Designer vessel sinks are the ultimate in custom bathroom design. With thousands of intricate, colorful, unique styles out there, a good vessel sink is the perfect signature finishing touch to any bathroom, and a perfect way to add a little personal flair to any bathroom, whether it’s a private master bath or a more heavily trafficked guest bathroom. Nowhere is this more true than with hand-pounded copper vessel sinks. Made by skilled artisan craftsmen, no two are created exactly alike. More than that, they age naturally over time, developing a one of a kind patina, and really are 100% unique to you. If that thought sounds a little scary, or if you’re worried about maintenance, don’t be – copper sinks, especially in a bathroom, are just about the easiest material out there to maintain. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth looking into.
Normal Wear And Tear Actually Makes Copper Sinks MORE Beautiful
Vessel sinks come in a wide variety of materials. But the daily grind that causes most sinks to lose their luster is part of the process that enhances the beauty of a copper sink. Think of a penny. The day it’s minted, it’s bright and shiny. Give it a year or so of tossing around in pockets and it starts to develop a darker color; not all over and no two quite the same, but richer and deeper with age. The same is true of copper vessel sinks, but it’s a heck of a lot prettier! Few copper vessel sinks start out looking like a new penny; most ship with an aged patina. Dump a quart of lemonade in the sink and let it soak for a few hours, and that beautiful finish will go away… but for normal everyday use, the finish will mature and deepen with each use.
Copper Is Naturally Self-Healing
If you get a crack, chip, scratch, or stain in any other kind of sink, it can be difficult or even impossible to repair. Not so with copper vessel sinks. The material is naturally nonporous, so it won’t stain. Hand-hammered sinks already have a more rustic, uneven texture, so dints and dings will blend in. More than that, because copper vessel sinks are continually aging and maturing as you use them, any damage you do is self-repairing. While a little shiny copper will show through at first, within a few days or weeks the mark will slowly blend back in to the rest of the sink on its own. So if you want a beautiful, signature sink for your bathroom, but are paranoid about hurting it, a copper vessel sink is actually one of the best choices.
…And That Means, No Cleaning
The only real “damage” you can do to a copper sink, short of going at it with a chain saw, is to rub it down with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other acid. Just like a penny, acids and salts will erode away the patina that builds over time. But unlike a penny (or those copper-bottomed pots) the “new-penny” look isn’t what you want. Instead, you want to leave your sink to maintain itself, allowing that rich, burnished finish to mature. In fact, the more you use a copper vessel sink, the faster the finish develops, and the greater depth and character the sink will have. That means supremely easy maintenance – no softsoap or scrubbing pads, just thoroughly rinse your sink every time you use it. If you have hard water, make sure that you wipe your sink dry between uses to prevent hard water spots. That’s it.
Copper Is Naturally Hygienic
If the thought of never applying bleach to your bathroom sink gives you the willies, try this on for size: Copper is naturally antiseptic – not just non-porous, it actually kills bacteria better that any other surface. Bacteria deposited inside a copper vessel sink actually die faster than those on the surface of a stainless steel surgeon’s sink, and not just by a little – bacteria in the surgeon’s sink can live for up to a month. The ones in a simple copper vessel sink will die in just a few hours. That means that even if you never once put scrub pad to drain plug, your copper vessel sink will probably be the cleanest, most hygienic surface in your bathroom, if not in your entire home.
Copper Vessel Sinks Are Truly One Of A Kind
All of that adds up to a sink that’s not only 100% hands off, but also one that’s genuinely one of a kind. Even ignoring the individual craftsmanship of hand pounded sinks, or the beautiful but subtly varied designs on patterned sinks, every time you use a copper vessel sink, you’re making it more your own. Glass vessel sinks are beautiful in their color and design, and even in the way they catch the light, but copper vessel sinks are beautiful in their mutability, the constantly changing, living designs that appear in the metal as it ages, and the natural patterns that no human hand could quite replicate.
So if you’re looking to add a truly regal, timeless piece to your bathroom (or to add something a little rustic or antique, depending on how you accessorize), you really can’t beat a copper vessel sink.
