When planning your bathroom, you need to use the space wisely and keep the fixtures and fittings in proportion to the size of the room. If you are fitting a small bathroom, cloakroom or en-suite, there are sinks which are designed specifically for that purpose. Larger bathrooms can carry the more modern oversized sinks, or maybe you want to install more than one to speed up those busy mornings!

Taps

Flexibility and choice are very important so sinks may be supplied with 1, 2 or 3 tapholes which allows you to select alternative tap configurations to the conventional pair of pillar taps. Remember though to check that the taps you choose will fit the sink, because although the size of the taphole will be constant from sink to sink, the amount of space the base of the tap takes up may differ. This is particularly important with sinks with a narrow tapledge. Of course if you opt for a sink without tapholes, you could install wall-mounted taps instead.

Materials

Ceramic is by far the most popular and affordable material used in the manufacture of sinks, and is the most hygienic and durable. Provided you look after it properly, remove limescale buildup and take care to avoid any accidental damage it will still look as good as new after 10 years use.

Stylish alternatives such as glass or steel will need more work to keep them looking good. Toughened glass is a strong as ceramic and no longer carries the high price ticket it used to, but needs to be wiped clean after every use to remove watermarks. Steel has an industrial chic quality to it and is impossible to chip, but it can be easily scratched, so take care when cleaning the surface. Stone and marble may look fantastic and make your bathroom the envy of all your friends, but it is extremely heavy and will definitely blow the budget.

Wood has begun to be used to produce very individual sinks in an organic twist to the ‘neutral and natural’ theme to bathroom design, with the advantage that it will not break if you drop something into it. The colour will change though and generally darken with age, although strong sunlight will bleach the wood, so if you prefer a consistent look then it probably won’t be your first choice.

Advantages:
It creates an open space in your bathroom for extra storage and it’s very easy to clean.

A wall hung sink is also known as a suspended sink and the phrase applies to other pieces in the bathroom such as toilets and bidets too, but essentially this is where the basin and pedestal are fixed to the wall but do not touch the floor. It is a more modern style than what is commonly found in the UK, although it is gaining in popularity. One of the most obvious benefits is that you can clean underneath it very easily.

Advantages:
It’s a great sink to choose if your bathroom is small, or if you want a nostalgic look. It’s also very easy to clean around.

In Scotland the most popular type of bathroom sink is the basin with pedestal.

The pedestal usually fits into a recess on the underside of the basin and is attached to the floor using hidden screw-holes on the inside at the bottom. The basin is fixed to the wall using screws underneath the basin or sometimes they are supplied with hidden brackets.

This type of bathroom sink can be installed on any wall, as most of the basin weight is supported by the pedestal. The pedestal also helps to hide the supply and waste pipes attached to the basin when viewed from the front.

You cannot usually mix and match bathroom basins and pedestals as each basin has a shaped recess underneath the bowl which corresponds to the shape of the pedestal. As pedestal shapes vary from make to make it means you cannot mix and match between makes and models (the pedestal is usually one of the cheapest items in a bathroom suite so there is very little reason the swap).

Advantages:
It provides a lot of storage and counterspace.

Advantages:
It will give your bathroom a nice open, airy feel. You’ll also find you much more of the valuable counter space you need.

Strictly speaking, a console table is an architectural term for angled brackets used to support any kind of shelf. Currently used for any kind of high table intended to be used against a wall.

Unlike pedestal lavatories, where the lavatory and matching pedestal are purchased together as a unit, console tables are sold in a variety of configurations, which allows for a complete custom look.

Sinks may be self-contained or installed in or on a custom counter top or table. A wide variety of tap styles are available.

Console legs are available in a variety of styles and finishes, including hand-crafted iron, wood and metal.

A console table offers a unique alternative to a pedestal or counter top lavatory.