Wouldn't surprise me if NYC had its own aesthetic, given the space constraints. ;-) I'm actually surprised that the banjo style is out of style these days - it looks really nice *and* it's practical! What could be better? (other than the price) Actually, in terms of practicality, my mom brought up a point. Depending how much space you have between the shelf and the toilet tank, it could be hard to get to the inside of the tank for repairs. She said she's seen bathrooms in this style where the shelf was not attached to the sink console, but was either on hinges or brackets so it could be swung out of the way or removed altogether. She said when the shelf was in normal place, it looked like it was part of the sink. Sounds like an interesting way to do it... Thanks for the suggestion of looking on Ebay, sweeby! I'm headed there next...

With most pedestals, the base is simply a support. The sink top usually has a couple of bolt holes cast into the china or cast iron. Use a couple of lag screws to attach the top to blocking within the wall. You do want to exhibit care so as to not damage the top when lagging it to the blocking. The top gets attached to the wall. The pedestal base simply supports the top. Depending on the sink, there can be coordinating "holes" in the top and pedestal for the waste plumbing to smoothly connect from the drain tailpiece to the waste line in the bathroom wall. Console sinks can be either/or. Some console sinks have simple legs that only provide vertical support for the sink top, with the top getting lagged into the wall like a pedestal top. With other consoles, the leg assembly is more like an erector set cage, and the leg cross bracing can also screw into the wall for lateral support.

So the "backsplash" makes it an English style sink. Good information. I think I prefer this style because it's prettier /less contemporary AND because I like the idea of it protecting the wall ... even though I'd have tile behind the sink, so that doesn't seem to be particularly logical. We currently have one 48" vanity with one sink ... and we each put our things into the drawers on "our side". Except for a soap dish, a toothbrush holder and a little thingy for rings, we don't really have things "out", at least not on a regular basis. Landing space. Yes, that's what I'm concerned about -- I'm concerned about having adequate space to bring things out during use. I like the idea of the glass shelf above the sink -- I had seen those, but they hadn't really registered with me as "very useful" until your post prompted me to google images. I could still have drawers -- but in an adjacent cabinet they'd be a step farther than drawers in a vanity. My biggest concern is hair items; that's the only thing I really "set out" on the cabinet while I'm getting ready. I had thought about widespread faucets ... it seems that most people use a center set on pedestal sinks, and I don't see why anyone would purposefully scrunch everything together like that. I really want a single-piece bathroom faucet (to simply cleaning), but the few examples I found online looked "too contemporary" for pedestal sinks. Do ALL pedestal sinks come with the plumbing holes pre-drilled? So I want to be sure to choose a model that'll allow for a widespread set? I was not thinking about exposed plumbing. With a pedestal (not a console), the plumbing goes into the pedestal, right? At least most of the plumbing. Kats, I also love the hexagon base! Are you saying you regret the size because it's on the short side? I keep reading that that's a problem with many bathroom vanities. Question about pricing: I see pedestal sinks priced just over $100 ... and pedestal sinks price in the $800-900 range. Size makes a difference, but what about quality? How can much difference exist in quality? I mean, it's a basin made to catch water. A $2 bucket can do that -- we're just talking style here. Ignoring the super-cheap outlyers, is a mid-priced pedestal sink just as good as the high-priced models? And two of you are saying claw foot tub would be preferred as a partner for a pedestal sink? I was leaning that way. Our tub gets heavy use, and my husband especially is fussy about the details. His biggest issue being that it must have a molded seat and arm rests. I insist that it's a deep tub with integrated grab bars. And we neither one want a large tub; rather, we want to stay small to conserve water /fill quickly /stay hot longer. We were fairly well settled on the BainUltra Amma 6030 (60" long, 30" wide, using 39 gallons of water) -- though it doesn't look very nice here, mushed up in an alcove ... we were going to set it in a nice deck with a window above it, and I hope it'd look nicer in that setting: The same company /same product line offers a freestanding version: and it checks all our boxes -- molded seat, arm rest, grab bars, deep tub -- but it's 72" long, 42" wide and eats up 54 gallons of water. Does anyone know of a different company that makes a freestanding tub (preferably claw foot) that would include the features we want? Thanks, all, for your help.

If you're also replacing your toilet I like the Memoirs Stately better. In the sinks they're pretty similar. They have been selling this style for a long time; I think it is classic. Whether people will still like it in 10-20 years, your guess is as good as mine. Modern, clean lines are popular right now, which may indicate a swing back to more decorative styles in the future. I am old enough to have seen styles of everything swing back and forth more than once. IMO, if your style is traditional or even transitional you are on the right track.