I have this in my powder room, I don’t find it at all difficult to clean around the sink. I have to admit though, no way I’d want it in my master bathroom, I’m way too high maintenance for that. LOL! I’ve also decided that I don’t want a wood countertop in my master bath either, I just don’t want to baby it in that room. I have walnut on my kitchen island, on my powder room vanity, and in our basement bathroom vanity that my three teen boys use on a daily basis. I love them, I think they’re beautiful, and I adore that my handy hubby made them and I’m proud of the work I did in applying the finish to them... but I don’t want one in my master bath and I already told hubby that it has to be stone when we finally remodel that room. I don’t want to worry about where I set my flat iron or hairdryer, or what a new face cream might or might not do to the finish. (I had an all natural liquid hand soap leak onto my powder room vanity once, the soap was orange and I didn’t see the big blob of it for a couple of days. Once I saw it and wiped it up, it had eaten through the Waterlox finish... which is a waterproof finish... all the way down to bare wood. Because it was Waterlox, it was very easy to repair, no need to sand down the entire top like if it been most other finishes... so I was able to touch it up to be almost invisible to detect... ) but I still just don’t want to have to worry about that in my master bathroom.
The other photo is of my boys’ bathroom in our basement. Again, I think they’re awesome... but I want more practical for my master bath. It’ll have stone counters and under mount sinks. Vessel sinks are perfectly fine for hand washing so long as the finished height of the top of the sink is planned for from the beginning, but they’re not great for trying to wash ones face, that gets too messy.

OMG, skmom, that walnut base for the faucet--you're killing me!!!!!!!! :-D

Those are both super lovely and I just want to have you move in right now. Lucky family!

Looking at contemporary "European style" and wondering what it takes to combine a wall-mounted double sink like this with a nice plank of wood. Or a plank of quartz. Or something else?

Double floating sink Also, besides an aesthetically-oriented plumber, what kind(s) of skilled professionals do I need to hire to make this happen? A millworker? Finish carpenter? Felix the Magic Cat?

Thanks rdy2retire! I adore burl (I'd have a live tree growing through my window if I could), but DH prefers a more crisp, contemporary vibe. May I ask a ballpark estimate on what it cost to make this? As for cleaning, I was mainly pondering the tiny crevices between bowl and counter, but I guess it's just like anything else.

Thanks! We’ve bought this house knowing we would make a lot of changes to it. We’ve been here a bit over 7 years now and we’ve done a ton to the interior and exterior, most of it ourselves. A few things we had to hire out, like redoing the driveway and large retaining wall supporting the driveway; that was too large of a job for us because we didn’t have access to the proper equipment or time to deal with the learning curve needed for such a project. Projects we still have left to do are total gut job of the master bathroom (master shower has been unusable for a couple of years now, we shower in a guest bathroom for now... we would’ve liked to have gotten to the master bath by now, but the driveway and retaining wall sapped our resources for a bit because we also tackled our rather large front porch steps and walkway at the same time and tiled them ourselves in slate... we needed a physical break after that, it’s a large porch and walkway! Oh, we also had a water heater emergency and switched over to a monster sized tankless, and replaced our hvac unit all in the same summer as the driveway work) we also want to do a partial remodel of another bathroom (we’ve totally gutted 2.5 baths so far) and we have to install new flooring for most of our basement. After that, we should be done... and hopefully by that time it will be not too long before we are ready to sell and start building what we intend to be our forever home on the small plot of land we recently purchased in the PNW. We will have remodeled MOST of the rooms in this house by the time we are done with it. Only a few rooms only got minor cosmetic changes like a new color of paint on the walls. No space will have been left completely untouched though. Next house... will be smaller. LOL!

Note that either (a) the faucets are on the wall or (b) the photographs are taken from an angle where you can't see the pipes underneath the console or wall-mounted sink. If you're retrofitting, it's a lot easier to buy a floating vanity that hides the plumbing than to either redo the plumbing or hope that it's in exactly the right place (e.g., the drainpipe is right behind the sink's tailpipe). With three replacement floating vanities, I still had to cut the backs of two vanities, and modify the hot and cold water pipes for one.

