clamp each of these boards to the top and bottom of each panel on their respective lengths, so that the top and bottom sits flush on the boards.
2. With glue and 3/4 – 1″ brad nails, attach your 1/2″ x 3/4″ mitered cut shoe molding between the two square moldings and legs like the picture above.

When glueing pieces together make sure to get even coverage of the glue. I like to use a silicone spatula. If any glue seeps out, wipe it away with a damp cloth. Make sure you completely remove the excess glue or your stain won't go on evenly where the glue was.

Cut your final top piece of molding

Measure at the top of the vanity from the edge of one leg to the edge of the other across the width and depth. You should have measurements that are 21″ deep x 24″ wide. Cut your 1/2″ x 1 5/8″ pine wood stop to sit flat on the top of your leg assembly.

1. Cut one with a butt cut on the left side and a mitered outside corner on the right side. The butt cut will be at the back left and the outside corner the front left. It should be 21″ long measuring from the butt end to the short side of the miter. This is how the cut should look on your miter saw and the shorthand I use when I write down my cut list: |____\
2. Your next one should have two outside mitered corners and be 24″ measuring the short side. Should look like this /___\ in shorthand and from and overhead view. The top being the short side.
3. Your last cut will attach to the top right side of your assembly. Like the first cut it will be 21″ long with a butt cut on one end and a mitered outside corner on the other. But opposite like this: /___|.

Hopefully my shorthand doesn't confuse you. Refer to the picture above to clarify how to make your final miters.

When you attach these to the top of the vanity assembly they should create an overhang or "reveal" that is around 1/8" around the perimeter of your vanity. Now the total measurement should be 24 1/2" x 21 1/2".

Stain and finish your wood vanity and install your sink

The first time I installed this vanity I didn’t put on the top perimeter molding band in the last step. Instead, I used this sink from Ikea. I also built the vanity to be 19″ deep.

This plan assumes that you will be using a standard sink top like this one. The prefabricated sinks are readily available. When I re-installed the vanity I adjusted it to fit the new prefabricated countertop and sink from Floor and Decor.

Home Depot also has a similar prefabricated sink top . You may also be able to find a more inexpensive one used or on Facebook Marketplace or a yard sale…

If you liked this build, check out some of my other plans like these nightstands, console table, or this popular faux beam tutorial.

Disclaimer: Working with power tools and DIY projects can be dangerous and post inherent risks. While we work hard to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the tutorials along with the information displayed on this website, Hambels Get Real cannot be held responsible for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create.