Maybe try testing a sample piece of the corian first to see how much it can get burned and how much polishing it takes to remove it.

If you provide a trivet for curling irons, make sure guests know what it's for and leave it out on the counter so they don't forget. A textured silicone mat is nice because it's easy to set the iron down w/o worrying that it's going to slip off.

Thanks ABC. This is a tiny space with no room for a trivet and there are also no drawers or storage underneath in which to store it. I also am not sure that my guests would think to put the iron down on a trivet even if one was there. Does this change your thinking at all about corian, or am I still ok with the polishing route?

I've had Corian and loved it in a prior home (kitchen and baths there), and I have granite now. I am not one of those people who hate Corian because it's "plastic." (Lots of useful products in my life are plastic. Shrug....) It has a lot of utility as a counter material, and if we're focusing on the green/environmental aspect only, hey, at least the Corian isn't part of a huge mining expedition burning fossil fuels and destroying the environment around it to get that pretty rock out of the ground, and then hauling it half way across the world, polishing it, etc.

I say all of that only so you understand I don't hate the product. (I've lost count of the number of times I've seen posts on here hating on Corian....)

However in your case, I'd probably go with a cheap granite. Not only would it probably be cheaper it will stand up to potential abuse better. If it weren't going to be a rental then I'd be saying get whatever you like the most....but if we're talking potential abuse, I do believe at least some granites will be a safer bet.

If you damage Corian from heat, you've got a good shot at a repair, depending upon the severtiy. If you damage engineered stone with heat, you're dead.

You're very unlikely to chip Corian, but if you do, it is inconspicuously repaired. You're not going to stain it. Excellent choice.

Ally De - Thanks for being the only person Houzz who I've ever heard acknowledge the environmental costs of stone. I hear you loud and clear.

I've always loathed granite - cold, icy, loud, and not particularly beautiful. However, in such a small quantity perhaps I can move beyond my biases. But why do you say granite over quartz or quartzite?

By the way - this counter is only going to be 28" wide, just in case that makes a difference to anyone in your suggestions.

Kendrah, mostly for costs. I was trying to be both economical and practical, knowing it was going in a rental. Cheap granite is usually so much cheaper than anything else but low end laminate these days. But then again we're talking a small piece so even the more expensive stuff won't be thousands of dollars difference.

what about a remnant piece of marble? those small pieces usually go in the trash.

irons won't hurt marble. And unless your guests are using kool-aid on their face or preparing for a clown contest, it's prob not going to stain w/regular type of makeup.

I have a piece of dolomite (Super White) on my vanity and my makeup area. been fine for 5 yrs)

(and if you have guests that are that messy, perhaps just tell them to put a towel down, which you provide, on the surface while they do their face or hair. I can't imagine not being mindful of those things in my hosts' home!)

Well, now that you mention it, I do have some drag queen friends...

I love the look of marble but after having it in my kitchen I swore never again in any part of my house. I can imagine wet marks from wash cloths being left on it for days, morning coffee mugs, blue toothpaste. I really want the kind of countertop where I don't have to give any instructions for use - no towels, no trays, nada.

I'd love to have you as a guest Beth - my friends just don't think. Even my bestie who has gorgeous vintage MCM teak in her own home and treats it with such care and coasters but leaves glasses and watermarks on my antique wood tables. Go figure. But, I do love these people to death so I shall work around them.

Cute kitty and nice shower jungle by the way.

I am torn. I would generally not have an issue using Corian in a bathroom. In your case, if they are using flat irons and likely not to protect the surface (generally a no-brainer) you are better off using something that they cannot possibly damage.

With this level of carelessness I would not consider marble. I have a jasmine perfume that has a red based colorant and it stains just like an alcohol based marker would stain. Who knows what products they may use while visiting. Marble also scratches. My sister used marble in a bathroom primarily used by her two sons. It was covered with scratches.

That leaves granite or quartz.

Quartz is more stain resistant and is heat resistant to 300 degrees. (hotter than the outside of a typical flat iron) (Corian is heat resistant to 200 degrees)

Granite is more heat resistant, but can crack with extreme heat. Stain resistance is solved by annual sealing.

Both would be good choices.

well then, how about porcelain? get a remnant porcelain and use it for the top. they have porcelain slabs that look like marble, stone, granite,,,whatever. Porcelain won't stain and won't be affected by the heat.

If you got a remnant from a porcelain slab, you could get any type of color or design.

you could also look into a XL single porcelain tile. they come in huge sizes now. edging could be done w/one of their trim pieces or something else.

