Is it possible to add a console sink to a vanity? Yes it is!
By doing so you get the style of a console sink or other wall-mounted sink without sacrificing storage.
Whether you build a custom vanity like we did or retrofit an existing vanity, we will show you how to attach a console sink to a vanity so that it looks good.
Spoiler: It’s all in the transition from sink to vanity.
Add a Console Sink to a Vanity Step #1: Figure out what you are working with.
Carefully flip the console sink or wall-mounted sink over so you can see the underside of the sink. We set our sink on a piece of cardboard to avoid scratching it when we flipped it over.
You need to determine:
- How much surface area is available to connect the sink to the vanity.
- If that surface area is level (Spoiler: It’s probably not.)
- Where the plumbing will be connected.
- Where the console sink mounts to the wall.
You’re going to use all the existing parts of the sink to make the conversion from console or pedestal sink to vanity.
Add a Console Sink to a Vanity Step #2: Decide how to transition the console to the wood vanity.
Part of the reason why console sinks are typically amazing is that they have a curved profile. That curve is what makes it tricky to convert a console sink to a vanity.
We opted to create a curved profile made from laminated wood to sit our console sink on and then transition the curved profile to the square vanity box with a wood drip rail or edge.
You could always skip the curved part and just create a drip rail to make the transition from console sink to vanity look intentional.
Keep in mind the total height you want your vanity and sink to be when complete.
Since we were building our vanity from scratch, we wanted our sink plus vanity to be a total height of 36 inches. This is commonly referred to as comfort height. If you are using an existing vanity for your conversion, you may need to modify your vanity base to keep the total vanity at your desired height.
Add a Console Sink to a Vanity Step #3: Prepare and Attach Your Transition Piece
For the sake of this tutorial I’m going to assume that you are building a curved profile piece like we did and THEN adding a drip rail. If you are just doing the drip rail, you can skip the next several paragraphs.
Unless you are using the exact sink we are, your curved profile will look different than ours. That’s why I’m not worrying about dimensions in this tutorial.
Our sink only had the curved profile on the front. Three 3/4-inch boards were laminated together and then we traced the curved profile of the sink front onto the boards to use as a cut line.
If you are building something similar, your board (laminated or not) needs to be deep enough to accommodate the curvature of your sink. Then cut the curved profile along your penciled-in cut line with either a bandsaw or jigsaw and sand smooth.
Please note: Wood glue does not take stain well. If you cut through any of the laminated areas like we did and expose a glue line, you may create a finishing headache. If you are painting the vanity it doesn’t matter.
We attached the curved profile to side rails using a router bit that allowed us to created a 90-degree joint.
The joint was glued together and then the exposed seams were wood puttied and sanded smooth.
Please note that our side rails were cut on one side to accommodate the slight unevenness of the underside of the sink so that we could bring the whole thing into level.
This curved transition piece only needs three sides (front and two sides) because the back of the sink will attach to the wall.
With the curved profile complete, we could add our wood drip rail.
Drip rails are designed to stick out from a cabinet. That’s why a drip rail is a good design choice to transition the console sink to the vanity base. It looks intentional.
Our drip rail sticks out 1/2-inch from the vanity base on the front and sides (no back piece is needed), but it is deep enough to accommodate the swoop of the curved sink profile.
This is important: If you are JUST building a drip rail as a transition, you need to permanently affix the drip rail to the vanity base. The console sink will rest on the drip rail. If you are doing the curved profile AND the drip rail, the drip rail needs to be permanently attached to the curved profile and the vanity base.
Add a Console Sink to a Vanity Step #4: Install the Sink and Vanity
The manufacturer’s installation directions for our console sink stated to add a wood brace behind the sink before attaching the sink to the wall with toggle bolts.
The problem this creates is that the sink is pulled away from the wall the depth of the wood brace. If you are tiling behind the sink, you can probably hide this wood brace. We are guessing that the people who don’t install a wood brace behind the sink are coming up with an alternative way to securely affix the sink to the wall.
We did follow the manufacturer’s instructions for attaching the console sink because we did not have studs in the wall in the exact place where the sink would mount to the wall. We also did not want to cut out the drywall to install the wood brace behind the wall and have to do drywall repairs.
Our wood brace is the exact width of our sink and vanity (36 inches) and comes up flush to the top of the console sink. It is stained to match the vanity base and sealed with Waterlox to protect it from water damage.
Eventually, we plan to tile this wall, so the visibility of this wood brace will be less of a problem. However, the way we integrated this wood brace into the design of the vanity makes it look intentional.
The important thing to note: The console sink attaches to the wall and it only rests on the vanity base.
Be very careful about where you are affixing the console sink to the wall. Once it is secured, the vanity base has to fit exactly underneath the sink.
The vanity base needs to be secured to the wall or floor, depending on your situation.
You could use some adhesive or caulk to seal the area where the console sink rests on the vanity base, but from a structural perspective, it shouldn’t need it. Your sink is now supported on all four sides.
Add a Console Sink to a Vanity Step #5: Enjoy your handiwork!
We skipped over the wood finishing portion of this vanity project in this tutorial, but here’s how ours turned out.
The console sink gives this bathroom the vintage charm that complements the style of this colonial era house.
The vanity base gives this small bathroom much needed storage space!
We are so very happy with how this console sink project turned out! It was our first time building a vanity from scratch and we can’t wait to tackle our next woodworking project.
If you add a console sink to a vanity, please let us know in the comments or tag us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love to see what you create. Plus, your tips and experience might help someone else who wants to tackle this project.
Project Resources:
Kingston Brass Console Sink, 36-inch
Kingston Brass Widespread Faucet
Waterlox – Waterproof clear finish applied to stained wood vanity
Stain – Varathane Special Walnut
Mirror – thrifted
Peg rail – DIY
Nuloom Area Rug – 2×3
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