Gutted my bathroom vanity with a $10 can of paint, now it looks like a custom piece

I painted my old oak vanity a deep navy blue using a quart of Behr from the oops pile at Home Depot. The whole thing cost me $10 and took about 2 hours, but now guests keep asking where I bought the vanity. Anyone else tried painting their cabinets instead of replacing them?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jade7d ago

Ngl, you definitely called me out on the oak grain thing - I spent a solid 20 minutes just staring at those deep grooves wondering if I was about to create a future chip factory. Tbh, you're probably right that a factory finish would outlast me, but I'm also the kind of person who buys a fixer-upper house because I like the thrill of making things worse before they get better. The humidity point is fair too, my bathroom basically doubles as a steam room after my 15 minute showers that I swear are only 5 minutes. Honestly though, I figure if the paint starts peeling in a few months, that just means I get to try another oops paint color for cheap. It's like a revolving door of DIY decisions and I'm here for it.

leo_campbell7d ago

Paint can look decent for a minute but it never holds up on cabinets long term. That oak has those deep grain patterns that just scream for paint to chip and peel at the edges after a few months of opening and closing. The humidity from the sink alone is gonna wreck that navy blue finish, especially around the handles. Plus you lost all the natural wood character which oak people actually spend money to keep. A proper factory finish or real replacement would have lasted decades without looking rough.