Basalt. a basalt countertop would be just about bullet proof. (and since it used to be lava, heat won't affect it)

DalTile has an XL basalt tile in a 24X48" size. a fabricator could cut, finish the edges for you

https://www.build.com/product/summary/1319453

just another option.

I've never heard of porcelain or basalt slabs. Very interested. Do they come in solid colors - solid white? After having had real marble counters, I find that even the best imitation veining in quartz and other synthetic products still looks too faux for my liking and solid is my favorite.

yes. I'm sure you could find a white porcelain vanity top.

(basalt comes in many diff colors/tones/finishes. Like this one. It's honed. cut out your sink hole, mount your faucet to the wall, and polish these edges. attach to vanity. done.

make your vanity a floating wood style and mount the basalt to it. Ignore the sink here. I think the basalt and wood look great together

I think most of the porcelain in this size come w/the integrated sink:

https://www.amazon.com/Fresca-Potenza-White-Integrated-Countertop/dp/B06XG28VDX

Ceramic?

https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/saint-birch-ceramic-single-bathroom-vanity-top-with-sink-sncb1373.html

https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/bellaterra-home-single-bathroom-vanity-top-with-sink-hbz10984.html

this is 28" Do you need the bottom part too?

this would be about your size. you'd have more storage space. The wood is nice too.

White quartz would be another option. a curling iron or flat iron isn't going to hurt it.

looks pretty good for faux marble. it's quartz

This one is the Silestone Eternal serena

I actually have this countertop in my kitchen! didn't know they made vanity tops from it. It's a 31", so you could have it cut down a bit to fit your dimensions. (unless you can go a bit wider)

https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/kohler-silestone-quartz-31-in-vanity-top-with-rectangle-cutout-lbpr5007.html

This one is cool. a terrazzo vanity top. you could do a floating vanity. (what style are you afer?)

River White granite? Of course ignore the funky 4" backsplash and ugly wall color

Porcelain (sintered) is a picture on a giant piece of tile. If you find a through-body, you may get a solid white. Otherwise, you'll have to have mitered edges to look good and that edge can't be profiled without cutting through the picture. So you'll leave a sharp edge that's prone to chipping and that can't be repaired inconspicuously. But it is heat and stain proof.

If you want a solid white that's repairable, looks great, is warm to the touch, doesn't stain, and tough as nails, go Corian.

@Beth H. : "DalTile has an XL basalt tile in a 24X48" size. a fabricator could cut, finish the edges for you. https://www.build.com/product/summary/1319453"

Daltile Dignitary (linked above) is porcelain tile.

wdcruise, yes, sorry. I was talking about XL porcelain tiles right above that and should have linked the dal tile right under it. My order got mixed up. thanks for catching it. (although that porcealin version looks pretty good. don't know if a single could be ordered. easier to find a stone yard that carries basalt slabs and get a leftover)

here, see if this clears it up for you

https://www.coverallstone.com/basalt-paving/honed-basalt-tile/

https://stoneandtileshoppe.com/products/basalt-dark-honed-basalt-tile

https://rockmillstone.com/natural-stone/basalt-sandstone/grey-basalt/

How ‘bout a soapstone remnant? Soapstone will stand up to the heat of hair styling tools and is non porous, so no worries about staining. Any scratches can be sanded out. We put Dark Julia on our bathroom vanities and curbs — everyone loves it!

Most bathroom vanity tops are in “remnant” sizes, so you may want to visit a stone yard and browse. Granite or porcelain might be the nicest and best products to consider if you are worried about careless guests. Maybe you will get inspired.

An undermount sink sounds like a good idea. A small rectangular one looks more modern, to go with your new countertop.

Kohler (used to?) makes enameled cast iron vanity tops and vitreous china tops--one piece with integrated sinks. Pretty durable stuff. Size might be an issue though.

Tile is another surface that can take a huge amount of abuse.

We put a white Corian counter in our main (and toddler daughter's) bath in 1985. When we moved out in 2011, we were able to sand out most damage. She had left a tube of toothpaste on the counter that had bleached its outline onto the surface. I think we were able to get that out almost entirely, but until we did, it was a definite stain.

I have polished granite in this kitchen. That's what I'd choose for a guest bathroom that may take some abuse.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC

I know you are a big corian advocate, and you helped convince me to get it for my kitchen, so thank you. What are your thoughts on potential burn marks from curling irons? How would you repair them?

Kendrah:

It depends upon the severity of the burn, the color of the top, and the availability of repair material. Place an obvious curling iron trivet please.

No room for a trivet. 28” wide vanity. Sounds like corian is out. Thanks all.

Thanks for being the only person Houzz who I've ever heard acknowledge the environmental costs of stone. I hear you loud and clear.

