What Is a Vessel Sink?

When it comes to making changes to add a sense of fashion to your home, the bathroom is one of the most commonly overlooked rooms. There is a lot that can be done with the bathroom, though, including painting, adding accent decorations, and changing the various fixtures in the room to completely revamp its look. One option that’s increasingly popular with homeowners is replacing your old boring sink with a vessel sink.

While these sinks aren’t right for every bathroom and everyone’s sense of style, when they do work, they can really make a splash. If you’re not sure exactly what a vessel sink is or how one would fit into your bathroom’s decoration, read on. We’ll cover the basics of these sinks, how they differ from more traditional sinks, and how to tell if one is right for your home.

The Ins and Outs of Vessel Sinks

Most bathrooms are pretty basic when it comes to the layout of the sink: A basin is inserted into a countertop (and in many cases is an actual part of the countertop material), giving you a recessed area to wash your hands and do everything else that you need a sink for. They’re functional and usually more aesthetically pleasing than the metal sinks that are often seen in kitchens and utility areas. With that said, bathroom sinks don’t do much to stand out.

Vessel sinks serve the same purpose as a traditional basin sink, but do so with a much more stylish flair. Instead of being a recessed sink built into the countertop, vessel sinks are made of a standing vessel or sculpted bowl that typically sits on top of the counter or only partially recessed into it. This creates a unique look for the sink that calls to mind a sense of nostalgia for more Victorian-era hardware. The faucet typically stands separate from the vessel and is either mounted to the counter or to the wall, adding to the overall look and highlighting the difference between vessel sinks and traditional basins.

Vessel Sink Installation

Compared to some other plumbing jobs, vessel sink installation can be a bit easier, but may also be easier to mess up if you aren’t careful. Provided that you aren’t installing a semi-recessed vessel sink, the main concerns for installing the sink are the installation of the faucet hardware and making sure that the drain hole in the countertop is the right size to line up with the vessel drain. Theoretically, one of these sinks can be installed by a single person who has a good idea of what they are doing.

With that said, there are still a few things that need to be kept in mind during installation. The counter will need to be sufficiently large to accommodate the vessel and faucet, and made of a material that’s sufficiently protected against water, as vessel sinks are more prone to splashing than more traditional sinks. You will also need enough vertical height to accommodate the sink; even a modest vessel sink can add 6 inches or more to the height of the sink area, so you’ll need the necessary clearance for both that and the faucet hardware. Mounting and sealing the sink are also more important than with traditional sinks, as the last thing you want is for your vessel to leak around its drain and potentially weaken the countertop below it.

Are Vessel Sinks Right for You?

Vessel sinks can be very striking, giving a unique look to your bathroom that really catches the eye. They come in a range of different shapes and materials, letting you customize your sink to meet your personal design preferences. They also don’t necessarily require as large of a counter or support structure as more traditional sinks, so they can work well in some smaller bathrooms provided they’re properly mounted. Vertical space and splash considerations may create issues, however.