Single or double sink for bathroom?

7 years ago

We have a small single story ranch style house, 1200 sqft. One bathroom on the main floor, 3 bedrooms, 2 very young kids. The house originally had a double vanity, the plumbing is still there, 72" counter. The previous owner got rid of it (old woman, husband deceased) and replaced it with a single vanity, 60" counter.

We want to update it and are debating between sticking with a single sink 60" counter and a little shelf type thing at the end of the counter run (like this http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/images/products/hemnes-shelf-unit-white__0380549_PE555448_S4.JPG), or re-installing a second sink and getting a 72" cabinet/counter.

We do have a second bathroom in the basement, but at the moment, we all use the same bathroom upstairs. My sister has a 72" counter in her bathroom, same type of house, everyone sharing one bathroom on the main level.. and all that counter space just seems useless/unused?

I don't know that there would be a lot of times where two of us would be in there at the same time, each needing a sink, but it has happened on occasion. As our kids get older, I could see it happening more, but then maybe they'll demand privacy. So I'm unsure as what to do, double vanities almost seem like a relic of the past, but they seem so much more functional than just having another 2' of counter space?

Any advice?

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Comments (10)

nosoccermom
7 years ago
Double. Everybody cleans their own sink or deals with their own gunk. Works great with kids, even/especially when they're not using the bathroom at the same time.
cpartist
7 years ago
Double. One for your and your wife and the other one for the kids
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Fori
7 years ago
Normally I think they're kinda pointless (sorry all!) but in this case, yeah, you want a double.
mrspete
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Single. I've never understood the point in duplicating sinks; but in the case of a small 1200 square foot house, one really makes sense. The choice isn't really one or two sinks ... no choice is made in a vacuum, and whatever you choose "bumps" something else ... the real choice is one sink + storage or two sinks. Storage wins.
Mike Williams
Original Author
7 years ago
storage is not an issue, we have washer/dryer and four big wall cabinets in the bathroom as well that handle all of our storage needs. our current vanity is actually half empty.
wildchild2x2
7 years ago
If storage is not an issue then in your case stick with the double. That said I have a double in the main bath and can't remember a single time in 40 years that both sinks have been used at one time by our two kids or anyone else. I can't wait to take out one of the sinks and put a linen tower in it's place. I don't store stuff on vanities so I agree it's wasted space.
Mike Williams
Original Author
7 years ago
haha we have a linen tower now and i can't wait to get rid of it :)
wildchild2x2
7 years ago
Different strokes ;-) I don't use my linen tower for linen (we have a nice closet) in the other bath but I love if for all the items I buy in bulk like Kleenex, bar soap, deodorant, hair styling products, basic first aid, (it's outside the steam area) wipes, girl stuff like perfume I rarely use etc. I also keep my travel toiletries, shower head, hair dryer, etc. in there ready to grab for when I decide to go on one of my spontaneous road trips. It's only 18" wide and 15" deep pulled out to match the vanity depth of 21".
nosoccermom
7 years ago
Ever watched HGTV? Nobody complains about double sinks.
mrspete
7 years ago
I had a linen tower in a former bathroom, and I loved it. It was just the width of a folded towel, yet it held so much -- towels at the top, extra toiletries and cleaning products on the bottom. Admittedly, I didn't have a linen closet in that bathroom ... if I had, I might've appreciated the tower less.

As for HGTV, I love watching it, but I don't think it's a particularly good measure of good choices.

Single or double sink for bathroom?

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Single or double sink for bathroom?

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