If your counter really is as small as you say it is, you might find something really decent at habitat for humanity (or similar stores) and cut it down to size.

An aside: if the counter has no room to put a hot iron, then don't worry about burning. But you might want to provide something for your guests to put that stuff on, like a rack that hangs off the side (like this)? Or place a dresser with a mirror near an outlet in the guest bedroom.

Ally makes a good point. I often bring up the environmental impact of so many things on this site but usually it's met with deaf ears or gets a lot of pushback. I don't even bring it up for things like stone anymore. There are not a lot of people on this site who prioritize the environment unfortunately.

Quartz is one of the big offenders if not for the environment, then for the workers who cut it. The dust it gives off causes lung damage and silicosis.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/risks.html

https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/workplace-cancer/silica-dust

My sons’ bathroom has a solid surface similar to Corian, and you know how boys can be. (actually, girls are surely the same, with makeup, hair styling tools, etc). anyway, 17 years later it still looks great.

We have Corian in our bathrooms and kitchen that was installed in the 80s, and it still looks great. We cleaned sharpie bleed through off the kitchen counter, just took a bit of soft scrub. There are a couple scuffs that we haven't fixed (apathy, not difficulty) from things being dropped from close to ceiling height (the mug did far worse than the counter). One bathroom survived prom prep for a group of girls doing hair and make up with no damage. A neighbor used to hrow cookie sheets on her Corian counters ...

About the only thing I can think of that'd be more impervious to heat, etc. would be soapstone ... they use it for lab benchs (but yes, it can still be damaged if you work at it ...).

Room for a curling iron, just not a trivet.

Blueberry - Im sold on corian in all aspects but heat. I think I will call the folks who installed my kitchen corian and ask how they handle burn marks. They have been around for 30 years and I am sure have seen it all.

I have seen many blogs about eco friendly building but never one that evaluated work conditions behind the building materials we so commonly use. It would be great if some has a link to such a site. I try to buy Made in USA or Canada figuring it wipes out child labor and some terrible working conditions. But so many things manufactured here are made of parts from around the world.

Up until now, every remodel we have done I have labored over researching the environmental and worker impacts of each purchase - from insulation to caulking to cabinet knobs. (Thank you Diana for raising worker condition issues.) This time around, I’m being much less stringent. Supply chain issues, wait times, and the challenges of finding contractors are enough stress for now. It is a tiny space so Im telling myself the impact will be lessened.

Verdict - no corian. Called the person who installed my kitchen corian and he said don't do it in a bathroom where someone might use a hair iron that could leave a burn.

an alternate is a porcelain countertop. they don't scorch.

how big is your vanity area? there are many all-in-one models out there (where the sink is integrated with the counter). if you can find one that fits your space it's a really affordable way to upgrade.

I installed my own, it was so easy. It has drawers, which is so nice to provide to my guests since that bathroom has almost zero counter space.

Ok, so back to the porcelain idea - I want something the just like the top and bowl in this console pic - a circular bowl on a small rectangular counter, BUT not made from marble, made from a heat resistant non-staining white surface with no fake veins or flecks, just plain white. Do they make off the shelf products like this out of porcelain? I'd love to not have to roam a slab yard looking for remnants.

This is the only surface space in the whole bathroom and round bowl, rectangular top, and no lip = most space possible for soap, toothbrushes, and other items you put on a counter.

Fauceture KVPB30MB1 Vanity and Sink with Brass Pedestal, Polished Chrome · More Info

Our space is tiny and cannot accomodate console legs, a vanity, or even floating top with a drawer. I think we just need to hang a console top without using the legs. This insane heater will remain - going to paint it white to match new subway tile. (It is a superbly functioning heater from 1938. If it ain't broke don't fix it is my motto.)

And for those of you who will ask - I love a retro bathroom but this one has been badly neglected, is in a coop with very strict rules, and it actually really does need to be completely gutted.

@ Kendrah - I am concerned with both environmental impacts and human rights and I am renovating my home. I made the decision to use LVT flooring. Yes it is plastic, but it will be in my home for at least the next 20 years, it fit in my budget and will be durable. I try to stay away from many of the hardwood products due to the impact of deforestation on global warming and wildlife. I looked at bamboo and found that many of the natural bamboo forests are being replaced with homogeneous bamboo varieties that are not the bamboos eaten by many of the animals that survive on bamboo, but are the varieties that work best for making chopsticks and flooring.

The only truly environmentally friendly act is to keep what we have whenever possible. The carpet in my home is worn to the point that you can see the backing and there are no carpet fibers left at some of the doorways. I have to replace with something.

