It’s been almost a month since we first mentioned stenciling the floor in our sink nook. Between finishing Clara’s room, tackling outdoor tiling, installing our stair runner, landscaping, and beginning work on the kitchen, progress there slowed for a bit—but we still had a few tasks to complete:
- seal the stenciled floor
- move thoughtfully back into the closet once the floor cured
- update the vanity for better function and a fresher finish (including adding inexpensive shelves to that empty cubby)
To seal the floor, Sherry used a small foam roller to apply two thin, even coats of SafeCoat Acrylaq, our preferred non-toxic acrylic poly. She rolled the coats roughly 24 hours apart and wore a respirator since the product wasn’t completely odorless. She started in the far corner of the closet and rolled her way out, then blocked the area off while it cured to avoid puppy paw prints.
The sealer created a durable protective layer that eased our worry about chips or drips. It was resilient enough that I later scraped off a dried staining splatter without harming the stencil design.
After waiting about 72 hours for the sealer to fully cure, we moved on to restocking the closet. This time we were deliberate about placement and storage solutions: bringing in a dresser and mirror, plus using a laundry basket as a hamper, made the space much more functional than the random bins and piles we had dumped in there when we moved. The dresser is likely to end up in the nursery later, and a new dresser will probably move into this space after we add built-ins around our bed down the line.
Here’s a shot of Sherry’s side of the closet, and a shot of my side (note the difference in shoe quantities). It’s amazing what fresh paint on the walls, trim, floor, and ceiling, plus some organization and a couple of older furniture pieces, can do.
With the floor sealed and the closet organized, it was time to build shelves for the vanity cubby. The build was straightforward, but we kept two goals in mind:
- create sturdy supports for two shelves (function)
- provide surfaces to attach front-facing boards so the result would match the vanity (form)
We like to map projects out on paper and split the work, so Sherry handled sealing and much of the closet organization while I built and stained the shelves. Because the stain contains VOCs, I stuck with the shelf construction and staining while she handled the finishing touches like reattaching doors and hinges.
Here’s the construction process we followed:
Step 1: I nailed a small scrap of wood to the side of the vanity and a matching piece into the baseboard on the opposite side. Each piece rested on the floor and was set back 3/4″ from the front of the vanity’s toe kick.
Step 2: That created a spot for a plywood strip that extended the toe kick across the opening.
Step 3: Above the toe-kick extension I nailed matching strips of 1 x 2″ board (ripped in half on the table saw) to support the bottom shelf. The placement accounted for the face board that would be added later.
Step 4: I placed the first shelf, cut from a piece of leftover plywood. It fit tightly enough that I didn’t need to fasten it in place.
Step 5: After measuring the middle of the space, I nailed small support strips on three sides to hold the shelf. The previous shelf had rested on the baseboard, so that back support wasn’t needed until now.
Step 6: I added the second shelf from the same plywood scrap.
Step 7: To match the look of the existing vanity, we wanted a face board at the top of the opening. I nailed small pieces of scrap wood slightly set back from the cabinet face so the face board would sit correctly.
Step 8: I began installing face boards, starting with a vertical one against the wall. I used a 1 x 3″ board ripped down to 1 x 2″ to match the width of the existing trim, then glued and nailed it into place.
Step 9: Because the vertical face board covered the top scrap block, I screwed a small piece of wood into its back to provide an attachment point for the horizontal face board.
Step 10: I attached the horizontal face boards—also ripped from the same 1 x 3″ stock—gluing and nailing them to the supports and the front edges of the shelves. The bottom edge was matched to the existing vanity, which is why the shelf supports in Step 3 were positioned with the face board thickness in mind.
Once assembled, the build went quickly—likely around an hour—with the most time spent measuring and cutting accurately. Measuring twice and cutting once saved us from mistakes like forgetting to allow for plywood thickness.
Matching the new shelves to the existing vanity color was the next step. We wanted to keep some visible wood grain while moving to a slightly darker, richer tone that coordinates with darker wood accents in our bedroom. To achieve this, we first brushed on a leftover stain to get the new shelves closer to the vanity tone. It wasn’t a perfect match, but applying one coat of Espresso PolyShades with a brush bridged the gap nicely. Before that, Sherry lightly sanded the existing vanity to prepare it for staining.
After staining, we reattached the doors and drawer, and updated the knobs with inexpensive octagon-shaped pulls that blended with the darker stain without competing with the patterned floor. I also drilled two additional holes in the dummy drawer face beneath the sink so the hardware would look balanced.
The finished vanity reads like it’s always been part of the space. The darker stain makes some details less visible in photos, but in person the wood grain is still apparent. We applied only one coat of PolyShades because we didn’t want the color to deepen further; that left some natural variation in tone, which we like. If you prefer more consistent coverage, a second coat would help even things out.
Cost-wise this update was very affordable. Because we already had plywood and stain on hand, our only purchases were a 1 x 2″ board and a 1 x 3″ board ($12 total), new knobs ($12), and two pairs of ORB hinges ($6), bringing the total to about $30. If you don’t have leftover plywood or stain, plan to add roughly $30 to your budget.
Between this nook, our half bath, and the stair makeover, we’ve been drawn to higher-contrast, near-monochrome details in smaller spaces. That doesn’t mean we’re abandoning color—the bedroom and other areas remain bright and playful—but we do appreciate the impact of darker accents mixed in.
With this work finished, Phase 1 of the sink nook is nearly complete. We’re now midway through stripping wallpaper in the dining room and preparing for more kitchen updates before the holidays and the showhouse. How about you—any building, sealing, staining, new hardware, or closet organization projects this weekend? Even something as simple as finally having a proper place for everything in our closet feels like a big relief after months of living out of bins and boxes.