How can I make over an antique vanity?

Yes Flipturn the woman we bought it from said it had a glass shelf but it got broke.

Thank you for the info.

You're welcome.

Post some pictures to share when the project is finished.

There no chair darn. The vanity is short so I was thinking about maybe putting legs on it.

Ellis it does have a big round mirror we just took it offers to transport it.

So you think it's from the 1940's?

The vanity did have the same big round mirror, there was a glass shelf across the opening where the two supports are. The wood finish was a veneer. The matching chair was a low seat to match the vanity height, it was wide like a small bench, and it had a low back, not a back like a dining room chair. After the relative passed on, the set went to an antique collector, so I don't know what it looks like now.

Yes, 1940's definitely!

For further reading, here are sections from an article on the subject.

What is Waterfall?

Waterfall furniture is a catchall term for molded plywood furniture that employs curved or rounded horizontal edges; hence, the term "waterfall". The furniture uses unusual veneer designs and often has clever Bakelite handles.

This was inexpensive furniture in its time. Generally, there is no "frame" -- the molded plywood sides and tops are supported by edge moldings. Often, there are no drawer glides.

Using more mundane materials, this style of furniture was mass-produced from the 1920s through the 1940s. The style is most frequently seen in Bedroom Suites, although dining sets and even billiard tables were produced.

In 1936, "Modern" Makes a Breakthrough

Modern is Acceptable Outside the Bedroom in 1939!

(top row): 1930 and 1936

(bottom row) 1937 and two pages from 1939

Click to Enlarge

The intended market was newlyweds --- during the depression, most new couples could not afford their own house; the best they could do was a room in their parents' house. Hence, the "Bedroom Suite" was probably the only thing that they owned, resulting in inordinate sentimental attachment to the furniture and a reluctance to change even though finances improved. Many couples have kept and preserved their waterfall sets until the very end. As a result many examples of the waterfall genre are available.

Technical advances made it possible to mass-produce "waterfall" furniture by adapting the "new" -- for the time -- material plywood. Before plywood was available, curves in wood could only be achieved by laborious and expensive means that were not at all suitable to the assembly line. However, technology embodied in the following patents made it possible to create a large number of attractive pieces at low cost.

The plywood is covered with veneer or paper-thin slices of real wood, giving the illusion that the piece is made of a more expensive wood, such as mahogany or oak. Veneer has a number of enemies, most significantly moisture that causes the veneer to detach itself from the underlying plywood substrate. The most common veneer damage results from storing the furniture in a humid or damp basement. The veneer loosens at the base of the object and often peels away in a manner resembling "fringe". Heat, particularly cigarette burns can be a problem. If the glue gets too hot it will swell causing bubbles to form. Cigarettes, matches, or other hot objects (i.e. curling irons) can actually destroy the veneer.

The finish is most often mahogany stain and spray shellac with very rare exceptions such as our blonde set shown below. Alcohol is the solvent for both shellac and perfume. Many times, the surface of the vanity is heavily pitted where perfume has been spilled. Our web page on Cavalier Cdar Chests describes several techniques for restoring and reinvigorating the shellac finish. The BIG NO-NO is "Do NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES use paint stripper on a waterfall piece." First, alkaline solutions are NOT the solvent for shellac and Second, the stripper will loosen the glue and the veneer will come off. So, avoid paint strippers.

Reply to Ellis,

Interesting to hear from someone who knew that their set was originally purchased as a wedding gift in 1940, as the article below does say that the intended market for this style furniture was newlyweds.