Are designer vessel sinks here to stay? Their popularity here at Metropolitan Bath & Tile tells us “yes”. A sink style from ancient times has emerged as one of the most sought after designer bathroom trends of the 21st Century. Whether your bathroom design is traditional or exotic – there’s a vessel sink for you.

What is a Vessel Sink?

A vessel sink is a basin that sits on the countertop or piece of furniture. These basins are in all sort of sizes, depths and materials – from glass, china, ceramic to metals. There’s so many styles and materials to choose from now – ask your  Metropolitan Bath & Tile designer to show you.

You don’t have to coordinate everything with a designer vessel sink – it can be the jewel-in-the-crown, so to speak. If you have a simple tub and toilet – the sky’s the limit to what type of vessel sink you can choose. Vessel sinks are a focal point like a piece of art.

It’s a good idea to decide whether you want a vessel sink before you start planning the plumbing in your new or remodeled bathroom. The type of sink you install will impact the placement of your pipes and this should be done in the initial phase.

How High Should A Vessel Sink Be?

Vessel sinks also require a different counter height than most traditional bathroom sinks. Conventional recessed-bowl sinks sit at counter height, usually 32 to 36 inches above the floor, which is a comfortable height for most adults for brushing teeth and washing hands.Since the sink is higher, the counter height needs to be lower. Consider whether you want to lower all of the countertops in your bathroom or have counters of varying heights. You can also mount your vessel sink right on the wall with a bracket or install it on a piece of furniture designed especially for a vessel sink.

You can use almost any type of countertop material you like, so be creative:  wood planks, on concrete, on tile, including mosaic, granite, marble, glass, tile, engineered stone – whatever expresses your style.

Designer vessel sinks need special consideration when it comes to choosing their faucets because the water from the faucet should flow down into the bottom of the sink – not the sides – so as not to cause splashing. There should be enough room between the faucet and the sink for users to wash their hands or brush their teeth.

Designer vessel sinks require a counter-based faucet with a long neck that can reach up over the side of the basin and also allow adequate clearance in the basin OR a wall-mount faucet which probably is the most popular. In either case, reaching the center of the sink is the goal.

Vessel sinks are perfect in the powder room or guest room because they are so showy and elegant – they are an experience to use. Ask one of our Metropolitan Bath & Tile designers to show you what’s available in shape, materials, style – you’ll be amazed – and will most likely want to fit at least one of them into your bathroom design plans!