Hello Remodelaholic readers! Colleen here from Lemon Thistle, home to DIY, home decor, printables, and parties. Today I’m excited to be back with you to share this minimal vanity for a kids room with you all. It’s slim enough to fit behind a door (without getting bumped!), fun enough to be a feature in the room, and practical to free up precious bathroom space during ‘rush hour’.
I received *‘Design Mom’ the book (affiliate link) for Christmas this year and read it cover to cover twice. I loved it. One of the suggestions she had was to create space in kids rooms for them to do things that they might otherwise do things in common areas that get crowded. For us- that’s our one bathroom (seen here). She also suggested having mirrors kiddos height to help them learn independence and grooming. I loved these ideas and decided I needed to create some sort of getting ready station in the kids room. We have three year old twins and they’re at the age where they want to brush their own hair and do all their own grooming, so they’re constantly climbing up on the bathroom counter to see what they’re doing in the mirror.
The problem I was facing is that their room (we’re in a 1960’s house) although large for a secondary bedroom… is small. And with two double beds, a dresser and a double closet- there wasn’t much wall space left for anything. We’ve made great use of the space in there, so the only spot we hadn’t used yet was behind the door. It would work… but it would be tight. I didn’t just want a mirror, I wanted a small shelf or ledge where they could store items like their brushes, elastics, and anything else they might need to get ready for their day.
The solution I came up with is SO simple, it can be done in an afternoon and it won’t cost you a fortune.
How to Make a Kids Floating Vanity Station
by Colleen from Lemon Thistle
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For this project, you’ll need:
- Small Mirror (Mine is from the dollar store, it is an event centerpiece mirror, but you can also check Amazon for other options if you want something different)
- 1×4 cut to size (I used oak, see notes below)
- Small L Brackets with screws (and drywall brackets if no studs)
- Paint (I chose a grey that was slightly darker than what was on our walls) and brush
- Level
- Painters Tape
- Silicone Adhesive (or similar)
Step 1: Measure and Cut
Start by measuring the space you’d like your station to be. Cut your 1×4 to size using a chop saw or other saw. I used a piece of oak I had left from this minimal shelf I made recently. Why I chose this instead of a more affordable wood is… it’s got straight edges and true corners. I don’t have a table saw, when I want to use one I have to call around and go pick one up, bring it home, set it up, use it, pack it up and bring it back (to a family member of a family member no less). It’s not ideal. So saving the step of ripping down the edges was worthwhile for me. Plus I like the harder wood for stability with the short screws. Give the edges a light sand, you’re painting it so you don’t need to sand it crazy well.
Step 2: Paint
Next, tape off the shape you would like to paint, press your tape down really well to prevent bleeding.
Then, use your level and hang your L brackets. We bought a giant pack of the tiny ones when we were building our built in shelving unit, so I used those BUT you could definitely get bigger ones if you rather. I put the two that would be hidden by the shelf (upside down) on at this step, then added the other one in the middle when I installed the shelf.
Paint out your shape including the installed brackets and screws. I did two coats. While you’re at it, paint your shelf two coats. The paint I chose is from Para Paint and it’s called F-Stop.
Step 3: Install the Mirror and Shelf
Give it time to dry, then install the shelf. Add extra brackets if you feel like it needs them. Then, paint over the screws if you want. I like that the L brackets leave a bit of space between the wall and the shelf (the thickness of the bracket metal) to slip the mirror in to look like one unit. I used a silicone adhesive (GE Iron Grip) to install the mirror. It’s the same stuff we used to install our hammered steel backsplash. Just make sure to apply pressure for 30 seconds to a minute before calling it done. I added a little silver creamer for elastics and hairclips. I considered using the silicone adhesive to attach this to the shelf as well, but we’ll see if there’s enough spills to make this worthwhile. (You could also use removable 3M picturing hanging strips for the mirror.)
It’s been up for a while now and it’s a total hit. Even my son is wanting to comb his own hair. And my daughter spends SO much time combing her hair in front of it. They love having a mirror their height and I love that I can send them with a cloth to go wash their faces and they actually get all the PB off their cheeks.
Don’t forget to pin this to save it for later!
More smart organizing ideas for kids:
Keep books organized and accessible with wall pocket shelves
organize toys, books, and more with a DIY toy cubby shelf
create more room for toys with a princess castle loft bed
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