(I'd think twice about a vessel sink as you can't just push countertop dirt into the sink as you can with an undermount.)

Thanks wdccruise for the wisdom! Our house is down to the studs, though not for long, so any plumbing decisions need to happen asap. I'm not a fan of having P traps in view, though with newer, more "architectural" fixtures, I guess I can live with it...guessing they are not cheap, though!

Mittens Cat - I would guess approx $1K+ or so for the wood to be finished in CA and then shipped across the country to where we moved. We also did a large live edge redwood mantle - so it is hard to discern just the cost of the vanity. The cooper bowl was from Mexico and the fixtures are Brizo. As for cleaning - it is really easy to wipe down with a microfiber cloth. No issues at all.

As to your question about having minimal space, we have a 16” deep vanity and love it. The mirror is right there for seeing to shave or whatever. We do not miss having counter to pile things on. Everything goes right back into our recessed med cabs when done with it. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth, and we are done.

A note on the euro-look “bottle” drains - you must have the hole in the wall right behind (or next to, in your case) the spot where the drain comes down. There is no “play” in that drain set-up because it is solid. All 90degree angles.

Another option is to go for a semi-recessed sink in a larger size to keep all splashing in the sink and off the counter. Ours is 23” wide, and the same sink (chosen for its drip edge) comes a bit larger, too.

Wow, skmom! I missed your reply earlier--you have far more fortitude than I ever will! I held out 20 years on remodeling, and after this one, never again! p.s. how did you do that cool walnut base for the faucet??

Ha! I hope our next home is the last one, LOL! (It’ll be a new build, we have the land but nothing is on it) The base for the faucet was interesting... it’s just a block of walnut that my brother in law fashioned for us on his lathe. My hubby is a marvelous woodworker, but he doesn’t turn anything on a lathe but his brother doesn’t do much except turn stuff. LOL! The reason for the base was a long one. Originally our vessel sink and faucet were completely different. We originally had a blue, tempered glass sink with a large matte black faucet. It was really cool looking! But about a year and a half after the powder room was all finished my glass sink spontaneously exploded... my head was about 8” away from it when it happened! (I was bending over changing the bag in the trash can) I only had minor cuts from it, but not because the glass was sharp- tempered glass breaks like smooth chunks- but because the force of the explosion was pretty intense and the smooth pebbles of glass tried to imbed themselves into my skin a little bit. (We found glass as far as 20’ away in our foyer.) Anyways, long story shorter, this is apparently a long known possibility with these sinks (and any tempered glass product for that matter) and the sink manufacturer offered to replace our sink with a sink from any of their lines, they suggested we try out their composite stone line so that’s what we have now. The original black faucet no longer looked quite right with the new sink, so we searched high and low for a new faucet. It seems like that would’ve been an easy task, but because our faucet was originally set sideways (due to a shallow counter, we had no choice about that) and hubby didn’t want to redo the entire counter to do a wall mounted faucet (like we probably should’ve done in the first place, oh well) we were stuck with some difficult dimensions to work with to get the faucet to reach out well enough near the center of the sink so you don’t feel like you’re banging your hands on the side of the sink when you place them under the flow of the water. We thought we found the perfect faucet, but somehow after it got shipped to us we realized it wasn’t even close to being tall enough. It was perfect in every other way and we liked the way it looked, so instead of sending it back we decided to raise it up a bit with the walnut riser. LOL! Turned out (in our opinion) to make the whole setup look even better than it ever would’ve! So... happy accident! Thanks for the compliments!

