The bathroom vanity: smallest cabinet job in the house
A bathroom vanity is one or two doors and a couple of drawers — maybe 20–30 sq ft of surface to refresh. That's a Saturday project at most, and the visual impact transforms the whole room. Below are three approaches: a quick-fix wrap, a no-prep paint, and a full bonded paint kit.
Why bathroom cabinets differ from kitchen cabinets
Two things make bathrooms easier and harder. Easier — much less surface to cover and almost no daily grease. Harder — constant humidity and water splashes mean adhesives and unsealed paint fail faster than they would in a bedroom. Pick the option that handles moisture, not the cheapest one.
Contact paper / vinyl wrap — renter favorite
d-c-fix or Con-Tact at $0.40 per sq ft, applied with a squeegee. On a 25 sq ft vanity that's $10 of material and one hour of work. Marble or matte black wraps fake a stone-and-modern look convincingly. Reseal the edges with clear caulk where the vanity meets the wall and floor to keep water from getting under.
Chalk paint — quick but seal it
Rust-Oleum Chalked or Annie Sloan goes on without primer. In a bathroom you must topcoat with wax or polycrylic — water and chalk paint do not mix. Two coats of paint plus two coats of polycrylic gets you 3–4 years before noticeable wear.
Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations — the bonded option
The kit at $80–100 has a bond coat that genuinely sticks to humid bathroom surfaces. Best lifespan of the three options (5–7 years) but it's a 3-day project mostly because of cure time between coats.