With such a variety of styles there will be something to suit.
Choosing the right basin can be tricky with so many options, but your individual taste, your need for storage in your bathroom and the space available, coupled with your budget considerations might help to narrow the field. Here we bring you the facts and detail about each style, the final choice is up to yourself. You designer will be worth listening to, as will your plumber, although some plumbers tent to recommend whatever is easiest to fit . Click through the "read more" links for full details and more images.
Pedestal Basin
This is the "standard" wash hand basin which is set on top of a ceramic pedestal. The basin should be fixed to and supported by the wall, the pedestal is not designed to actually offer any support but to cover the hot and cold feeds to the taps and also the waste pipe and trap.
Semi Pedestal Basin
Similar to the pedestal basin above, but the pedestal is not mounted on the floor but suspended under the basin and only half (approx) height. The basin needs to be well fixed to the wall and the hot & cold pipes and waste are fed through the wall and not from the floor.
Wall Hung Basin
A basin fixed firmly to the wall without any pedestal below. This basin design is very similar to the semi pedestal above, except that the plumbing is left visible. Usually the feed and waste pipes are brought through the wall and the waste exits via a bottle trap.
Wash Stand
This design is usually associated with a period style but there are also contemporary versions. Usually the basin is fixed onto the wall but a decorative frame is fitted below which does actually offer support and the basin fixings are more for rigidity to keep the whole assembly in place. A pedestal is not normally used but a semi pedestal may be used with some designs, although normally a decorative bottle trap would feature.
Vessel Basin (Countertop basin)
Vessel basins are designed to sit on top of a shelf or furniture piece. They come in many shapes and styles suitable for period or contemporary settings and also are made in a variety of materials. Vessel basins provide designers with a multitude of possibilities and certainly create a wow factor in any bathroom.
Inset Basin
As the name suggests an inset basin is designed to fit into a shelf or a flat surface. There will be a rim which projects above the surface but the bulk of the basin is below and usually hidden in a cupboard/drawer base.
Semi Inset Basin
Semi inset basins are designed for slimline furniture where they are wider than the unit they sit on, so some of the basin projects forward from the furniture. These usually are dedicated to a particular furniture unit and totally unsuitable for use without it.
Undermount Basin
Like the inset above, the undermount basin is fitted along with a shelf or flat surface, however this style is mounted below and none of the basin projects above the shelf, so there is no basin rim above the work surface. The undermount is usually fitted onto a stone or solid surface counter top. In a laminate top the basin cut out is very difficult to make watertight.
Vanity Basin (furniture basin)
Vanity basin can cover many styles and options, but here we are thinking of the style of basin which is specifically intended to be set onto a piece of furniture. Usually these basins are sold as part of the furniture (Vanity) unit and are not suitable for use without the unit. Normally the underside is not glazed as when fitted onto the furniture this surface is not visible.
(read more)
Winged Basin
A one piece basin and integral shelf design is called a winged basin, the shelf can be on one or both sides of the basin, but the whole item is one piece of ceramic or solid surface material. It could be used in several of the categories above, as pedestal, semi pedestal or wall mounted and also as a vanity style in a piece of furniture, but always it is a combined basin with an integrated shelf (or two). When the basin design is presented in a squared off, angular style it can also called a slab basin.
(read more)
Freestanding Basin
This basin design is most often used in a contemporary setting and is simply a basin which has an integral pedestal so it stands on the floor and the surface is smooth with no join between the basin and the pedestal section. It will often resemble a bongo drum, wider at the top and tapering downwards but can also be cylindrical with parallel sides or even angular lines like a tall cuboid.
(read more)
Corner Basin
Simply a basin designed to fit into the corner of a room. They can have a pedestal or be wall mounted, and can be regular i.e. equal length on both sides, or off-set when one side is longer than the other. Corner basins are available in a range of sizes but tend to be most often used for a cloakroom, hence larger sizes can be difficult to source.
(read more)
Integral Basin
It is possible to integrate a basin into some countertop materials such as stone and quartz types. This basin design will look similar to the undermount style but the transition from countertop to basin is seamless.
(read more)
