Dear Debbie: We have a nice old hand-me-down chest of drawers from my grandmother and were thinking of putting it in our bathroom.
What do we need to do to reconfigure it to hold a sink? I would like to use a vessel sink.
Anon.
It’s a great idea to customize your bathroom with a piece of vintage furniture. It will add lots of character and you’ll have a story to tell.
There are a few points to consider.
The dresser should be sturdy, preferably built with solid wood, so it can withstand the weight of the sink and faucets.
The drawers will have to be removed and reconfigured as doors to make room for the plumbing.
Think about water splashing over onto the wood top, or down the front and sides.
Wood will eventually warp. Consider adding a waterproof top such as slate or marble.
If the space on the top of your dresser is an issue, install taps and faucet on the wall.
Vanities tailored to look like a piece of furniture are a popular trend and bath companies such as Kohler have a tailoring system in place that allows you to combine a custom design with stock items.
You choose the size, style, finish, storage, top, sink and accessories and they pull it all together.
Shown here are Kohler’s Poplin vanities in Felt Grey. The Margaux sink faucet and lever handles gleam in polished nickel, the same finish as on the Purist wall sconces.
Dear Debbie: Recently I was shopping for bath towels and found some big sales.
Is there any point in paying a lot for my family’s towels? There are six of us. What should I be looking for and why is there such a big difference in price?
Nancy
You have a big family to shop for, so I understand that the price point is important. Here are a few points to consider before you buy.
You want a towel that is absorbent. A quality towel has tightly woven fibres that are cut off so that they stand up. The pile or loops carry moisture into the fabric, then into the base of the towel.
So, more loops and a thicker base mean better, faster absorption. You can usually tell by feel.
The towel you want will be heavier and fluffier than the bargain towels.
You’ll find bamboo showing up more and more in home products. Bamboo is super absorbent and can be combined with cotton threads. Turkish cotton is known to be highest quality.
Plush isn’t the only option — there is also the waffle towel. These are quite thin, and because of the weave pattern, they trap and absorb moisture quickly, often faster than the fluffy towel. Waffle-weave towels dry faster, too.
If you find that your towels aren’t as fluffy as when you bought them, it could be that the fibres are getting clogged.
Always wash towels separately in warm water with not too much detergent. Add a little white vinegar to the wash and rinse well.
Do not use fabric softener, as it sticks to fibres and limits absorbency.
Put two dryer balls in the dryer to help fluff towels up.
Written by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email decorating questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. Follow Debbie at instagram.com/debbie_travis, facebook.com/thedebbietravis, debbietravis.com.
