How to Make a Vanity Station or E Learning Laptop Station.

Stacy Davis
by Stacy Davis
4 Materials
$120
30 Minutes
Easy

If you know me at all, you’ll not be surprised that one of the main components of this project is a stair tread. I’ve been kicking this idea around in my head for a while and it turned out even better than I could have imagined. It is so simple, yet functional. I think this would be a good laptop desk as well if you are short on space. It just dawned on me that this might be a good option for parents setting up learning centers at home. If you use the second shelf from the bottom with a child sized chair it could be perfect for Preschool, kindergartners and 1st graders. What do you think? **Now if you have children, you might want to use a bracket or two and anchor this to a wall. I don’t think it would come over easily but you never know. You probably know if you need to add this step or not. I don’t have little ones so I don’t have to do this.** Now, this setup works for me, if you want it to have more support, you can have it overhang the towel shelf more or add wall brackets beneath. Since it is a diy, you can customize it anyway you want. I just wanted to make a super simple project, that didn’t require a lot of tools or time for people.

2 IKEA Shelves


I am using two IKEA shelves. Amazon has their version and it should work as well. I looked at the dimensions and even though it is an inch and a half smaller, it should work.

Pine stair tread


You will also need a stair tread, 1 1/2 inch screws, a drill, two 1 by 2 pieces of wood that are 14 1/2 inches in length. I used a wall mirror, too but you could use a freestanding vanity top mirror instead.

The hardest part of my project was hanging the mirror. It was so dang heavy. So, I used my favorite Monkey Hooks to do it.

Masking tape to help hang the mirror


I used masking tape to go from one d-ring on the back to other d-ring. I colored in the inside area of the ring... Or you could just trace the inside.

I transferred the masking tape to the wall. I used a level to try to ensure that it was level. I made a hole in the drywall with a nail then removed the nail and fed in the Monkey Hooks. It takes a little bit of wiggling to get it in. Then I hung the mirror and I was ready to assemble the vanity.

Lay the stair tread between the two shelves overhanging slightly.

I was using two scrap pieces of 1 by 2’s so I marked them at 14 1/2 inches and cut them.

Attach 1 by 2’s to the stair tread and shelf supports


I attached it in three places on each side. Into each post and the middle into the stair tread.

I am so pleased with how it turned out.

My daughter loves it!!!

So much room for storage. You could even keep folded jeans, shorts and a bin of socks. How would you use this?

What do think? I’ll be adding a video of the assembly process tomorrow when the sun is shining.

E Learning Laptop Station

Styled as a learning station.

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  1 question
  • Shannon Lynch Shannon Lynch on Aug 18, 2020

    Did you put anything under the board you’re using as a desk as like a support of any kind? How much weight should it be able to hold, theoretically, unless you did the math somehow to figure out an exact number. That would be impressive if so. Lol. I’ve never commented on anything on here so I don’t know if I’ll know when you comment back. But I hope I do because I REALLY love this idea and my daughter is 15 and it’s hard to find something cute but simple and storage friendly that’s not too girly or too childish. Hope to hear back from ya!! TIA!!!

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 11 comments
  • Kay Kay on Sep 04, 2020

    OM light bulb moment. I have a opening between kitchen and dining room. Took my measurements and this will be a absolutely perfect coffee bar/laptop set up with a great view. Thank you!

    • Stacy Davis Stacy Davis on Sep 04, 2020

      Love, love, love that idea!! A coffee bar / laptop station... what an awesome idea!

  • Cheryl Cheryl on Sep 21, 2020

    This is a great idea! I want to make this, too!

Next