In contemporary bathroom design, vessel sinks have become increasingly popular over the past few years, combining warm visual appeal with modern design concepts. Bathroom vessel sinks add a significant level of style and elegance to any home, eliminating the drab feel of standard bathroom sinks and replacing it with one of graceful purity.

Most vessel sinks resemble works of pottery, giving the illusion of a bowl sitting atop your bathroom counter. Unlike traditional pottery, however, manufacturers can design these elegant sinks from a wide variety of sturdy yet eye appealing materials. Materials such as marble or granite require a certain level of care and maintenance, and others such as glass or copper may only fit in with a specific motif. Being that vessel sinks evoke a specific design style, the construction material should be kept in mind to keep with the general character of the bathroom in which the sink will be situated.

Plumbing and faucets are often issues to consider when installing vessel sinks in your bathroom. With vessel sinks, there are two appropriate types of faucets – wall-mounted or counter-top mounted. In either design choice, faucet height and water pressure will need to be adressed, since too great a height or too high of water pressure will create significant water splash. If placement is too low, you risk not having room to use the sink for its intended purpose.

Both choices have their own plumbing issues. Wall-mounted requires the plumbing to come through the wall and counter-top mounted will have the plumbing come up through the cabinetry. A wall-mounted faucet has the advantage of allowing for placement at any height, whereas a counter-top faucet is easily switched out as the owner sees fit. Glass sinks or others made of translucent materials require that the sink sit atop the counter rather being recessed. If a glass bowl were used for a recessed sink, the plumbing would be clearly visible in the cabinet below.

As with any home improvement, the aesthetic advantages must always be weighed against the practical implications. With the right planning and care, bathroom vessel sinks provide a beautiful improvement to any home.

If you want a classy upscale look, perhaps a clear glass vessel sink is a good choice for you. A more rustic setting would be great for a copper bathroom sink, or you can add a lot of fun color with a glass mosaic bathroom sink. The choices are really endless, so plan on spending some time making this decision.

Smaller sinks usually work well in the bathroom, which is another reason a vessel sink is a good choice here. In situations with 2 sinks, mounting 2 vessels near each other is a great way to make the sink area a real focal point of your bathroom’s theme. Sinks are both functional and a piece of decor. You do not have many opportunities in the bathroom to make one choice that impacts both of those things, so choose wisely when selecting your sink.

Another more functional thing to consider is your current bathroom plumbing. If you select a sink that requires a different plumbing scheme or placement of the water and drain sources, make sure your budget will allow for the potential plumbing costs. For example, if you currently have a small drop in type of bathroom sink, but you want to switch to a vessel sink, you will find your plumbing will probably not work with the new sink without some modification. As we talked about earlier, a vessel sink sits on top of a cabinet, so the lip of the sink will generally be higher than other types of sink. Also consider your old faucet will probably not be high enough to reach over the lip of the sink, so new bathroom faucets will be in order for your new vessel sink. A popular mounting position for the plumbing with vessel sinks is the wall mount. With this set up, the water lines are run inside the wall to the correct height, then the faucet and water knobs are mounted to the wall so they are positioned properly over the lip of the vessel sink. Another great benefit of this is the water lines are not visible at all.

Whatever sink you choose for your bathroom, make sure you take advantage of it’s prominent position and ability to be a piece of decor and not just a place to wash your hands. The right vessel sink in your bathroom will do both of those things and will be a focal point to your bathroom’s style. The right bathroom vessel sink will have your friends complimenting you long after they have washed their hands.