I don't know how old you are, but if this is the home you want to stay in, don't assume that you'll be ok with a shoebox of stuff forever. Medical stuff tends to elbow out beauty stuff sometime in your 50s...

skmom, that is SERIOUS wow on all levels! First, the exploding sink that nearly exploded your head! (JUST as I was wondering whether fixed glass panels were a good idea for showers!) And what a great DIY story about the walnut "riser," wow. We have zero crafty family members here, so we're at the mercy of retailers for the most part. I'm determined to find SOMEone who can craft a skinny vanity or at least a sink shelf for my odd space. Do you have any crafty family members who can rescue us from this first-world problem? :-)

acm, we are in upper 50s/lower 60s and yeah, I get it. I just meant I'm a no makeup, no jewelry, no hair dryer, no curling iron nor a bunch of body products type of gal, and I can fit all my clothes in a large suitcase, so I don't have the typical storage needs. We have plenty of unused space in other parts of the house, and we gave away at least 50% of all we owned when we moved out for the remodel, so I am not worried about storage. Fitting a decent vanity into this tight space, however...now there's a challenge! :)

I wish we had some who could help you... but the ones who maybe could are too busy with their day jobs still. (Hubby thinks maybe he’d like to do stuff like that after he retires from his engineering job, but we figure he’s got awhile still, he’s not yet 50) I’ll be interested to see how your build turns out though, I made sure to follow you! :)

Update! I hired an interior designer to come by the site for an hour consultation. She was very helpful, though now I have even more options to choose from--not sure that's a good thing for me, ha.

It’s a VERY expensive choice, just from the plumbing issues alone.

live_wire_oak, could you please elaborate? My G.C. is also a longtime plumber and seems game for any of the options we're discussing.

You have to open the walls, raise the waste arm, change it to decorative chrome, nickel, or whatever, and use a close mount P. Do the same with the supply lines. You can’t have ugly plastic plumbing hanging down like grampa’s jewels. Thats about $500 worth of pretty parts, and even more $$ for the plumber, plus the wall repair and wall cladding. Maybe $1300–$1800 extra, depends on on what tile you put on the walls below the vanity and your COL..

Mittens, since you have limited depth why not use Ikea Sektion kitchen wall cabs? It would meet your needs of your want of Euro design, limited space and lower cost - especially if you and DH put the cabs together yourself. The actual install should not be too bad. Since they are attached with the rail you can mount them at your chosen height. Have your GC get blocking in the walls before they are closed up. I'd also add blocking to the side walls at points of attachment. Here are two ideas, depending on how much width you'd like for the vanities. Each has 3" of filler at the side walls to allow for drawers to open or for external blocking. Both are using 15" depth wall cabinets 20" high with drawers.

With 36" cabs for the sinks (36-24-36):

With 30" sink cabs (30-36-30):

I'd start searching for appropriate sized sinks right away, determine the design, counter material and faucets, then go to your GC for a labor estimate for plumbing and installation. I would find my sink first, then choose counter material since you'll be limited in choice. The cabinets for either of those two designs average around $1K depending how you design the sink cabinets. I'd do the sink cabs similar to the Ikea waste pullout using the Utrusta drawer connection hardware, eliminating the top drawer. That way you'll have space for plumbing and some cleaning supplies. Your center drawer stack will have lots of storage. Of course, if you do not care for any of the Ikea fronts you can choose one of the companies that supplies alternatives.

You can also achieve the more minimal look as discussed in previous posts, but that will require a craftsman with much higher labor and material costs. Since we don't know your budget, only you can decide your direction. But you can achieve it with Ikea.

Ikea Sektion cabinets aren't just for kitchens.

https://inspiredkitchendesign.com/ikea-laundry-room-and-master-bathroom/

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2962066/new-bath-w-ikea-sektion-cabinets-image-heavy

Thanks for that generous input, bbtrix! I'm ALL for IKEA and actually started this journey (a year ago?) thinking I would be using IKEA's Sektion in the bathrooms, then found out they are much deeper (24"?) than IKEA's 18" deep Godmorgon, so that killed that thrill. I've got an IKEA just 10 mins away, so as you can probably imagine I've spent a lot of time chatting with their employees, lol!

