4 Statement-Making Bathroom Sinks
White ceramic not your thing? Look to copper, glass or wood to get your creativity flowing
To make a design statement in a bathroom, your first impulse might be to focus on something large and visual, such as a bold wall color or graphic wallpaper. Nothing wrong with that. But to really create something interesting, consider turning your attention to an object that you and guests interact with the most, such as the sink. Here, four bathrooms show how the addition of an out-of-the-ordinary sink invites interaction with big style.
2. Glass
Designer: Jodi Goldberg of Jodi G. Designs
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Size: 15 square feet (1.4 square meters); 5 by 3 feet
Homeowners’ request: Bring visual interest to an otherwise functioning powder room
Sink: A clear glass pedestal sink was made to order. “We designed the space around this sink to make it pop,” says designer Jodi Goldberg.
Other special features: Metallic gold wallpaper; original artwork
Designer secret: “I think people are still afraid of wallpaper,” Goldberg says. “It went away for so many years, but now there are so many unique patterns, designs and textures.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Our plumber came to look at the sink when it arrived, and he looked at us a little concerned, as he had never installed a sink like this,” Goldberg says. “We ended up having to redo a little of the plumbing so there wasn’t as much showing through the glass where it would look messy. Our plumber really solved some problems, and the homeowner was relieved.”
Also on the team: Pacific Architects; CWB (contractor); Edward Cella Art + Architecture (art gallery); Nancy Neil (photography)
Elliptic pedestal sink: Sinks Gallery; Textured Foil wallpaper in Platinum: Chateau Chambord collection, MDC Wallcoverings; artwork: Kendell Carter; mirror: Made Goods
Designer: Jodi Goldberg of Jodi G. Designs
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Size: 15 square feet (1.4 square meters); 5 by 3 feet
Homeowners’ request: Bring visual interest to an otherwise functioning powder room
Sink: A clear glass pedestal sink was made to order. “We designed the space around this sink to make it pop,” says designer Jodi Goldberg.
Other special features: Metallic gold wallpaper; original artwork
Designer secret: “I think people are still afraid of wallpaper,” Goldberg says. “It went away for so many years, but now there are so many unique patterns, designs and textures.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Our plumber came to look at the sink when it arrived, and he looked at us a little concerned, as he had never installed a sink like this,” Goldberg says. “We ended up having to redo a little of the plumbing so there wasn’t as much showing through the glass where it would look messy. Our plumber really solved some problems, and the homeowner was relieved.”
Also on the team: Pacific Architects; CWB (contractor); Edward Cella Art + Architecture (art gallery); Nancy Neil (photography)
Elliptic pedestal sink: Sinks Gallery; Textured Foil wallpaper in Platinum: Chateau Chambord collection, MDC Wallcoverings; artwork: Kendell Carter; mirror: Made Goods
3. Wood
Designer: Jens Quilitzsch of Baucos Group
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Size: 275 square feet (25.5 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: An updated bathroom with contemporary Asian style and custom features fit for aging in place
Sink: The commissioned sink was designed by Jens Quilitzsch. It’s made from dense Asian hardwood that has a strong natural resistance to mold and rot. “The sink is reminiscent of old Japanese ladles as they can be found in historic bathhouses,” Quilitzsch says. An ebony inlay runs the length of the center of the sink. The sink is mounted to steel posts and is not supported by the cabinets below, which allows the vanity to be turned into a wheelchair-friendly feature should the need arise.
Other special features: A vanity wall designed around three steel posts that have a special mounting bracket to allow for expansion and contraction without compromising the tile floor; cabinetry between the posts that is designed to provide a lot of storage with a strong emphasis on clean lines; LED lighting
Also on the team: Justin Ruyle of Splinter (cabinetmaker); Lantz Newell of Applied Home Solutions (framing); Joel Ray of JR Tile Co. (tilework); Darshan Phillips (photography)
Custom sink: Baucos Group; faucet: Dornbracht
Designer: Jens Quilitzsch of Baucos Group
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Size: 275 square feet (25.5 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: An updated bathroom with contemporary Asian style and custom features fit for aging in place
Sink: The commissioned sink was designed by Jens Quilitzsch. It’s made from dense Asian hardwood that has a strong natural resistance to mold and rot. “The sink is reminiscent of old Japanese ladles as they can be found in historic bathhouses,” Quilitzsch says. An ebony inlay runs the length of the center of the sink. The sink is mounted to steel posts and is not supported by the cabinets below, which allows the vanity to be turned into a wheelchair-friendly feature should the need arise.
