We (and Instagram) love the theatricality of a chunky and funky statement sink, but hunky stone fatigue is setting in. As of late, the simplicity of a console sink, which gives permission to keep the loo a drama-free zone, has drawn us in. Because sometimes, when it comes to the bathroom, shouldn’t we just take the less-is-more route and get on with things? The basic washstand—in which a basin and simple stone slab rests on tubular metal legs, exposing the plumbing—is back.
“Washstands add charm, allow a smaller bathroom [to] feel open, and avoid the bulk of typical vanity cabinets, which are very hard to source pre-manufactured,” explains interior designer Oliver Freundlich, who recently specced one for the primary bath in celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar’s Westchester, New York, home. He purchased the unlacquered brass stand from Palmer Industries with the intention of letting it patina over time, and paired it with a custom stone counter and fixtures.
Though the style is often used in powder rooms where storage is less critical, a console sink can work in bathrooms of every scale since the stands come in a range of sizes, Freundlich says. The only rule in his book? “I think this style of sink is best suited to more traditional spaces.”
