Following your basin instincts

THE humble washbowl is no longer hiding in the recesses of the bathroom

The combination of materials, including a ceramic basin from Kohler, brass-finished taps and rendered walls, create a sense of warmth.

SHOWING off your new bathroom to friends used to be an exercise in concealment.
We hid the toilet and the shower while the basin was often recessed into a white-on-white vanity.

But while we’re all happy to continue keeping the loo and even the shower out of the way, the bathroom vanity and basin has come to the fore as a chance to express your style.

Builders used to shudder at the thought of installing anything other than standard bathroom cabinetry but these days almost anything goes, from adapting antique washstands to brand new console tables and chests of drawers.

While this can be tricky, it’s the perfect entry point for the above counter basin — also known as a vessel sink — which offers flexibility in design as well as easier installation in many cases.

This bathroom by designer Alexander Lotersztain for Caroma has a wall-mounted vanity with basin against a mirrored wall.

Pastel sinks, such as the Eden bench mount basin from Highgrove Bathrooms are proving popular.

If space is tight, you can still get the above-counter basin look with a wall-mounted basin like the Kado Aspect solid wall basin from Reece.

Although traditionally manufactured in ceramics, Candana Bathrooms managing director Marc Reed says there are so many different basin surfaces available to buyers now, from concrete and stone to ceramics and solid surfaces such as Corian, it has opened up the whole design conversation in bathrooms.

“All these new finishes are giving the home more warmth and texture than before,” he says. “They also give more flexibility to create organic shapes that the older surfaces were not able to produce due to their production limitations.”

RETURN TO THE NEW

If there’s something familiar about an above counter basin, it might be its similarity to the freestanding wash basins of old. Rather than the clinical look that once dominated bathroom design, it’s symbolic of our changing attitude towards the bathroom as a place of rejuvenation and sanctuary.

The black-honed Mica countertop vessel bathroom basin is available in both round and square format from Kohler. Team it with brass accessories for a little drama.

The ModernLife basins from Kohler are designed with no sharp corners and the CleanCoat finish for easy maintenance.

Apart from their good looks, they generally allow for a deeper basin for plenty of water.

Although there are plenty of purpose-designed basins on the market, you can use almost any watertight vessel for your basin, although finding the right plumber to install something bespoke might cost a little more.

This might explain the popularity of circular or oval basins but there’s plenty of opportunity to play around with shapes, size and textures opting for something more angular or, alternatively, more organic.

If space is super tight, you can get a similar feel with a wall-mounted basin, especially if it has a shelf behind the tap or under the sink.

More: Caroma, caroma.com.au
Highgrove Bathrooms, highgrovebathrooms.com.au
Kohler, kohler.com.au
Reece, reece.com.au