Can't have the basin I want, can't find a vanity I like, don't like pedestals

[Haint]

I wanted this basin on a stand. But the plumber says due to location of pipes and solid walls, it'll be a massive, destructive job to put it where it needs to go.

Pedestals are just a bit bleurgh and i could use at least the one shelf storage provided by the above.

I've looked at every single vanity unit (not exaggerating) and i don't like any (still not exaggerating). I can't put my finger on what it is i don't like with the 1000s of vanities I've looked at...i definitely don't want gloss. the painted wooden(esque) cupboard ones look ok, but i know will date horribly thinking back to the pine version that was so so lovely in the early 90s - awful now). also the bathroom is small and a big block of cupboard will seem invasive i think

The look i am going for for the bathroom is simple, easy to keep clean, timeless (as poss) and not fussy

Anyone able to show me a pic of a lovely basin set up of any description?

Could a false wall be created to enable the pipes to be run where they need to go as an alternative to the destructive work the plumber doesn't want to do instead? You'll lose some space in the bathroom, but if you have your heart set on that basin and frame I'd look at how to get it! You could even have just the area you need to accommodate it built out and the pipes run under the floor or behind a built out skirting board to the sink.

I cannot show you a picture but there are hundreds of them in all bathstores/on line. The freestanding basin on top of a table/chest of drawers /countertop is very in at the moment

Thanks Wowfudge, yes, i'd considered that but positioning of the door (adjacent to the basin would make that difficult. If the basin were turned 90 degrees it could work. worth considering

And thanks too LovelyDove but those are exactly the type i have seen so very many of and i just don't love the look

Realistically it's unlikely anyone will find one you love after you've scoured the internet. A semi countertop vanity would intrude less on the room, something like this. Link

You can't really futureproof against dating. Not loving it despite that I get. Maybe it's ok not to love your bathroom sink!

You can get metal racks that fit round a pedestal, but they tend to look a bit like an afterthought. A pedestal basin with integral towel rail under might work. The towels will hide the pedestal.

Btw if you have space over the basin, ikea's large square bathroom wall cabinets are great. They are not very deep so don't intrude on space but they hold absolutely tonnes. That might be another option for storage without going for the full fitted cabinet look.

i think my problem is partly that i HATE fake wood. I also strongly dislike a glossy plasticy finish.

I sort of just want someone to say "look here's one like mine, it's really lovely in real life"

i don't have to love, love a basin, but i know that i won't be doing this again for a long, long time and a warped, water damaged, peely coated mdf cupboard won't be what i want to be looking at in 10 years time

I think i may have to insist upon my first choice and economise in other areas - the bonkers thing is the one i like is the cheapest I've seen by a country mile so it's not even that i have extravagant taste. just thick, hard walls

What's the problem with the sink that you like which would be solved by using a vanity instead? Is it because the pipework for the taps/waste comes up from the floor? What do you have today?

Anything here any good?

www.clickbasin.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxbvgt5rY2gIVS5PtCh2uLQbJEAAYASAAEgIGfPD_BwE

Not sure if this is an option but I am planning to DIY mine. See example images

yup, it's getting the pipework to come out of the wall behind the basin. if there is a cupboard underneath then it can come up from the floor and be hidden

we currently have pipework, badly boxed in, all over and a pedestal basin. everything is coming out and moving around

Assuming that the problem is that the waste and hot/cold pipes come up from the floor, then why not just consider using a chrome pipework and having it on show? It'd be slightly unconventional, but should work with the basin you like above and I think it would still look neat?

This is the sort of trap arrangement you could use:

Waste Pipe

The photo shows someone who has used the chrome pipes horizontally, but will give you an idea of how a neat finish might look running the pipes vertically from your basin. It's hard to tell from the picture, the the pipework might fit in the gap behind the back slat of the metal shelf and the wall in your chosen vanity.

Try Googling Thomas crapper cast iron wall mounted sink. I had the same issue as you and am resolving it with sink brackets and an Edwardian style sink

This is mine. It is a pedestal but it’s really lovely. The glass is a shower screen

Could the door be rehung the other way to allow for the false wall idea mentioned above?

real wood is a good choice in rooms that don't contain water.

Have you looked at TikaMoon? they have some lovely vanities:

www.tikamoon.co.uk/cat-bathroom-134.htm

I had the same problem and my plumber left all the pipework on show which looked awful.

I wasn't keen on a vanity either but did end up getting one just to solve the problem, pic attached.

You just have to work out a bathroom design with the pipe work in the wall. All wall hung basins are like this! Exposed pipes look naff and you will hate them. We still have one pedestal basin (an Edwardian style one) but all my others (5) in this house are wall hung. I don’t like pedestals either - I’m with you on that. It surly cannot be too difficult to sort this out?

Cloakroom Sink and shelf. Shelf is about 6 ins deep. It goes the length of the cloakroom and hides the loo cistern too.

I have a vanity where the whole of the top is one shaped piece of porcelain. It’s a few years old now and it’s still looks new because the water goes nowhere near the wood. Mine is gloss so you wouldn’t like it but maybe there are others?

Someone has already mentioned tikamoon upthread which is where ours is from. It’s solid wood but was actually a bit too big and protruded into the room too much so our joiner sawed a chunk off the back!

I'd really question the plumber on why not possible. We have just moved rad in the bathroom and they ran the pipework under the floorboards and then chased the pipework into the wall. Obv more work than having exposed pipes but not a difficult job?

Ooooh the Tikamoon are the best I've seen, hadn't come across them.

But so many on legs - i really don't want a 4" gap underneath to collect grub and be awkward to clean, but they do look better tis true.

It is possible to have the one i want, it just eats into our meagre budget considerably; time / mess / will need re plastering in a part of the room that otherwise would not / buries pipes potential future problems etc etc etc
If only teh bloody plumber would get back to me i might get an idea of just how much extra the one i want will add on, but although he's lovely and has done lots of work for us before he's very elusive

Have you considered using a shallow kitchen base unit? We have a DIY kitchen cabinet that's 50cm deep with 2 doors and a shelf, a metre wide, and an Ideal Standard countertop basin on top of an IKEA slate grey bamboo worktop. The plumbing goes through the cupboard, which is on legs but we could have put kick boards around the base, like we have in the kitchen. Kitchen units tend to be better quality than bathroom ones and you could always have a quartz worktop if you wanted (assuming you can drill holes in it!)

(Excuse the mess, this was taken during our building works!)