Other special features: A vanity wall designed around three steel posts that have a special mounting bracket to allow for expansion and contraction without compromising the tile floor; cabinetry between the posts that is designed to provide a lot of storage with a strong emphasis on clean lines; LED lighting
Also on the team: Justin Ruyle of Splinter (cabinetmaker); Lantz Newell of Applied Home Solutions (framing); Joel Ray of JR Tile Co. (tilework); Darshan Phillips (photography)
Custom sink: Baucos Group; faucet: Dornbracht
4. Copper in Hammered Nickel
Designers: Ranjit Gupta of Cornerstone Architects and Glynis Wood of Glynis Wood Interiors
Location: Brownsville, Texas
Size: 44 square feet (4.1 square meters); 8 by 5½ feet
Homeowners’ request: Bring a big wow factor to a small powder bathroom
Sink: The copper vessel sink has a hammered nickel finish. “We wanted a rustic yet elegant sink that would accentuate the floating Calacatta marble countertop,” says designer Glynis Wood.
Other special features: Mosaic tile feature wall; statement mirror
Designer secret: “The play of lighter, neutral colors and materials helps highlight and focus the mirror and sink as display artifacts,” Wood says.
Also on the team: Pablo Martinez of Martinez Contractors; Tre Dunham of Fine Focus Photography
Nirvana copper sink in hammered nickel: Thompson Traders; mirror: Area; Hulu mosaic tile in gray: Roman series, Elysium via International Carpet (Brownsville); countertops: Calacatta Gold; sconce lights: Arteriors
More: You Can Turn That Into a Bathroom Vanity?
Designers: Ranjit Gupta of Cornerstone Architects and Glynis Wood of Glynis Wood Interiors
Location: Brownsville, Texas
Size: 44 square feet (4.1 square meters); 8 by 5½ feet
Homeowners’ request: Bring a big wow factor to a small powder bathroom
Sink: The copper vessel sink has a hammered nickel finish. “We wanted a rustic yet elegant sink that would accentuate the floating Calacatta marble countertop,” says designer Glynis Wood.
Other special features: Mosaic tile feature wall; statement mirror
Designer secret: “The play of lighter, neutral colors and materials helps highlight and focus the mirror and sink as display artifacts,” Wood says.
Also on the team: Pablo Martinez of Martinez Contractors; Tre Dunham of Fine Focus Photography
Nirvana copper sink in hammered nickel: Thompson Traders; mirror: Area; Hulu mosaic tile in gray: Roman series, Elysium via International Carpet (Brownsville); countertops: Calacatta Gold; sconce lights: Arteriors
More: You Can Turn That Into a Bathroom Vanity?
Designers: Architect Robert Clarke of CBI Design Professionals and interior designer Colleen Farrell of Colleen Farrell Design
Location: Clinton Township, Michigan
Size: 40 square feet (3.7 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Strong, timeless and old-world charm for a bathroom near a cigar room and wine cellar.
Sink: A self-rimming copper vessel with an iron bracket mounts to a piece of limestone with a split-face edge.
Other special features: Hand-distressed oak doors; iron detailing
Designer secret: “Adding the stone backing to the wall gives a sense of permanence to an otherwise lightweight sink,” says designer Colleen Farrell.
“Uh-oh” moment: “The angled wall above the sink limits the options for what you might normally see above a sink,” Farrell says. “This gave us all the more excuse to eliminate the usual mirror and communicate that this cigar room and wine cellar area is one to relax [in] and enjoy without primping.”
Self-rimming copper sink with iron wall bracket: CP-03 with CP-03STD, Stone Forest; Jacobean wall-mount lavatory faucet: Newport Brass; lighting: Steven Handelman Studios; door hardware: Baldwin