Upcycled Singer sewing machine as vanity

[Cyclist]

A vintage Singer treadle sewing machine upcycled for a bathroom vanity with storage. 

• The project
• Steps
• Tools and materials
• More inspiration for vintage restoration projects

Bathroom storage - Singer sewing machine drawers

The project

I'm building a one bedroom cabin and wanted something a little different for bathroom vanity and storage. An old Singer treadle sewing machine fit the bill.

Drawers were unscrewed from the base, sewing machine was removed. Old broken ply was removed and used as a template (saving the Singer motifs) and replaced with marine play. The treadle section was painted black and company motifs gold. Drawers were lacquered in a natural varnish to highlight the ply grain and to protect from the damp bathroom environment.

A salvaged piece of old marble was placed on top of the treadle section for the basin. 

Steps

Step 1

Remove old sewing machine and unscrew drawers from treadle machine base. Remove broken and cracked old ply with chisel, hammer and nail pincers. Singer sewing machine motifs were partly broken on front of some drawers and sides of the drawers.

Removing old plyPly removed and kept for templateMotif on side of drawer, to be removed and restored

Step 2

Purchase marine ply and use old ply as template for new pieces.  Cut out new pieces using a jigsaw and hand saw. Varnish new pieces.

Varnish drawers and sidesVarnish sides

Step 3

Paint removed motifs gold.

Painting motifs gold.

Step 4

Paint treadle base black and highlight Singer company motif in gold paint.

Re-painted treadle base and company motif

Step 5

Glue and nail new pieces of marine ply onto top and sides.  Re-attach gold motifs to drawers and sides.

Re-attach side motifsRe-attach drawer motifs

Step 6

Paint brackets black and attach to bathroom wall. Attach restored drawers to brackets on bathroom wall as storage unit.

Installed drawers on bathroom wall

Step 7

Place painted black treadle base against bathroom wall. Attach piece of recycled white marble on top of treadle base to hold bathroom basin. A local plumber cut out the hole in the marble for the piping and installed the taps, as I did not have the tools, the qualifications or the necessary knowledge for this step.

Basin installed on restored treadle base and recycled marble piece

Tools and materials

• Marine ply
• Dulux gold spray paint
• Dulux black spray paint
• Small brads
• Glue
• Small paint brush
• Small artist paint brush
• Screws.

Tools used in the project:

• Chisel
• Screwdriver
• Nail pincers
• Pliers
• Hammer
• Jigsaw
• Hand saw
• Clamps
• Battery drill.

More inspiration for vintage restoration projects

Bunnings Workshop member bellee78 upcycled a vintage sewing machine stand for a dressing table.

Community member Alexiou upcycled a vintage drinks cart for the dining room.

Get more inspiration from our Top 10 most popular indoor furniture projects.