EDIT: But hark! What's this?! Sektion also comes in a 15" depth??!!! I didn't know that! Thanks! Heading that way now!

And Green Design, I do appreciate your patience and continued input! This is a new build (well, we have an open wall with studs and new plumbing lines), so no going through drywall but yes, I get your point about all the $$ parts to keep things looking good--thanks!

OK, hold on...are 15" deep cabinets impossibly shallow for sinks? I see there are small undermount sinks, like this one: Kohler small undermount . But would work with all the plumbing underneath? I hope so, but am dubious. Though an article in This Old House states: "The standard vanity depth is 21 inches. But you can gain floor space in a small bath by trimming at least part of the vanity to 18, 15, or even 12 inches deep."

Hmm...

Not impossible, but definitely limited. The link I included for sinks was at build.com where you can specify depth. Here it is again. https://www.build.com/bathroom-sinks-all/c108504?f59259=2&f59259=15&r=48&s=SCORE&p=1&categoryId=108504

This is your most difficult part, finding just the right sink. Godmorgon also comes in 13 3/8 depth with an available Hagaviken sink that fits it. But it's limited to 24" width. You'd have to be a bit creative to make that work. The sink overlaps the sides of the cabinet which would make it more difficult lining up multiples, but not impossible. If you use the Ikea sinks and faucets, it will be easier. Jump to the end of this video to understand their plumbing system which allows room for the drawers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USEb-dXjxik

Wow, bbtrix do you work at IKEA? It's practically my second home (love that lingonberry sauce!) yet I didn't even know Godmorgon has a 13" deep option! :-o

And yes, I've watched that vid and sent to my G.C. (also just bought the guy's recommended laser level as a b-day gift for my GC!).

Ok, the phrase "you'd have to be a bit creative to make that work" makes me think I'd better bring in a pro! I'm definitely an "idea" person, but making things actually work has not my forte!

I'm an Ikea DIYer for many years. You need to stay very familiar with their inventory to creatively use their products. I happen to be designing my powder and laundry room right now so it's all fresh. You do have to take the time to look at the installation instructions and pay attention to the details, especially when going away from the norm.

Regarding the creative part if you prefer the Godmorgon route, The sink that fits overlaps like this.

If you go the Sektion route and prefer undermount to vessel, this one is 11 5/16 front to back. https://www.build.com/kingston-brass-lb18127/s584098?uid=1510276

P.S. I would hope your GC has a laser level! I can't imagine doing construction without one.

Ha, G.C. just turned 70 (though he works like he's 40!), so he's a little Old School in some ways. :) Thanks so much for putting those options together for me! DH is a bit on the conventional side and is weirded out by the idea of faucets on the side, so I guess wall mounted would be the way to go... Question: to avoid gaps between the individual cabinets, could you ditch the individual sink topper and instead do one long piece of quartz and drop the sinks into that?

Yes, but again you’re limited even more so in sink dimensions. You’d have 6” of play with this scenario for 3” filler at each wall.

Are you sure you need that door? I’d replace it with a narrow window in a minute to be able to have better choices. Are you trying to make a construction error work without a redo?

Thanks. Starting to feel like two separate small Godmorgons might be the best option. At least DH won't feel as penned in when I want to brush my teeth at the same time.

And yeah, you guessed right! I've been seesawing for a couple weeks on whether to eat the $$ and replace the door with a (narrower) window. Then yesterday I visited the property on the first warm day since we began remodeling and suddenly I was in LOVE with that door (or at least the breeze that blew in once the door was opened. I don't think a window would give nearly the same cooling, alas.

I don’t know your scenario for privacy and view much less your climate but how often will that door really be open? Do you run AC often? It just seems awkward to have a door to the outside in such close proximity to the bathroom sinks.

By your last statement about your husband feeling penned, you really are settling. Without the door hindrance you have ample space to have a really spacious Godmorgon wall with plenty of separation.