I have chosen to do my part on a day to day basis, using reusable containers and plates and napkins, shopping bags instead of buying/using disposable paper and plastic products when a reasonable alternative is available. (I use a disposable plastic syringe for an injectable medication I am on. - no reasonable substitute).

Throwing 6 plastic water bottles away each day for 20 years would be much more environmentally damaging than throwing out my LVT after 20+ years of use. My yeti keeps the water cold for hours and can be refilled over and over throughout the day.

Do your best to choose something that will work for you and not need to be replaced for many years to come.

Google Vitreous China bathroom sinks and Porcelain bathroom sinks. Both should provide you with solid white sinks.

You have a pedestal sink, and it seems like you need another pedestal sink for the space. Pedestal sinks absolutely come in porcelain. They come in a number of styles, though you're not going to find one that isn't an integrated sink ... they're two pieces: the pedestal and the sink.

Also, if your careless visitors try to clean up after themselves, hide the steelwool, hard scrubbrushes, and anything else that would scratch glass. If it can scratch glass, it can scratch a porcelain sink. (Porcelain is a high-fire ceramic; glazed porcelain, therefore, has a glass-like surface; the working surface of porcelain sinks will be glazed.) Barkeeper's Friend, Bon Ami, or SoftScrub work well on porcelain.

A wall hung sink would work. How difficult the install will depend on how the wall behind the pedestal sink is constructed. Hopefully wood framed because that is the easiest to work with.

It's a very cute bathroom. Too bad it was neglected!

Seriously, go to home rehab stores and see if you can find pedestal sinks in white (since I assume the new toilet and shower will be white?). I rarely have good luck at Habitat For Humanity, but I do pretty well at similar stores that are locally owned.

Are you seeking a pedestal sink because of the radiator? Can it be moved? Or a different model be installed in a different spot? I've seen tons of very nice looking small electric wall radiators in European bathrooms. If you did this, then you could put a small cabinet sink in that corner and give yourself some storage space. Like I mentioned above, the small drawer cabinets will give your guests much needed storage.

There is nowhere else in the bathroom that the heater can go. People either leave it here or rip it out and have no heat in the bathroom. I want heat! Yes, I could easily get a pedestal sink but the thing I don't like about them (and I have had many) is that they have a raised edge on all four sides that eats into the surface area and bowls that go far out to the edges. These console sinks don't have that - they are flat on top. Even though we might be talking about a loss of 4 inches here or there, it makes a huge difference in a bathroom this tiny!

Yes, it is sad that it was not taken care of. The pipes are 85 years old and it does seem reasonable that they have to be replaced. And, the bathroom also just feels unsafe and a huge fall risk so some of our work is to make that better too. We have come a long way in safety since 1938.

Jennifer - At some point I throw my hands up in the air because we are never going to stop environmental collapse if it is just up to individuals to take personal steps. Sure, a lot of people taking tiny steps can help, but nowhere nearly enough. I think of all the people who put milk jugs in their toilet tanks for years. Glad that they did it, but thank goodness we have water regulations that make all toilets conserve. (Says the woman who wants to take all the water flow controls out of my faucets.)

ok! I think the type of wall mount sink that cilantro posted would work really well. all-in-one, won't burn, provides a tiny bit of counter space, and will allow flow for your heater.

one other tip for guests: on the wall off to the right, provide a hook they can hang a toiletry kit from. it's a good space saver! have a small shelf nearby to set a kit if their toiletry kit is not the hanging type.

Great idea about the hook! Thanks.

@SeattleMCM: "I think the type of wall mount sink that cilantro posted would work really well."

Yeah, it looks great in the photo because all the pipes are hidden, i.e., shutoff valves that will be too low and all pipes that will inevitably be in the wrong locations. That's why all the Nameeks sinks are photographed from above or show only a stylish, modern j-trap. I considered one of these for a remodel but selected a wall-mounted vanity to hide all the plumbing mess instead.

Yikes, sink space is now only going to be 22" wide because of other changes to the room. Tight. Going to be interesting.

According to the drawing, the bathroom is 24 + 28 + 13 = 58" wide and 28 + 38 + 28 = 94" long. Perhaps you should reorient the bathroom, starting with an alcove bathtub placed along the 58"-wide wall opposite the door. There are 54" x 30" bathtubs (example: Kingston Brass VTAP543022L Aqua Eden 54" Three Wall Alcove Soaking Tub). Locate the toilet next to the tub on the right-hand 94" wall. So far you would have used 30 + 30 = 60" of the 94" wall, leaving 34" for, a 24"-to-30" vanity between the toilet and the wall with the door. Re-plumb the heating piping for a shallower, less-obtrusive radiator (example: Runtal 2"-deep wall panel radiators),

@wdccruise I live in a 14 story prewar coop building from the 1930. They have very strick rules about not changing the fixture placement and orientation. Too many people had done so and caused flooding to neighbors below. Old pipes, which run in the ceiling of the neighbor below rather than in the floor of your own unit. (The floors are concrete slab.)

