In recent years, cottage style bathrooms have seen a lot of renewed popularity, not the least because this look works so well in a small bathroom. With the resurgence of this classic style, pedestal sinks have gotten new life, too, and have even become a hot item for bathrooms of all sizes, even ones that don’t stick to a traditional cottage inspired design. Though it might sound strange coming from someone who continually touts the importance of good storage options, this is actually a trend I’d love to see more of, and one I’d recommend to just about anyone for a number of reasons.
Clean, Classic Look
The popularity of pedestal sinks right now stems largely from their oh-so-iconic look. Pedestal sinks have been around for more than a hundred years in roughly their current form, and are highly recognizable, even with minor variations in style. Seeing a pedestal sink has become something of a shortcut to evoking an old fashioned, antique elegance, and adding one to a bathroom of any size is a great way to add just a little touch of sophistication to the space.
…With A Modern Appeal
That said, though they’re traditional, pedestal sinks aren’t too ornate for a contemporary space. In fact, you can’t get much simpler than a pedestal sink. Literally just a sink sitting on top of a porcelain pedestal, only wall mounted sinks are more minimalist and utilitarian. Plus, pedestal sinks are made of all sleek, simple lines and stark silhouettes, and have a penchant for creating elegant areas of white space, all of which are essential to a more modern aesthetic. Even the most traditional pedestal sinks, with Romanesque column style bases and fluted sinks have just that touch of simplicity that makes them really work in a contemporary bathroom.
Easy To Clean
But the renewed appeal of pedestal sinks isn’t purely aesthetic: in many ways, they’re also a very practical choice. Porcelain is a very hard, non-porous material that’s delightfully low maintenance – unlike glass, wood, natural stone, or laminate. In other words, a pedestal sink is much easier to maintain than a bathroom vanity. Simply wipe down the surface with a soft cloth and… that’s it. And because the sink and counter are built as a single unit, it’s easy to just swipe water, soap scum, stray beard hairs, or whatever directly into the sink and wash them away. Plus, white porcelain has the added bonus of just looking bright and white and clean all by itself, which can lend an air of tidiness to your space even between cleanings.
Easy To Keep Clean
Pedestal sinks are also quite clean in a more metaphorical sense – that is, because they lack a lot of surface space, they’re naturally resistant to clutter. On an average pedestal sink, there’s room for little more than a toothbrush holder, toothpaste, and soap, meaning the surface remains clearer than on your average bathroom vanity. Of course, this is double edged, as it stems from pedestal sinks’ general lack of storage, but if you’re looking to keep a simple, uncluttered space, opting for a pedestal sink is a good way to force yourself to stick with it.
Compact
One of the greatest strengths of pedestal sinks is that they’re small without feeling overly utilitarian. On average, they’re narrower than the typical “small” bathroom vanity at their widest point, and are much, much narrower from the counter down. This opens up the bathroom both practically and visually, leaving more room for other fixtures (like a toilet, which would have to be installed farther away from a traditional bathroom vanity), and storage (whether it’s a basket or wicker cube on the floor or a full built in storage cabinet), all while making the space feel open and airy and not overwhelmed by a hefty piece of furniture.
Plays Well With Others
Having a compact footprint is definitely an asset in a small bathroom, but I did say at the beginning of this post that pedestal sinks are starting to show up in larger bathrooms, too. With the total lack of any type of storage, at a first glance this probably seems a little surprising. But it actually makes a lot of sense: these days, homeowners are looking for better, more intuitive, customized storage options both in the bathroom and the kitchen, and most pre-made bathroom vanities (and even many custom cabinets) don’t allow much freedom to get that. A pair of pedestal sinks not only offers one of the best ways to get two sinks in the least amount of space, it’s also amazingly easy to build a custom storage cabinet around them for a totally tailor made master bathroom. Even in a smaller bath, having a petite pedestal sink leaves enough room to add a storage cabinet that has the kind of storage you want, rather than the standard single, disorganized cabinet typically associated with more conventional bathroom vanities.
So while on their face pedestal sinks might not seem like the most innovative solution for a bathroom, there’s a reason this design has stood the test of time: it’s classy yet casual, streamlined, sleek, and works great as the centerpiece of a totally custom designed dream bathroom. What size or style bathroom are you planning to add a pedestal sink to? Let me know in the comments!
