https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/warehouse-vanity • Posted by Laurence King
UHURU DESIGN Many of the pieces created by the design group Uhuru utilize repurposed materials. For the Warehouse Vanity they used an office pencil drawer, a sawhorse and several exposed light-bulbs. They wanted to combine feminine beauty with an industrial masculine feel. The light-bulbs are a reference to the classic dressing room vanity, while the sawhorse gives the vanity a new identity. The drawer allows for storage, while the pivoting mirrors on the sides help with visibility. Uhuru wanted to create a piece that would be functional and easy to make. Sawhorses come in many sizes. Once you have found a sawhorse, you can adjust the vanity top to the dimensions. Alternately, you can mount LED light strips to the top instead. Some are small enough that you can just use double-sided tape to stick them to the panel. There are usually several options to choose from.
UHURU DESIGN Many of the pieces created by the design group Uhuru utilize repurposed materials. For the Warehouse Vanity they used an office pencil drawer, a sawhorse and several exposed light-bulbs. They wanted to combine feminine beauty with an industrial masculine feel. The light-bulbs are a reference to the classic dressing room vanity, while the sawhorse gives the vanity a new identity. The drawer allows for storage, while the pivoting mirrors on the sides help with visibility. Uhuru wanted to create a piece that would be functional and easy to make. Sawhorses come in many sizes. Once you have found a sawhorse, you can adjust the vanity top to the dimensions. Alternately, you can mount LED light strips to the top instead. Some are small enough that you can just use double-sided tape to stick them to the panel. There are usually several options to choose from.
_Cut the board to the following sizes: _One x 915 x 457mm (part A) _One x 915 x 76mm (part B) _One x 304 x 355mm (part C) _Two x 304 x 304mm (part D) _One x 304 x 101mm (part E). _For the drawer (not needed if reusing an existing drawer): _One x 457 x 381mm (part F) _Two x 457 x 32mm (part G) _Two x 355 x 32mm (part H).
Preparing the plywood _Paint both sides of the plywood (optional). _Apply felt (part I) to the bottom of the two side pieces (parts D). This will stop them from scratching the surface of the vanity. _Glue the mirrors (parts J) to the three panels (parts C and D). The wo side panels should have the mirror flush with the bottom, while the middle panel should have the mirror 3mm from the bottom to account for the felt on the bottom of the side panels. _Leave to dry for 24 hours. _When the mirrors are dry, drill holes for the four light fixtures in the top 500mm of the centre panel. We used a standard size bulb, so the hole had a 38mm diameter. Measure your lights first and adjust the size of the hole to fit. _To get a snug fit, apply a strip of adhesive felt to the inside of the hole. Be sure that the strip is no bigger than 12mm so that it doesn’t stick out.
Preparing the base _Remove the handle from the sawhorse by drilling the rivets out. You can use a 3mm drill bit and trim the extra. This will become the handle to the drawer face in Step 4. _Adjust the sawhorse to the desired height, and if you want, paint both the sawhorse and the handle. _Centre the vanity top (part A) on the sawhorse and screw through the bottom.
Assembling the drawer _Uhuru recycled a pencil drawer, but you can make one by using parts F, G and H. Follow the assembly above. _Screw the drawer face (part B) to the pencil drawer from inside. Screw the reused handle from the sawhorse to the drawer face.
Attaching the drawer _Mount the drawer to the bottom of the vanity top. Allow space for the drawer to slide beneath the sawhorse top.
Attaching the mirror section _Centre the middle bracing (part E) so that it is flush with the back of the vanity top. Secure with screws from below. _Secure the middle mirror panel (part C) in the same way by screwing from below. _Mount the hinges between the centre panel and the sides. The mirrors should line up. Secure the side panels to the hinges. _Slide the lights in through the back, and screw the light-bulbs in at the front.
_Plug in, pull up a stool and preen.