DIY Ikea Hemnes Vanity Hack | Modern Vintage Style Bathroom Vanity Makeover

In this post, I am showing you the master bathroom vanity makeover both the before and after and everything in between. This is a really simple and easy Ikea bathroom vanity hack.

***Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you!  

We are currently remodeling the kids’ bathroom and the vanity in our master bathroom will be moved into theirs so we needed a new vanity. We had the hardest time finding a bathroom vanity within our budget and in the size that we needed for our small bathroom. Finally, after searching forever, we decided to buy an Ikea Hemnes bathroom vanity because they’re perfect for small spaces.

This was one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) vanities we looked at. Especially compared to major stores like Lowes and Home Depot. The only problem is the overall design does not go with the look and vibe of what I want. So we gave it a makeover to better fit the design we are going for. Also, who doesn’t love Ikea hacks?! 

If you follow me on IG you saw how a few of the things I had planned for this DIY project did not go as planned. If you are not following, make sure you do so you don’t miss out on any of those behind-the-scene moments. 

Before I get into our Ikea bathroom hack, here is the Ikea Hemnes bathroom vanity we bought. We purchased the one in gray because it was cheaper than the white Hemnes.  

Like most Ikea furniture, they have a more modern look. The Hemnes vanity is pretty minimal in design which allows for an easy style change. Here is the inspiration I wanted to go for which was a black antique look and vibe.    

To start our bathroom vanity makeover, we assembled the Ikea vanity. Surprisingly this was one of the quickest and easiest Ikea product assemblies we have done. QUICK RANT: Is it just me but does anyone notice what you would think would be easy and quick to put together ends up taking hours? It also turns out more frustrating and complicated than it looks. Then the things that look like it’s going to be more complicated actually end up being pretty simple?

Ikea Bathroom Vanity Hack Plan A: CHALK PAINT

The original plan was to use chalk paint and then try out a couple of different distressing and antiquing techniques. Needless to say, there were many bumps in the road.

I first tried using Rustoleum’s ultra-matte chalk paint in the color Charcoal. Right away, I could tell the color was too much on the gray end for my preference. So I switched to Behr’s chalk paint in Classic Noir, which is a little darker. The Behr chalk paint was a lot thicker than the Rustoleum paint and I had a difficult time applying the paint. It also left a lot of brush strokes.

Although the Behr paint was a darker black compared to the Rustoleum’s, I was still not satisfied with the color. If I was going to compromise on the antique look, I did not want to settle on the color. So we changed the paint a third time.

I want to point out a couple of things I should have done instead in regards to the chalk paint. The first thing is I should have better researched the color of the chalk paints. I also should have better researched how to paint with chalk paint as this was my first time. I have a habit of wanting to quickly jump into a project and wing it without much research. This is a situation where clearly that wasn’t the smartest choice. I would like to try working with chalk paint again with hopefully better results.

Ikea Bathroom Vanity Hack Plan B (or plan c?)

The paint we ultimately went with for this bathroom vanity makeover project is Benjamin Moore Advance paint in my favorite black paint color, Black Beauty. We used this same color for our black interior doors and the built-in cabinets in our dining room. Applying the Benjamin Moore paint was so much easier compared to the Behr chalk paint.

Benjamin Moore Advance paint is excellent for bathrooms. It is a premium quality, waterborne alkyd enamel that is very durable and easy to clean. 

How to paint vanity cabinet

Step One: Prep the bathroom vanity for painting. Wipe any grime and dirt off your vanity. We sanded ours a little bit first to smooth out the texture created by the brush marks.

Step Two: Prime your bathroom vanity using good quality prime appropriate for bathrooms. 

Step Three: Paint along the edges with a paintbrush first then paint the middle with a mini foam roller. Using a foam roller gives minimal streaks and the smoothest finish.

Step Four: Allow paint completely to dry between coats. 

Step Five: Apply a second coat of paint in the same order, starting with the edges and working your way in.

I used the mini foam roller only to paint the drawer fronts.

Attaching Ikea Sink

After both coats of paint have been applied and are dry, it was time to attach the sink. We bought the Rattviken Ikea sink. It’s nice because the sink includes special Ikea plumbing designed to be tucked back in a way that allows for full drawers. This was a great idea on Ikea’s design end to give more storage space. 

Even though we have the smallest size Hemnes vanity, it’s a decent bathroom storage solution for small spaces. Both the bottom and top drawer offer enough space for everyday items. You can easily fit toilet paper, beauty supplies, hand towels, and other bathroom items. 

The manufacturer’s instructions for the sink say to just glue it to the cabinet but it does not specify what type of glue. We used liquid nails but I saw where others used silicone as well. 

New Faucet and Hardware

The final step was adding the faucet and hardware. I bought this antique brass faucet with vintage-style handles. My favorite features are the white handle labels for hot and cold.

We decided to not go with the Ikea hardware. Instead, we are going with white ceramic knobs with bronze accents. The white ceramic knobs perfectly tie in with the faucet to give it a more cohesive and finished look.  Just look at how beautiful these cabinet pulls are!

Final Look Ikea Hemnes bathroom vanity makeover

Watch my Ikea bathroom vanity makeover video tutorial 

Final Thoughts

This Ikea vanity hack was such a fun project and didn’t cost much money. I highly recommend this hack to any other Ikea hackers or anyone thinking of getting a new vanity but are on a small budget. There are so many different ways you can customize the sink cabinets. I can’t wait till we start our bathroom makeover and install the vanity. I’m thinking of adding something along with the wood pieces on the side panels of the drawers. I have a few DIY ideas in mind, we’ll see.

Overall I am completely smitten with how the vanity came out. It has a whole new look and is absolutely gorgeous. Comment below, how do you think it turned out? 

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