Design of Wash Basin — Basin Designs, Types, Mounting and Sizes

Wash basin design ideas

• Round vessel on a slab counter — A table-top bowl on a porcelain or stone slab — the most popular modern basin design.
• Rectangular counter-top basin — Crisp lines and a flat rim that holds soap, suited to contemporary bathrooms.
• Integrated basin and counter — One ceramic piece with no joint, the easiest design to keep clean.
• Wall-hung basin with towel rail — Floor stays clear; the rail doubles as a hand-towel holder in a small bathroom.
• Classic pedestal — The column hides the pipes — timeless, and forgiving of weaker walls.
• Half-pedestal — Hides the trap without reaching the floor, for a lighter look.
• Matt black or coloured basin — A statement bowl against plain marble-look or concrete-look wall tiles.
• Fluted or ribbed basin — A textured outer face that catches light, on a plain slab.
• Dining area basin in a niche — A counter-top basin set in a recess with a mirror and light — the modern Indian dining room wash basin.
• Corner basin — A triangular basin for cloakrooms and passages too tight for anything else.
• Twin basins — Two bowls on one counter of 1500 mm or more in a master bathroom.

Basin top designs · Bathroom vanities design ideas

Choosing the basin shape and depth

Round and oval bowls splash least, because water hits a curved surface and runs down rather than bouncing off a flat base. Rectangular basins look sharper and give more usable rim, but a shallow rectangular bowl splashes onto the counter and the floor.

Depth matters more than width. A bowl of about 120-150 mm deep contains splashing from a normal tap; anything shallower needs a gentler tap flow or it will spray. Match the tap to the bowl: a tall basin mixer on a vessel basin, a standard mixer on a counter or wall-hung basin, and a wall-mounted spout only where the reach carries the water to the centre of the bowl.

Finally, plan the surround with the basin. A wall-hung basin needs a solid wall or a frame; a counter-top basin needs a counter at the right height, lower than for an under-counter basin because the bowl sits above it. Tiling the wall behind the basin at least 600 mm above the rim keeps splashes off the paint.

Types of wash basin

• Wall-hung — Bracketed straight onto the wall with nothing underneath. Keeps the floor clear, which makes a small bathroom read larger and much easier to mop — but the wall has to be strong enough, and the trap is visible unless boxed in.
• Pedestal — The basin sits on a ceramic column that hides the trap and supply pipes and carries part of the weight. Forgiving of a weak wall, and still the most widely ordered type across our export markets.
• Half-pedestal — A shroud that covers the pipework without reaching the floor. The visual tidiness of a pedestal with the clear floor of a wall-hung basin.
• Table-top / counter-top — A bowl that sits on top of a counter or vanity. Nothing structural is required of the wall, and the counter gives usable surface either side. The most specified type in new residential work.
• Under-counter — Set beneath the worktop with the counter material forming the rim. The cleanest line and the easiest counter to wipe down, but it needs an accurately cut aperture.
• Corner basin — Triangular, for cloakrooms too tight for anything else.

Typical sizes

Frequently asked questions