Vessel sinks are designed to sit on top of a bathroom vanity or counter, instead of being sunk into the counter like most traditional sinks. They can be made of just about any material, from fired ceramic to tempered glass. The sinks can come in just about any shape or color and many of them can be stand alone pieces of art on their own.
Originally considered high-end designer items, generally only the wealth could afford vessel sinks. Today, however, with the rise in popularity of the item you can pick up one of these beautiful pieces for an average of $235, and even lower if you look around.
When choosing your vessel sink, take into consideration the rest of your bathroom décor. With the near limitless choices in sink designs, you’ll be able to choose a sink to match what you have done or what you intend to do with your bathroom. Also be sure to choose appropriate faucets, because vessel sinks present the unique challenge of a high rim the faucet will have to clear.
You can choose a cast stone vessel sink, which would be available in any color between white and black, thanks to the ability to dye the stone in its liquid form before it’s set. You could also choose a sink made from glass, ceramics, copper or even marble. The best advantage to a vessel sink, from a design point of view, is that you can mix and match different sinks with different faucets and even different counter top types. This style of sink provides the freedom to decorate your bathroom literally any way you like.
You could mount your sink on a favorite vanity, or have furniture custom made to fit it. You could even mount it on a metal sculpture and build a shelf around it for counter area. Your design ideas are limitless. The sinks are also very easy to change if you choose too, and almost always beautiful on their own.
There are, of course, disadvantages. If you mount them on top of a counter top, they can be difficult to clean around the base. They also have no overflow relief drains, as they are above the counter top. Vessel sinks are also secure at only one point, instead of around the entire rim. To partially remedy this and add stability, you can recess the sink partially into the counter for added stability.
Vessel sinks can be a very beautiful addition to your bathroom, if done correctly. Installation, especially for an experienced DIY guy, can be very simple and relatively inexpensive. If you’re looking to make an impression with your bathroom, a vessel sink is definitely an idea to think about, especially now that they’ve become so affordable. photo credit: Morgon Mae