Buying Guide: Luxury Vessel Sinks for Your Bathroom
Hand carved, above-counter sinks have created a new trend for the latest and greatest updated bathrooms. These sinks sit atop your counter space, creating a new version of a sink that looks like a three-dimensional ‘bowl.’ Available in various formats, colors, and designs, these sinks include combinations of marble, granite, sand, and stone. The chiseled and carved sculptures add an air of distinction, and can be used with a variety of faucets to create a complete and unique look.
Most Vessel sinks are between 5-6″ high, and approximately 15-18″ in diameter. They are the perfect size for all your bathroom sink-washing needs, but be warned that they are not ‘splash proof!’ Form over function is a distinct characteristic of the stone vessel sinks, as the appeal of its design and look often overrides the general function of bathroom sink. Deeper bowls of 8″ or more may prevent this problem, but the majority of stone vessel sinks fall into the 5-6″ high category. Still, a stone vessel sink is a valuable addition with it sculptured design and inspiring textures.
The top choices for Vessel sink construction are: Granite, Stone, Marble, Onyx, and Porcelain:
Granite Vessel Sinks are cut from real granite and polished to smoothness. They are usually completed and finished with chrome, and the natural components give a contemporary and stone-like addition to the bathroom countertop space. Avaialble in shades of speckled grey, white, black, pink, and orange variations, granite vessel sinks stand alone with elegance. Add a chrome or polished stainless steel faucet to complete the look.
Stone Vessel Sinks can be found in many varieties and combinations. Since most are hand-chiseled, each bowl is different and unique. This is your best option for a truly unique sculpted look, as the appeal is found in not only the contemporary design, but also the visual and tangible cuts, edging, and textures found on the outside of each bowl. Available in most colors, stone vessel sinks are the standard ‘pebble’ and ‘rock’ style sinks that can add some of nature’s inspiration to your bathroom ensemble. Choose a polished or matte stainless steel faucet to complete this look.
Marble Vessel Sinks provide the look of luxury and modern design. Fresh cut marble is exquisite on its own, and added to a vessel sink it gives provides a rich and updated look to your bathroom. Marble enhancements, inside or outside of a stone bowl, are also a popular design option. Darker shades of marble will give a strong, urban, and contemporary feel, while lighter shades such as grey or white will enhance the traditional marble stone’s look. Marble ‘cubes’ are another great enhancement, creating a mosaic-like pattern on both the inside and outside of the bowl. Choose a matte or chrome stainless steel faucet to complete this look.
Onyx Vessel Sinks are perhaps the ‘ultimate’ in vessel sinks with Japanese inspiration. Dark onyx gives a very modern and sleek vibe, and can be found not only in a bowl format, but also a flat, sushi-plate style, or square variation. The onyx is polished and smooth to perfection, offering long-lasting appeal and construction. Finish with a shiny polished or chrome stainless steel faucet for a look of ultimate distinction.
Porcelain Vessel Sinks are a growing trend, as they offer a balance of contemporary design and traditional appeal of a bathroom sink. Polished and smooth, the elegant white porcelain is akin to most traditional bathroom sinks, and is available in a variety of sizes. Finish this look with a polished stainless steel faucet for the best combination.
Installing your vessel sink will take some time and effort, as the plumbing will require different parameters than a standard sink. If you are renovating your bathroom countertop, its advisable to have a professional plumber take measurements and coordinate the installation; vessel sinks are not difficult to maintain, but they will require a different plumbing style and installation process. Vessel sinks offer the latest looks for contemporary bathrooms, with each style constructed with natural, attractive materials. Choose your favorite color and design from granite, onyx, porcelain, marble, or natural stone.
