Stylish inspiration for bathroom sinks and vanities, from rustic wooden options to ultra-sleek contemporary designs

Changing the bathroom sink or vanity is an easy way to update your bathroom. The whole look can be transformed - from town to country, from contemporary to classic, from modern to antique - with the aid of a simple swap. Sinks and vanities have an aesthetic function but they serve an important practical purpose too. Bathrooms tend to be small and short on storage: the right vanity unit can provide much-needed bathroom cabinet storage under your sink. Enjoy our fuss-free guide to the best bathroom sinks and vanities - after all, the bathroom should be a space for serene solitude, not stress!

A well proportioned London flat was the ideal setting for interior designer Emma Grant’s trove of eclectic finds, with each piece shaping her vision for the space. In the bathroom, the pretty scalloped sink was carved from a single block of marble.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

A twin washstand designed by Rose Uniacke stands in the main bathroom of an airy Kensington flat. The walls are covered with tadelakt plaster, while the walk-in shower has a projecting marble base.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

In this Victorian house in London, Maria Speake – House & Garden’s Interior Designer of the Year – has cleverly reorganised the layout and made inventive use of the salvaged materials for which her company Retrouvius is known. An ‘SS41’ Thonet chair covered in jumbo cream corduroy softens the effect of pale reclaimed and new marble in the main bathroom; the ‘Carlton’ double basin unit is from Aston Matthews.

 

ROMAIN RICARD

 

Sandberg’s leafy ‘Raphaël’ wallpaper offers a charming backdrop for antique prints and a salvaged oak washstand in this bathroom designed by antiques dealer Jack Laver Brister. Bear in mind that if you are using wallpaper, the space will need to be well ventilated.

 

 

The owners of this newbuild Bahamas beach house turned to trusted interior designer John McCall to provide their house with a British sensibility, practical furnishings and interiors that were not 'too beachy'. In this bathroom, white wall panelling is covered in framed prints of various fish, offering a seaside theme that isn't overbearing. The vanity unit is white and functional, with plenty of shelves for storage space, while the ornate mirror above adds elegance to the space.

 

ALEXANDER JAMES

 

A vanity unit with an eye-catching skirt made from Beata Heuman’s cotton-mix ‘Marbleized Velvet’, white honed marble surfaces, pink walls and shell-style wall lights have been combined in this loo by the designer to create a decorated and feminine feel.

 

 

This powder room at Mount Algidus has a luxuriously French feel to it. The wallpaper, from Brunschwig & Fils, covers the walls like the inside of a jewelry box. The antique style vanity sits triumphantly at the centre of the scheme, flagged by gilt accessories and pretty picture frames.

 

LUCAS ALLEN

 

The bathroom in this house by designer and architect Robert Hardwick old school glamour is the order of the day. A gorgeous malachite topped sink has been paired with bottle-green walls, the look is finished with heavy velvet curtains, antique bathroom accessories and framed old photographs.

 

SIMON BROWN

 

This bathroom in architect Johnny Holland's Richmond mansion flat is simple yet luxurious. The Carrara-marble-clad double vanity unit has contrasting brass fixtures from Barber Wilsons. The walls have been painted a deep blue-black. This unusual colour - which happens to reflects the natural light beautifully - highlights the beauty of the white marble vanity.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Interior designer Louisa Jones has injected a sense of fun into her west London bathroom. A high gloss jade green vanity sits wittily against floral wallpaper - 'Botanical Tulips' by Twigs, available from Simon Playle - and below a kitsch bamboo edged mirror. The effect is pretty and fun: this vanity is anything but vain!

 

RACHAEL SMITH

 

A simple white bathroom in Christine Van Der Hurd's London house is livened up with a colourful rug.

 

DAVIDE LOVATTI

 

Suzy Hoodless, known for her mild eclecticism and smart monochrome backgrounds, designed this bold patterned bathroom. The geometric tiles create a sense of division and space, and also act as the perfect stage for the reclaimed wash stand with brass taps.

 

LUCAS ALLEN

 

The walls of this en-suite bathroom in Domaine de la Baume have been painted a vivid red, which looks bright and cheery thanks to the sunlight streaming through. The white double sink is, however, the star of this show! Its bright simplicity is complemented gorgeously by a rustic sconce light in the corner.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

This bathroom by Ilse Crawford in Stockholm's Ett Hem Hotel is the epitome of modern glamour. This aesthetic is perhaps best articulated by the gorgeous white marble and gold double sink unit which is at once contemporary and luxurious. Putty coloured walls and glass bathroom accessories finish the undeniably warm and inviting look.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

The bathroom in interior designer (and House & Garden columnist) Rita Konig's flat is a lesson in how to make eclectic work. A painted, wooden vintage-style vanity sits comfortably below an art deco mirror. The wallpaper - Hinson's 'Martinique' - is bold but expertly considered.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

This disco-inspired scheme can be found in Jos and Annabel White's six-storey townhouse in Manhattan's West Village. A mix of playful and practical, silver de Gournay wallpaper is combined with a Hilary Batstone disco ball, a wooden twin vanity and a plush alpaca rug from The Rug Company.