606 Bathroom Sinks

Bathroom vanities with sinks: The best of both worlds

Bathroom vanities with built-in sinks are a great option, especially when space constraints mean that you can’t have a freestanding basin. While some standard vanity units come with pre-designed and outfitted sinks, others can be customised based on the material and style you’re after.

Decide the method of installation to know which bathroom vanities and sinks will work for your house. Should the basin taps, and therefore tapholes, be aligned with any part of the vanity and drainage pipes? Are you after an undermount sink, or should it be self-rimmed and raised? Are you looking at a slightly protruding basin that leaves you with more benchtop space?

Other areas to consider involve colour, material, size, and - if you have a big family - number. The easiest way to beat the bathroom rush hour is to install double basins, with benches to match.

Make room for bathroom accessories

The more benchtop space there is, the happier everyone will be. Make room for toiletries of all shapes and sizes by leaving ample space on either side of the sinks. Since most of these bathroom accessories - from toilet cases to face wash tubes - get wet quite often, you’ll need vanity units made with water-resistant (and mould-resistant) material. For instance, a timber bathroom vanity will need to be treated with timber oils to make it more durable around water and moisture.

Sinks that are custom-made for vanity units

If you’ve fallen in love with a particular bathroom vanity or even a china cabinet that you fancy in the bathroom, you can match it to a custom-made basin. But this might not be a project for the DIY artist in you. Aligning drainage pipes to specific cut-outs in the cabinet, along with outfitting the basin to the bathroom vanity, will require a fair bit of skill and specialised tools. This is when a bathroom designer or specialist comes to the rescue.

Bathroom basins that fit right in

There’s a bathroom basin out there for every kind of home owner - from dainty little hand basins to large ceramic sinks that look stunning against wide marble benchtops, a simple undermount sink or an elaborate wall hung basin with three tapholes. Whichever one the basin of your dreams might be, it’s crucial to consider your home’s decor. It would be a bit jarring to leave a gorgeous coastal style living room to enter a sharp industrial bathroom with a stainless steel sink. Focus on choosing vanity basins or freestanding sinks that blend in perfectly with your home.

Don’t forget the bathroom taps

No basin is complete without the right bathroom taps. Apart from paying attention to more obvious bathroom fixtures, like lights and sinks, you also need to spend some time on tapware. Look for well designed bathroom taps that match the sinks in material and type of use. If you’re buying the sinks and taps (or mixers) separately, be sure to match the taphole size and number. Basin taps are usually sold alongside the vanity units - either as a package or as a recommendation.

At the end of the day, trust your instinct. Tap, basin or vanity - they’re all meant to make your life easier. Pick materials that need the kind of attention you’re willing to give.