Free Your Sink: In Praise of the Freestanding Bathroom Sink

Image: Frederikke Heiberg for Bolig Magazine

There are some tried and true conventions of (mostly American) residential design and building that I sometimes wonder about. One of those is the real need for two sinks in a master bathroom—but I’m not at all certain I’m ready to take on all of the comments should I start that conversation. So I’ll go with taking a swipe at another tradition: the built-in sink. Does every bathroom really need a vanity in which to house the sink? I think not, and these examples show why.

Space Saver

Why fill up a small bath with a big vanity just so there’s a place for the sink? It’s not needed—and, if you’re prone to want the storage a vanity might provide, just add a handy shelf system and you’re all set.

Non-Compete Agreement

Design & Image: Neometro

This wall-mounted beauty comes with a handy side shelf and is perfect for a bathroom like this one where the focus is—and should be—on the tile wall. Simple and sublime.

Style Setter

Design & Image: John Lum Architecture

Which came first in this terrific industrial design, the freestanding sink or the rough décor? While in reality it doesn’t matter, I simply can’t imagine this sink if it were placed into a vanity. To me, that would ruin its unusual appeal.

A Touch of Class

Design: Dinelljohansson, Image: Oscar Properties

While it can be argued this example is not a freestanding sink, since it does have legs, the whole package—legs and rail included—goes a long way toward setting the style and tone of the space. It’s another great example of a freestanding sink that shines by standing alone, without a vanity.

Are you a fan of the freestanding sink?