Shelf for vanity

Consider shelf-liner contact paper. Cherry flavor of course.

??? Is this a bathroom vanity you are asking about? Is this shelves for the cabinet part below? If so, and they are behind a door, I'd go with wire shelves hung on the little clips, so you can get them out of the way to work on the plumbing. Wood shelves inside a vanity live short lives, because it always damp in there. Wire shelves don't have that problem. If this is for some sort of above-the-counter shelving, I have never seen a vanity come with those, unless maybe as a kit with a matching medicine cabinet and/or mirror. Take a door off to carry with you as a color match, and go visit all the local dealers and see what they have. A specialty kitchen/bath dealer will have a wider selection than a big box store. Most expensive choice- most towns have a custom cabinet and millwork shop, that can match anything. But you will pay, there.

It's a bathroom vanity, and a wire shelf seems a good choice: chrome finish would match the pipes.

However, I would not bet on finding one with such an odd width (21"). What is the trick to cut to the desired size preserving a weight-bearing edge?

Is glass shelving not an option? That'll give you the right kind of thickness without being intrusive and without the "plywood look".

Thinking the same thing. Glass shelves are perfect for that application and will produce a much nicer appearance.

i'd use tempered glass in this application.

If you do go for wood look for a specialty wood store rather than a general lumber yard. I looked in the phone book for my area and see several.

My thoughts exactly. But custom cut, then tempered glass can get expensive.

Agreed, but maybe the shelf length is what you would get in a cheaper metal or wood medicine cabinet, and it would be cheaper to just buy the metal/wood cabinet only for the shelves. I am thinking, based on some recent tempered glass I had made up, that each shelf would cost at least $25 if you have them custom cut and then tempered.

???? Glass shelves inside a low enclosed cabinet? In an area with poor lighting, water, and barefoot people? Does this vanity not have doors on the front? I've never seen an open-front vanity, but I suppose such things may exist.

Any store that sells 'closet system' stuff will be able to provide suitable wire shelving. 12" deep by 21" wide will be no problem. They can cut the 12" stock to length. 21" deep by 12" may take some hunting. They also will have all sorts of preformed little baskets and trays and hooks and such to match. White plastic-coated is the most popular, but other colors, chrome, and brush nickel, are out there. This is hidden space, folks. Durability, cleanability, and air flow are the things to look for. IMHO, anyway.

Personally, I would just get the closest-fit plastic restaurant tub (the gray things the busboys use), slide that in the vanity, and call it done. The tub protects against leaking containers of bowl cleaner and such, and against the inevitable drain trap leak. And it is a lot easier to find stuff down there by sliding the tub out like a drawer, than by bending over and banging your head, or kneeling with bare knees on a tile floor.

-- aem sends....

Agreed, we have a double pull-out under our sink and it sure beats bending way over to peer underneath in a dark area to find something.

We used birch in our cupboards and matched the color by staining. They are slide-out drawers and this would be most beneficial under the sink. 3/8", I think, which is more than enuf. Hardware was bought at Rockler.

Good luck. AnnE staining is easy, ya know!

You can get all sorts of veneer plywood at any of the woodworking stores like Rockler.

They even sell through Amazon if you didn't want to go to one locally. :)