While fancy faucets and fashionable towel holders can add flair to a bland bathroom, there’s only so much that kind of accessorizing can do when it comes downplaying an outdated bathroom sink.
Today's contemporary sink designs can add everything from a smidge of updated haute couture for the home decorating neophyte to a sizable fashion statement for those who want to get creative with high style.
At Moen Incorporated, the number one brand in faucet and fixtures for kitchen and bath in North America, the company encourages consumers to envision the finished “look and feel” of the bathroom when selecting new fixtures -- large or small. Sink design is one of the biggest factors in a bathroom’s overall look because it’s a prominent focal point. Placement, style and size will dictate what you select as the best look and value for your money, but choices are numerous and designs are fabulous.
The biggest design trends are those that borrow from the past but bring new attitude that harmonizes with today's forward-looking styles and mix of materials:
- Brushed metals replace plain chrome finishes for understated cool or warm tones
- Less angular corners give chic appeal to deep basin Farmhouse styles
- Art Glass offers bold colors and drama
- Updated Vessel-styles blend Old World simplicity with cutting edge design
Brushed metals are big. Muted silvers, coppers, bronze and golds are the new treasures in sinks, faucets and accessories. Current market conditions are fetching higher prices for metals, like copper, but they bring a look of refinement and polish to the bath with stylish, easy to clean surfaces.
Farmhouse Sinks
One of the best design choices that will withstand changing fads in interior décor, the farmhouse-style basin is bigger and deeper than standard size sinks. New designs have soft corners that boost its sophistication. This style is also being reinvented with contemporary stone and marble basins, and because of its depth is great in homes where there is a lot of activity in the bathroom from brushing teeth to washing a small pet.
Art Glass Sinks
Bold colors and designs separate these sinks from plain glass sinks. Art Glass isn't mass produced, but rather hand crafted and often hand blown. This distinction makes sinks in this category pricey, and often considered luxury items, but the resulting one-of-a-kind pieces are truly works of art with unique shapes and detailing far from the ordinary. Art Glass comes in the form of vessel and more traditional undermount sink styles, and many can be custom made to coordinate with your selected room colors and décor.
Vessel Sinks
Made to sit above the counter, unlike traditional sink designs, vessel sinks evoke the idea of centuries-old wash basins that were used before the advent of running water. This free-standing design focuses attention on the boldness of the sink itself and for that reason this style mixes well with standard white or bisque-colored fixtures in most bathrooms. Because of being mounted atop the counter, vessel sinks are finished completely on all sides with no rough surfaces. This style, more than others, offers big drama in sink shape, either ultra deep or quite shallow, round, oval or square. The dynamics of the vessel style give you the opportunity to create big impact or simple symmetry.
Before making your choice, plan for how time and trends may influence your tastes, and how many dollars you're willing to commit to a certain look. Don't let fads influence your selection. Buy what you love but also what's practical for the sink's everyday uses, not just for visual appeal.
Home decorating fads will always change. But with careful, forward-thinking your sink choice can provide a solid décor foundation and make a statement that fits into your lifestyle for a long time to come.
Chris Conard-Shultz - Contributing editor with Homes & Gardens of South Central PA. Regular contributor to "Go" magazine, monthly inflight pub of AirTran ...
