Our master bathroom was a major endeavor and one of the most dramatic before and afters of our home renovation. When we first visited this house, this space off the second floor hall was divided into two rooms- a full bath and narrow laundry room. Check out the odd layout here.

Even after all the tile and fixtures were in place, our bathroom vanity gave us pause. It had to be special.

Not sure when it happened, but at some point the idea of a reclaimed wooden vanity started kicking around. We had removed several walls on the first floor and saved the gorgeous 100-year-old lumber that originally framed the house. Maybe most people wouldn’t call it ‘gorgeous’ but it so so is! It’s aged like a fine wine or a sassy old lady that still rocks her Chanel sunglasses from the 60s. The wood has a story to tell. It’s earned every dent, divot, and dimple and it can’t go into the plainer and lose all that. It can’t!

OK, getting a little overdramatic. I’ll reel in the theatrics.

We lived with a temporary vanity for the last three months but in early December I presented my Dad with several design inspiration photos and a rough sketch of this reclaimed wood vanity. I could tell he was a bit nervous to start. After all, one wrong cut and he couldn’t exactly go buy a new 100-year-old board at Home Depot.

But I had all the faith in the world in my Dad and what was installed is truly a piece of art.

The vanity is exactly how I pictured it. The top juts all the way into the space behind the shower that will eventually have some shelves for towels, soaps, etcetera- and gives us so much counter space. It really does look like it’s always been here and we built the bathroom around it.

The IKEA bins fit perfectly in the cubbies and hide all my makeup, hair products, lotions and potions.

And the best part of all is the wood. Dad discovered several markings in the planks that appear to be Roman Numerals. Check out this ‘IIIV’ below. Perhaps a way of marking the bundles in the saw mills? You think the timber men could have ever guessed where these boards would end up? “Yeah, that bundle there Jack is going to some yuppies bathroom in Winthrop!”

It’s completely unconventional but this vanity works in this bathroom. It’s rugged texture and warm tones anchor the bathroom’s clean lines, white and cream finishes, and sleek fixtures. It pays homage to the age of the house in a very new room and it’s even more special to us because my Dad constructed it. It’s our new (old) vanity- 1890 materials completely at home in 2014.

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Update: This post was featured  by Blog Better Boston’s {hub}LINKS Round Up in January 2014. We are very proud to be featured next to such fabulous Boston Bloggers!