Build a Custom 36 Inch Tall Vanity

Create Your Perfect 36″ Vanity: Tailor-Made for Your Style!

A couple of years ago, I built a tall vanity for the second bathroom in my home. I had always planned to build a custom 36 inch tall bath vanity for the main bathroom but hadn’t found time to start. Once I decided to install new flooring in my bedroom and bathroom, I had to get this vanity rolling! The free bathroom vanity plans feature four drawers, a wide center shelf area and a smaller cabinet to house a laundry hamper.

This particular vanity is built between two walls and is custom fit to the space. It is approximately 62inches wide. The DIY vanity plans can be customized by adjusting the width of the center shelving area, especially if making the vanity narrower. If making the vanity wider, the drawer width can be adjusted to accommodate the increased width. The shelf placement will also depend on the plumbing… The plumbing in my bathroom actually comes from two places – the side wall and the floor, so I had to make some major adjustments!

I wanted a place to hide the laundry hamper so that it didn’t sit out in the open on the floor. The smaller cabinet is the perfect size for my laundry hamper and can also be fitted with a large bin on drawer slides, similar to a pull-out trash can. Instead of a hamper, a shelf or two can be added for extra storage.

I am tall, so my DIY bath vanity needed to be tall. The top is custom built and painted with a countertop repainting product. The vanity itself is painted a dark grey. So let’s get on with the plan…

Materials:

• 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws
• 1-1/4″ screws
• 3″ screws (to secure the vanity to the wall studs)
• 2″ brad nails
• 3 sets of concealed hinges (<– affiliate link!)
• 4 sets of 20″ drawer slides (<– affiliate link!)
• Cabinet pulls and/or knobs
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper
• Finishing supplies

Lumber:

• 9 – 1×2 at 8′
• 2 – 1×3 at 8′
• 4 – 1×4 at 8′
• 1 – 1×8 at 8′
• 1 – 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/4″ plywood
• 2 – 4′ x 8′ sheets of 3/4″ plywood

Cut List:

• 4 – 3/4″ plywood at 21-1/4″ x 35-1/4″ – Sides & Dividers
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 10-1/4″ x 21-1/4″ – Bottom (Drawer Section)
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 14-1/4″ x 21-1/4″ – Bottom (Hamper Section)
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 21-1/4″ x 34-1/4″ – Bottom (Center Section)
• 1 – 1×3 at 10-1/4″ – Back Support (Drawer Section)
• 1 – 1×3 at 14-1/4″ – Back Support (Hamper Section)
• 1 – 1×3 at 34-1/4″ – Back Support (Center Section)
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 4″ x 61-3/4″ – Kick Plate
• 2 – 1×2 at 19″ – Center Shelf Frame
• 2 – 1×2 at 34-1/4″ – Center Shelf Frame
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 21-1/4″ x 34-1/4″ – Center Shelf
• 4 – 1×2 at 21-1/4″ – Drawer Slide Spacers
• 1 – 1×3 at 58-3/4″ – Face Frame Top
• 1 – 1×2 at 58-3/4″ – Face Frame Bottom
• 2 – 1×2 at 31-1/4″ – Face Frame Sides
• 2 – 1×2 at 27-1/4″ – Face Frame Dividers
• 3 – 1×2 at 9-1/2″ – Drawer Dividers
• 8 – 1×4 at 7″ – Drawer Box Front & Back
• 8 – 1×4 at 20″ – Drawer Box Sides
• 4 – 1/4″ plywood at 7-3/4″ x 19-3/8″ – Drawer Box Bottom
• 6 – 1×2 at 28-1/4″ – Hamper & Center Door Stiles
• 2 – 1×2 at 12-3/4″ – Hamper Door Rails
• 1 – 1/4″ plywood at 13-1/4″ x 25-3/4″ – Hamper Door Panel
• 4 – 1×2 at 13-15/16″ – Center Door Rails
• 2 – 1/4″ plywood at 14-7/16″ x 25-3/4″ – Center Door Panels
• 4 – 1×8 (ripped to 6-11/16″ wide) at 10-1/2″ – Drawer Fronts*

*Scrap plywood can also be used

Notes about the project:

If a router and rabbeting bit are not available, the drawer bottoms can be nailed on the bottom of the frames and still have plenty of clearance for the drawer slides. The same with the panels for the doors – they can be nailed on the back of the frames with enough room for functionality.

