No harm in trying it out first- get a piece of butcher block that covers the pace as needed. It’ll be a raised area, but I don’t think that’s a negative.

You don't even need to remove the taps, just buy a smaller piece of butcher block.

Get a tempered glass cutting board that will fit over the sink.

I guess she just wanted a neater look. They only use one sink so she would like to have a piece that covers the faucet holes and the sink.

Those plastic vanity tops are yucky -we're ripping ours out. Before she goes to effort and expense to cover it, have her go to a stone yard and inquire about a remnant with one of their stock sinks. It may be cheaper than she thinks.

Most vanities have room to store a hair dryer, so it's not clear why she would want that much stuff out on the counter all the time.

Latifolia: great solution!! When I had my bathrooms renovated; I went to a local stoneyard and purchased quartz countertop remnants (great cost savings too).

Thank you. They will do that later on. Right now they are just looking to cover the sink. I myself just purchased a solid surface countertop from Home Depot. It’s been a nightmare. After a 4 month wait - delivery day finally came and there was a flaw so back to the drawing board. My double sink vanity (72 inches ) was over $1500. No real cheap.

If you have someone nearby that does formica countertops they usually sell the cutout piece from the sink as a cutting board for a decent price, that might work.

Get a new counter and only install one sink

Disconnect the faucet, measure, and have a mirror 1/4 inch thick cut/polished four edges/ no bevel at any auto glass shop. Will set you back about forty bucks max. Put little rubber bumpers on the bottom, it won't budge, will be cut to your exact dimensions, it.s water proof and cleans with Windex. No different than a table top glass,

Make them pay...................since they need to start their own account and research for their eventual remodel : )

Maybe look into back of the bathroom door storage ! Nothing lovely about a junked up counter top, right?

Honestly I wouldn't invest in this. I would just place the stuff in the sink.

I'm going to assume she is not storing them there, just using her hair items. She may have a brush, a flat iron heating up and a hair blower while trying to get ready. The items don't fit along the sides and edges while she is working on her hair. Even if you don't have water in the sink it is hard to shake that feeling you don't want electric items in the sink. She will have to decide what she can live with. There are a few suggestions here already. Even a piece of wood cut to size and painted. She can always stick it in the closet when she has guests.

If you plan to eventually replace the countertop, how about gluing a piece of white acrylic (cut to the size needed) over the unused sink and surrounding countertop?

LOVE your ideas - thank you! Of course a new one would be better but as I explained before, she just needs something to get by for now. They have totally gutted this home, they are 25 (just starting out) and need a chance to catch up (they did just replace the tub and tile in this bathroom but they thought they could just work something out for this sink situation). They have NO debt except for their house! So - thank you for the great ideas - love the acrylic and mirror idea - we will look into that!

Also - yes - she needs room for her blow dryer, flat iron, makeup when using it, the usual stuff.

I would leave the sink alone, and try to find a nice vanity that has space for all the hair dryers, etc etc in it. A lighted mirror on top of it, and it makes a perfect place to do hair and make up. My daughter in law has a set up like this, and it works so good for her, that she took it with when they moved a few years ago, and now they are moving again, and it will go with them to their new house too. If my memory is correct, she bought the vanity from Wayfair.

Don't use something wood, which will show damage from water over time. Don't use glass, which can chip or shatter. Buy a plain, plastic cutting board on Amazon of adequate size and set that in place until she can replace the whole thing. If you can't find the right size cutting board, go to a plastics shop and have them cut a piece to the exact measurements.

cat_ky you always have the best advice! She needs to just buy a vanity for the spare bedroom, put down a big rug and do her hair and makeup in there!!!

If she doesn’t want to this other advice is great!

Actually, I am trying to recall if my mom or dad would have taken five minutes to worry about this for me............nope! Definitely not. : )

I guess it is really bothering people that I'm helping out my daughter! haha

No, not bothering. .......just a sign of the times to those well beyond their age, perhaps : ) Or a curiosity that two young adult home owners don't stand in there and ask themselves...."mmmm, this is super annoying ! - what can we do about this for now? "!!

Dont worry, some day, you will age, and then, they will be around to help you out, like you are helping them. :-))

They make a million accessories to organize hot tools that pull from under the sink,She should really pare down, and declutter all of the product thats she uses. She probably then wouldnt have to get rid of a sink.

She must also have a silicone mat atop that countertop so she doesnt melt the plastic w her flat iron. Her main problem (coming from someone who knows) is keeping stuff she doent need.

You can always pray, I suppose : )

@JAN MOYER your idea is brilliant!

Well played, Dyan! :D I love helping my DD with her apt, not a damn thing weird or wrong about that. I wish I’d had my mom to help me, she never even got to see my first home.

Jan rules this board with a sanctimonious fist. ;)

If it were me, I’d want something decorative as well as useful, and would look for a tray. Have her take measurements of the area she wants to cover and search for that size.

Lots of different sizes and styles out there.

Dyan--I apologize for all the assumptions here. We taught our kids the skills of DIY and when they have a project we help! When a family is working it often helps to get NEW ideas. You sought some 'out of the box' new ideas and were slammed with ugly just because. It's quite sad. Why posters ASS-U-ME daughter hasn't thought of the obvious and that isn't where they want to go RIGHT NOW I don't know, but I guess it's a horrid sin! This is for sure a site where 'no problem is too small' is NOT a thing!! I love your post mostly because it points out the fallacy that double sinks are fab and counter space is not needed. Due to the other work they did I am confident they can shut off the water so no one 'accidently' showers the electric appliances!! You got a couple great ideas--no idea if daughter already thought of these on her own and knows it won't work for her...glass in the bathroom makes me nervous. I would gravitate toward the cast off counter top with tiny rubber legs vs mirror.

@Dyan Weis, meant to say — if you like the tray idea, search ottoman trays. They’re bigger than regular ones. My vanity is like your DD’s and many ottoman trays would cover the sink and faucet holes perfectly.

Example:

I measured my sink, this would cover everything:

I don’t know her style, but these come in other materials besides wood, of course, and would look intended rather than just an odd cover-up.

Just get a food service serving tray. Or a commercial baking sheet pan. Or a TV dinner table tray. Under $10. New or from a garage sale. Solution for temporary problem. Serving tray/ sheet pan will live to find new uses.

I did this exact same thing. I just used a large piece of melamine and cut to the length I wanted.

Blue Hawk 23.75-in W x 48-in D White Thermally Fuse Laminate Wood Closet Shelf in the Wood Closet Shelves department at Lowes.com

Veranda White Melamine Wood Shelf 23.75 in. D x 48 in. L 252297 (homedepot.com)

The problem with using melamine is that water splashing on bare edges will cause the melamine to swell and deteriorate.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=round+cutting+board&rh=n%3A289863%2Cp_n_material_two_browse-bin%3A720781011&dc&ds=v1%3AL7QA2ZFlKTQy%2B9ShyaNF6X6oOVeibtS38U9n7c%2FzI8c&crid=2BPZEVW2UV0RR&qid=1657053000&rnid=720779011&sprefix=round+cuting+board%2Caps%2C110&ref=sr_nr_p_n_material_two_browse-bin_2

I really like the florals.

@kudzu9 I've had it there for over a year and no problem. Definitely not enough splashing to affect it at all. It's still 8 inches away from the working sink.

I'm glad melamine works for you. I was just pointing out for the benefit of others that it has this characteristic.