Are you you saying just two 24” Godmorgons? No other cabinets? Before I did that I’d do regular depth Godmorgon on the left 3/4 of the wall and then a narrow depth storage unit on the right side. This is a big decision for the long term. Is the breeze really the priority for both of you over function?

The fact you started these posts tells us that you are very interested in the euro style wall to wall and you can achieve your original idea with the Sektion cabs.

You could get two of these I think.

Modern Bath Vanity Concetto 5500 Elm, 32" · More Info

Thanks suzyq53, I have seriously considered that one, especially since it's made of elm--different than ordinary. But I was put off by some of the reviews, especially those that rated the overall quality no better than IKEA and four times the price. If you own it, do tell? Thanks for helping me shop!

That one is 18" depth. Are you able to go that deep or is 16" still the max?

bbtrix, thanks as always for all the thoughtful input.

I've been waiting to get hard numbers on the cost of replacing that door with a window before making a serious decision (our window dude is taking forEVER). But every time I visit the site, the space feels increasingly constrained (door or no door), which is why I was starting to crave a more streamlined look...like below, but longer, and with hopes of finding a special little treasure box (Etsy?) that would sit atop this minimal counter (or on a little shelf?) and hold DH's bit of daily essentials (comb, nail trimmers, etc). :-)

I'm heading down to the house in a moment, armed with a variety of cardboard boxes, with hopes to fill the space as it might look with a small conventional vanity vs. your lovely IKEA configuration vs. this airy shelf look. Seriously running out of time, must commit. Thanks again for your wise words!

bbtrix, sorry, I missed your last comment. Judging by our last measurements, I can go 18" deep as long as we keep it under 58" wide, but DH really wants two sinks (bah!) so I think 58" might be too cramped to get two single vanities comfortably side by side? However! I just discovered a custom vanity maker who says "no problem" on making a two sink 17" deep vanity, for a reasonable price. Hope to get that bid today! Fingers crossed.

That's great! I hope that works out for you. So it will be configured like the last pic you posted allowing space by the door.

That's my hope! This is the one time in my life when my high school geometry class could have taught me some valuable life skills....had I only paid attention! :)

bbtrix, have you seen this French designer's solution: Godmorgon cabs topped by a plank? I wonder if this could be done with undermounted sinks in a thicker plank (preferably walnut). OK, I really have become the Don Quixote of the "perfect" shallow vanities...

Asnières - réalisation · More Info

Sure it can, but be sure your installer is experienced and understands supports for proper carrying capacity. I'll wager the above vanity at least has a center leg in addition to support in the studs. My DH and I made a large 1.75" thick Walnut countertop for our island with an undermount sink. We used Waterlox to finish it. Any wood top will need to be finished appropriately and maintained to keep a water resistant finish. Walnut is heavy. I have a 17" x 44" piece leftover and it weighs 29 lbs. Your piece will be larger than that plus the weight of the sinks. The support you need will vary depending on the configuration. The Federal Brace website has products and info about supports. https://www.federalbrace.com/content/215-supporting-a-vanity

The end of this video shows how this craftsman supports his floating vanity top.

Are you considering the shallow Godmorgon's wall to wall with a walnut top? The side walls would provide additional support.

Love the video!! Thanks! I should have thought to check YouTube!

More later...feeling flu-ish...

So for all the extremely patient (saintly!) folks who have somehow hung in with my crazy journey to find the perfect master bath vanity...I have finally decided.

I'm giving up my lofty, Quixotic dreams of sublime floating sinks atop gorgeous walnut shelves and all the other designer fare and going with IKEA Godmorgon after all. This after another visit to my favorite Swedish emporium, where, hopped up on far too much lingonberry sauce, I walked once again through the bathroom section and suddenly it all spoke to me and made perfect sense. That, and the fact that my favorite salesperson greeted me with a big, warm wave and smile (and this is someone I have peppered with questions for months on end).

