Beautiful Basins

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In the past, sinks served a strictly utilitarian purpose — wash and rinse, be it your dishes, your hands or your delicate clothing. Sinks today, however, are available in an almost endless array of options and, with the vast range of choices, homeowners no longer need to sacrifice style for function. Here are some of the most innovative and popular options on the market.

		Glass Designed for use in the bathroom, glass sinks are offered in vessel and slab shapes with both shapes designed to sit on top of the counter. “Glass sinks are meant to show,” says Eric Moore, an interior designer with Kohler. “They look hand-crafted and are great in either a contemporary or traditional setting.”

		Wet Surface One of the newest options in kitchen and bath sinks, wet surface sinks provide a working space adjacent to the basin but under the counter. “Wet surface sinks are very functional and practical because they allow you to do more at the sink and make cleanup easier,” Moore says. Wet surface sinks also are available sized for kitchen islands.

		Integrated Top A great option for bathrooms, integrated top sinks have no separation between the sink and counter. Integrated tops are often used with a furniture-style base, an option growing in popularity for smaller baths that need storage but don’t have much space.

		Wading Pool A unique new design for the bath, wading pools are extremely shallow sinks meant to accentuate the beauty of flowing water. Like vessel sinks, wading pools sit on top of the counter.

		Triple Basin For the ultimate multi-tasker, triple basin sinks offer enough room to soak, wash and rinse, all at once. Many triple (and double) basin sinks also offer basins of differing sizes and depths within the same sink.

		Low Saddle A truly clever innovation for the kitchen, low saddle sinks have a shorter saddle (the bar that divides the sink basins) allowing for easier cleanup of bulky or oversized items.
Photos courtesy of Kohler

Regardless of the style of sink you choose, Gray Uhl, director of design for American Standard, reminds homeowners to also consider the “basics” such as durability, cleanability and height. “You want the sink to hold up for the life of you home, a material that’s easy to keep clean and a work surface at a comfortable height,” he notes.