Bathroom vanity tops with a basin cut-out or with a basin carved from the stone itself, prepared with a finish and impregnation suited to wet areas.
A bathroom vanity top is a smaller surface than a kitchen countertop but a harder environment. It is in constant contact with water, steam, soap and cleaning products. In bathroom work, preparation therefore matters as much as the choice of stone: how the surface is finished and whether the impregnation was properly applied determine how the top will look five years on.
We work with three different arrangements. First, a top with a basin cut-out: a ready-made basin sits into the top, set either over or under the surface. In undermount installation the edge of the cut-out is polished, since that edge stays visible and is touched by hand. Second, a basin carved from the stone: the basin is not a separate piece but is carved out of the top itself. This is the solution seen in the anthracite and beige bathroom tops in this catalogue; with no joint, the risk of water seepage disappears and a single-piece appearance is achieved. Third, a wall-hung (floating) top: with no base cabinet, all the load goes onto a concealed steel structure, and the thickness and weight of the top are calculated accordingly.
On surface finish we recommend honed more strongly in bathrooms. A polished surface shows the drying mark of a water droplet distinctly; on a matt surface that mark is all but invisible. On a wet floor, moreover, a honed or antiqued finish is less slippery than a polished one.
The drainage detail is a small matter that changes the outcome. In a carved basin the base needs a slight fall towards the waste; otherwise water collects in the base and a limescale mark forms over time. That fall is given by CNC in the workshop — it cannot be given on site. Likewise the waste and tap holes are cut to size in the workshop; a hole drilled on site carries the risk of cracking the stone.
Impregnation is more critical in a bathroom than in a kitchen. Once the surface is saturated, water beads on the surface instead of penetrating the stone's pores, which markedly reduces both staining and limescale build-up. The impregnation needs renewing every two to three years; we explain how to do this at handover.
Catalogue
Featured
Marble · Anthracite
An anthracite marble vanity top with a basin carved from the same stone as the counter. The bowl is prepared in the workshop with its drainage fall built in.
Featured
Marble · Beige
A beige marble vanity top with an integrated bowl. It sets a calm ground in front of green veined wall cladding and sits in one piece on a wall-hung unit.
Marble · White
White marble vanity tops prepared for undermount basins. The cut-out edge is polished separately and tap holes are drilled in the workshop.
Marble · Grey
Honed grey marble vanity tops with a channel basin and a rectangular bowl carved from the counter's own stone. A calm surface without veining.
Travertine · Travertine
A travertine plinth with a bowl carved from solid block. The stone is cut so the bedding lines read on the side face of the plinth.
Frequently asked
Yes. The bowl is produced by mitring side faces cut from the slab at 45 degrees and filling the joints with a coloured epoxy carrying the stone's own dust; a well-made joint can be felt by hand but is hard to pick out by eye. A single-piece vessel carved from solid marble or travertine block is also possible. In both methods the base of the bowl is prepared with a slight fall towards the waste, otherwise water stands on the surface.
Other areas