Ten year warranty. Great customer service (at least in my experience). Ceramic sink, not acrylic (like SO many vanities sold on Houzz). I'm keeping it simple with one 55" Godmorgon in high gloss white + a double Odensvik sink, centered on my 113" wall, with a at least one tall, narrow cabinet on one end for extra storage. This gives us more storage than we'll ever need, plenty of breathing room, the exterior door won't need to be replaced, and I'll have $$ left over to splurge a bit on fixtures and/or better quality tile.

And hey! I bought a bathtub today, too! (no, not at IKEA) :-D

Thanks for your patience and support!

Great! I think you’ll love it!

I think so! And funny, it wasn't until just now that I actually priced out the unit: $799, not exactly super low budget, but half the cost of many vanities I was considering. Godmorgon + Odensvik vanity

That looks very nice, with lots of storage, and the two sinks you wanted, at a good price. I think you will be pleased that you went "practical!"

Yes, Nancy in Mich, it's actually quite funny to me (though probably not to those who followed my incessant seesawing!) that I would finally come back to where I first started.

When I agreed to do this remodel, it was only under the edict that we would STAY ON BUDGET, which of course I knew was a fairytale goal. But still. If I said $$ and not $$$$$$, at least we'd end up at $$$$ and not $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, right? :) So DH and I agreed that we'd put the bulk of our bucks into adding square footage and keep the finishes strictly in the low to mid budget range. Ha ha, you know how that goes. Next thing you know, I'm following Bathrooms of Instagram, Kitchens of Instagram, Wall-mounted Sinks of Instagram...on and on, falling deep into the ruinous rabbit hole of remodeling. "Hello. My name is Mittens Cat. And I'm a remodeling CLICHE´!"

Anyway! In the end, I think it came down to knowing who I am (knowing who we are), and knowing that if I really want to stare lovingly at a sleek, contemporary bathroom with high end fixtures and flawless styling, I can always book a couple nights' stay on a dreamy AirBnB and get my fix! LOL!

So what was the outcome? Any photos would be great.

@Tice Tice, we have been in the house for 3 weeks and I'm still trying to find the energy to share our "After" photos, so thanks for the prompt.

We ended up going with the IKEA Godmorgon floating vanities in three bathrooms--two of which we plussed up with Semihandmade wood veneer fronts. Very happy with them so far!! Went with walnut in the master and mahogany in my kid's bathroom. (Guest bathroom got the Godmorgon in IKEA's glossy white finish.)

I hemmed and hawed a lot on this, but feel the upcharge for SHM was worth it. Plus, I got both the IKEA and the SHM during their semi-annual sales, which made it extra sweet. The only drawback so far is not having that much counter space in the master bath, but we didn't have much choice on that thanks to door and shower door configurations (and not wanting to shell out $2500 on a shallow-depth custom vanity).

Kid's bathroom:

Master vanity:

@Mittens Cat - I feel like I’m stalking you on Houzz! I’m pretty sure that I’ve read every posts you’ve ever started! I wasn’t looking at anything to do with IKEA/Godmorgon this time either!

Was searching on Houzz because I want to do something like this in my powder room

And I found this post. Based upon how you’ve described yourself in one of the comments above, I think we are pretty similar!

You have a really great eye re: design style - thoughts??

It’s going to be just a bit more $$$ than a regular floating vanity! Hmmm. …not sure if I should pursue it.

I’m kinda “burned out” re: home renovations.

@dani_m08, HAAAA! I have that same blue tile powder room photo in my inspiration file! So yeah, we must be cut from the same design cloth. (I'm also LOL'ing because I see three months after moving into our remodel I said I would post some "After" pics soon. It's been 20 months and I haven't yet done that! Still can't find the energy!) :-D So yeah, I get the burnout part 100%!

Anyway, re other vanities, I try not to look at any these days lest I start second guessing my choices! But overall, I'm happy with the ones I chose and would probably make the same choices again. Looking forward to seeing what you end up with. Don't beat yourself up for taking a lot of time making a decision, though. You'll probably end up happy with whichever you choose, but it still takes a lot of thought and mental energy. Good luck!