Step One

Cut the pieces for the sides and dividers. Cut the recess for the kickplate using a jigsaw.

Step Two

Cut the pieces for the bottom. With the pocket hole jig set for 3/4″ material. drill pocket holes in the side edges (the 21-1/4″ edge) of each piece. Secure the bottom pieces to the sides and dividers so that the bottom faces are flush with the recess for the kickplate using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Step Three

Cut the pieces for the back supports and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure the pieces to the back edges of the sides and dividers using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Step Four

Cut the pieces for the shelf frame. Drill pocket holes in each end of the shorter pieces and assemble the frame using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Secure the frame at the desired height in the center portion of the cabinet using countersunk 1-1/4″ screws. The back side of the frame will be flush with the back edges of the dividers and will sit back from the front edge by approximately 1″.

Step Five

Cut the piece for the shelf. Position the shelf on the frame and secure in place using 2″ brad nails. The back edge of the shelf will be flush with the back of the frame, and the front edge will overhang.

Step Six

Cut the pieces for the drawer slide spacers. The spacers are attached to one side of the drawer section to allow for the face frame. Secure the spacers in place using glue and 1-1/4″ screws. (A close-quarter drill attachment may be necessary for the tight space.)

Step Seven

Cut the pieces for the face frame, drilling pocket holes in the pieces as shown in the drawing. Assemble the frame using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Position the frame on the cabinet and secure in place using 2″ brad nails. The side edges of the frame will be flush with the sides, and the divider pieces will secure to the dividers, overlapping the center shelf. The top and bottom of the frame will be flush with the dividers.

Step Eight

Cut the pieces for the drawer box sides, front, and back. Cut the groove in the bottom edge of each piece at 1/4″ wide by 1/4″ deep using a table saw or a router and a straight bit. Set the pocket hole jig for 3/4″ material and drill pocket holes in each end of the drawer box sides on the opposite side as the groove. Make sure that the pocket holes will not interfere with the groove. Secure the sides to the back using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Step Nine

Cut the piece for the drawer bottom. Slide the bottom into the grooves in the sides and back. The piece should fit snugly but not too tight.

Step Ten

Insert the front edge of the drawer box bottom into the groove on the drawer box front. Secure the drawer box sides to the drawer box front using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Install the drawer slides according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions positioning them as indicated in the drawings.

Step Eleven

For all doors – Cut the pieces for the door frame stiles and rails. Drill pocket holes in each end of the rails locating them closer to the outer edge of each piece so they don’t interfere with the recess that will be cut for the center panels. Assemble the doors using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Step Twelve

Cut the pieces for the center door panels. Using the router and a 1/4″ rabbeting bit, cut a 1/4″ deep recess along the inside of each door frame (on the back side). The corners can be squared with a chisel and a hammer. Insert the panel securing in place with glue, and clamp until dry.

Install the concealed hinges according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Spacers may be used on the inside of the face frame to accommodate the hinges for the center doors.

Install the cabinet pulls.

Step Thirteen

Cut the pieces for the drawer fronts. The fronts will overlap the openings by 1/2″ on all sides. Secure the fronts in place with 1-1/4″ brad nails. Open the drawers and secure from the inside with 1-1/4″ screws through the drawer box into the front.

Drill the holes for the cabinet pulls and install.

Finish the vanity as desired.

Have any questions about how to build a custom tall bath vanity? Leave a comment below!

Originally posted 2018-01-03 06:00:04.