Yeah, it looks great in the photo because all the pipes are hidden, i.e., shutoff valves that will be too low and all pipes that will inevitably be in the wrong locations. That's why all the Nameeks sinks are photographed from above or show only a stylish, modern j-trap. I considered one of these for a remodel but selected a wall-mounted vanity to hide all the plumbing mess instead.

Until such a time as someone invents the Wi-Fi equivalent of water & drain lines, we are stuck with plumbing.

I, for one, do not think that the plumbing the OP has with the pedestal sink is a 'mess'. It looks high end, all chrome, neat, stylish. It is not like you have to be stuck with red & blue PEX & white PVC drains. Given a prewar co-op building, exposed plumbing is quite appropriate, even desirable, IMO. But you need to spend the $$ for high end stuff.

I prefer a wall mount over a pedestal sink because the floor is easier to clean, no pedestal to clean & dust and plenty of toe room. I chose that particular sink because it is a step above a pedestal sink as it has a bit more usable 'counter top'.

The bathroom is small...5 x7...with no long sight lines to the sink, so exposed plumbing under the sink is practically a non-issue anyway.

A vanity, wall hung or otherwise, won't work because of the radiator. OP has expressed a desire to keep the vintage heater; I would keep it, too. Looks cool, & costs nothing to keep it. Even removing it and having a unheated bathroom will incur cost.

How about good old-fashioned tile? Impervious, loads of color and style options, consistent with the building’s era, affordable. Yes, grout. But how big a deal is that in a guest bathroom?

@ci_lantro: "I chose that particular sink because it is a step above a pedestal sink as it has a bit more usable 'counter top'."

That Nameeks sink is 32" wide so it wouldn't fit. Even if it did fit, the basin is offset to the left so the faucet wouldn't be above the in-wall hot and cold valves, and the j-trap wouldn't be above the in-wall drain pipe leading to the "plumbing mess" that you termed "neat, stylish".

That Nameeks sink is 32" wide so it wouldn't fit.

The 5115 model is 32" . The 5114 is 23.62" wide.

Even if it did fit, the basin is offset to the left so the faucet wouldn't be above the in-wall hot and cold valves, and the j-trap wouldn't be above the in-wall drain pipe leading to the "plumbing mess" that you termed "neat, stylish".

If you want Plug & Play plumbing, yeh, the pipes might not all be all perfectly plumb. If that particularly matters. Which I don't think it does given the plumbing is not on stage. It is under a sink and, as I said, there are no long sight lights.

If perfection is desired, then open the wall and tweak the lines. This is a remodel in a prewar building so one would assume that the piping is due for renewal anyway.

The bowl of the Nameeks 5114 is only 13.4" x 12.2" and the pipes for its offset sink, particularly the drain pipe/j-trap which won't line up with the in-wall drain pipe are still going to look like crap.

Kendrah, I had a 7' corian vantity top put in in the late 80's. Dove grey, I was ahead of my time. Most of that bath was white.

In the 25 years we lived with it (two adults using that bathroom), never a stain, chip, burn that I couldn't remove with a little Comet cleanser on a sponge. We were no more careful than anyone else.

I did use a variety of hair tools in that bathroom, but it seemed like most had a little 'foot' on the underside that kept a hot appliance from making direct contact with the vanity even if only by a fraction of an inch. It's been long enough I can't be sure.

Have to add though, I can't imagine being a guest in someone's home and doing something careless or rude in a room that didn't belong to me. A friend did burn her future mother in laws formica kitchen counter with a hot pan once, but she was a lovable, distinctly total airhead ;)

If you've no room for a trivet and have a guest who would somehow need to be told more than once, how about a knife rest to raise the hot part of a hair tool slightly. I have a few crystal that are vintage that mostly decorate the built ins in my dining room ;) If I saw one in someone's guest bath I'd know what it was for, you wouldn't need to tell me even once.

Assortment knife rests meant for dining table

I love my friends to pieces. They might be careless, oblivious, and uneducated about how to treat furniture and posessions but they are 100%the for me in hard times, which makes burn marks and watermarks seems so unimportant.

All of the pipes need to be replaced in our bathroom - coop requirements. But I want to replace them in a centered fashion and not off center to accomodate a particular vanity. The coop is very particular about the types and quality of pipes that need to be used.