Better bathroom cheaply.

June 14, 2010 6:36 PM

I want to buy bathroom reno stuff (vanity, sink, medicine cabinet) for approximately Ikea-prices, but not at Ikea, and preferably somewhere in Toronto.

Any suggestions for stores? (I just want to explore other options than those available at ikea.) Or for specific tradespeople who would make custom stuff, fairly inexpensively? Overall, i want to keep my costs low, and i figure the easiest way to do that is to eliminate a lot of expensive labour. My theory is that ikea products mean i can install/assemble everything myself, but i'd love any alternative suggestions for doing a partial bathroom reno cheaply.

posted by Kololo to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Check out the habitat for humanity ReStore. It's hit or miss, but you might hit and the money goes to a good cause.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:39 PM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

I bought the exact pedestal sink I wanted on Craigslist, for 1/4 the price.
posted by sulaine at 6:47 PM on June 14, 2010

2nd the ReStore -- if you go to the one at 29 Bermondsey Road, there is also a place directly across the street with discount cabinets and tiles that may be of interest.
posted by kaudio at 6:55 PM on June 14, 2010

Also consider non-bathroom furniture for the bathroom. Look at craigslist for shelves for storage and a small hutch, dresser or table for the "vanity".

You don't have to get a vanity tho. They can be pricey. Get a wall mounted sink and other little cabinet for storage.
posted by beccaj at 7:02 PM on June 14, 2010

It doesn't entirely address the Ikea aspect but if you aren't in a hurry, good stuff comes up on Kijiji if you set up an RSS.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:15 PM on June 14, 2010

I did non-bathroom furniture -used an old "colonial" drysink as my sink console, just added a vessel basin & faucet. Found a cheap antique cabinet, as a linen closet. You should be able to find cheap older, heavier, full wood furniture at barn sales and the like. I don't know that you want veneered pieces, as especially lower priced ones may peal from moisture rather quickly.
posted by kellyblah at 3:31 AM on June 15, 2010

This may not apply for actual hardware like a sink, but we just replaced our brand-new Ikea vanity with a similar one from Home Depot because the Ikea one was too deep; we kept smacking our heads on the bottom whenever we leaned down to wash our faces. The Home Depot one was significantly cheaper in actuality and just as quality.
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:17 AM on June 15, 2010

By "vanity" I mean mirror cabinet. Apologies if I have my bathroom-furniture terminology mixed up!
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:18 AM on June 15, 2010

Response by poster: sooo.... really there isn't an alternative to Ikea, i guess. (ReStore, kijiji and craigslist are perfectly reasonable solutions, but not really what i was hoping for - i don't really want to have spend months waiting for the right thing to randomly come along.)

Oh well! Thanks anyway.
posted by Kololo at 10:24 PM on June 15, 2010