The Complete Guide To Basin Colours

An Introduction To Coloured Basins

A basin is the crown jewel of the bathroom, it is where you wash your hands, brush your teeth and generally titivate yourself. You’ve decided on whether you want a freestanding basin, or a wall hung basin, or a semi-recessed basin. Now comes the tricky part, what colour should your coloured basin be? Do you go for the smart and stylish black? The classic and calming white? Or the fancy and fashionable silver? If you’re stuck, don’t worry. This article is going to explain all the benefits of the three main basin colours and shed some light on which colour may be best for you.

Let’s get started!

Why Should I Buy a Black Basin?

A black basin could be the key to tying together your bathroom. Black is bold and it stands out against most tiles, making a feature of what could easily just be functional. It looks smart and has been associated with masculinity and professionalism. Meaning if you’re a savvy businessman looking to build a striking bathroom that reflects you, then a black basin could be your ideal choice.

It should be noted however, that these are just some associations. These bold basins could easily fit the bathroom of say, a female artist, just as well. The matte black finish could be the basis for a further customization. For those who see their home as their canvas, having a black base means you can easily customize it to how you see fit. Furthermore, black works as a good anchoring colour, so if you have a colourful, maximalist bathroom, this coloured basin could be the element that draws the eye.

Why Should I Buy a White Basin?

A white basin is what is typically associated with home bathrooms. In a word, they’re classic. The colour is calming and invokes a feeling of cleanliness due to its use in clinical spaces. If you’re designing a bathroom that is meant to be soothing and calming, a white basin may be for you. The white fits well among shades of grey, crème and beige, so this basin could be the answer to continuing your theme of cooling, soothing tones without losing out on functionality.

As well as this, as white basins are the typical fixture of the home bathroom, you may find it easier to sell a bathroom with these fixtures. If you’re renovating your house to sell or your flat to rent, following the curve and installing what is generally considered the norm could mean you find buyers sooner rather than later.

Why Should I Buy a Silver Basin?

Silver and chrome, by their very nature evoke industry. Polished metal has so many associations and you will often find chrome basins to be the ideal choice in professional settings. If you watch many cooking shows, you will see silver basins fitted within their kitchens, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Extending the industrial look to your bathroom can give it a visual flare not often seen.

Inject a bit of the postmodern into your home by featuring a metallic silver basin.

Should I Choose Stone Resin or Ceramic?

If you decide to choose a white or black basin, you will also be faced with the choice of whether you want the material to be ceramic or stone resin. Ceramic and Stone Resin share a lot of qualities, such as being watertight and strong. However, the fundamental difference between them is that stone resin features a less brittle surface, so it is less likely to endure chips and scratches.

This is incredibly important to consider if you are choosing a black basin. As damage can show up easier against the matte black, therefore it is advisable to seek out a stone resin basin if you are deciding on the colour black.

How Does Location Affect My Options?

You may be confused by that subtitle. Potentially wondering, well the location is a bathroom surely? The answer is, not always. For example, many people choose to outfit their cloakrooms with cloakroom countertop basins and other fixtures. This can spruce up your home and give it extra functionality. When designing for a smaller space, like a cloakroom, colour theory is important. Lighter colours can feel roomier, while darker colours can feel cosier. Equally, having lots of contrast in a small space can make it feel cluttered, while having none could make it feel empty. You need to think about your intent and your resources when choosing fixtures such as the cloakroom countertop basin, namely how much space you have in the room. It is always best to choose a small countertop basin if you do not have much space and use contrast to make it seem bigger, or use consistent colours to make it seem like it takes up even less space, so the room can look bigger.

Once you know what you want to achieve and how much space you have to achieve it, you will be able to make more purposeful and enlightened decisions.

What Colour Sink Should I Buy for My Countertop?

So, you now understand the aesthetic benefits of the three typical options, but if you already have a bathroom in mind, you may be wondering how you can fit the different kinds of sinks to your best countertop. Have no fear, it is quite easy.

Firstly, ask yourself, do you want to evoke contrast or consistency? Contrast can be a great tool to help elements standout and make a splash, while colour consistency can help objects blend together and be easier on the eye.

If you’re looking for contrast, you will probably want to install a black countertop basin on a white countertop, a white countertop basin on a black countertop, or a silver basin on a wooden countertop. This is because white and black naturally contrast each other very well and can be used to draw the eye and highlight one another. As well as this, metal and wood have the opposing connotations of industry and nature. This means you can achieve the same black and white contrast effect by fitting a metallic silver basin to a wooden countertop.

As a sidenote, if you wish to fit a black or white countertop basin to a wooden countertop, black on dark wood and white on lightwood are your ideal picks. Affixing a black basin to a dark wood countertop can give strong earthy connotations, while installing a white basin on a lightwood countertop can evoke the seaside.

However, if you’re looking for colour consistency, you will want to fit a black countertop basin to a black countertop, a white countertop basin to a white countertop and a silver basin to a silver countertop. This will evoke feelings of uniformity and verisimilitude, because the eye’s vision is never broken up by contrasting colours. This is less to process and can be visually pleasing due to its calming nature.

Contrast tends to suit maximalism, which favours a busier aesthetic, while consistency tends to suit minimalism which favours a cleaner aesthetic. Keep these principles in mind when choosing your colours!

What Colours Should My Accessories Be?

So, you’ve chosen your basin. Now what? You need to choose your accessories of course! This primarily means your taps, but also extends to your waste plugs and bottle traps. These choices are just as important as your basin, as they help bring it to life.

For your general basin accessories, like your waste plugs, you will probably want to match the colour to that of the basin. This is because having a shape in the middle of the basin be a different colour to the rest of the basin can look odd and unintentional. However, you could create some interesting contrast by having your tap be a different colour to the basin and matching the waste plug to the tap instead. The general rule of thumb is to match to your basin, but don’t be afraid to explore your creativity!

Items such as bottle traps tend to only come in silver and therefore match silver taps very well. However, don’t let this put you off buying a different colour tap if you prefer it, many basins hide their pipes and traps and even if yours doesn’t, the addition of a vanity could hide your trap and allow you to choose your desired colour for your basin and sink without having to worry about clashing colours.

Now let’s talk about basin taps.

Why Should I Buy Black Taps?

Much like their basin counterparts, black bathroom taps are bold and suit contrast very well. If you’re looking to make a feature out of your basin, contrasting black bathroom taps against a white basin could work very well. It can create a distinguished and purposeful aesthetic.

As well as this, combining black bathroom taps with a black sink can create a big exclamation point in an otherwise generic bathroom. If you favour aesthetics that make a statement, this option could be for you.

Expanding on this, creating a bathroom full of black fixtures can make for an extremely satisfying vision. It breaks the mold of the average bathroom and can help your interior design standout against your social circles. This goes for both in the home and in business.

As previously stated, black in the bathroom can evoke strong feelings of professionalism and by having these taps and fixtures in your corporate bathroom, you could help foster a professional and driven atmosphere.

Why Should I Buy White Taps?

White bathroom taps work best as a consistent element of an established colour motif. A white tap may look odd on a black basin, but attached to a white basin it looks aesthetically pleasing and flowing.

If your basin is white and you want to achieve a uniform aesthetic, white bathroom taps could be the perfect option for you. They don’t break up the image of the basin and instead become one with it. If you favour aesthetics that don’t challenge and are easy on the eye, then this is ideal.

Why Should I Buy Silver Taps?

Silver bathroom taps, much like the white basin, have been the classic bathroom fixture for some time. Their metallic sheen contrasts the white basin nicely, but because it keeps the lighter motif, it doesn’t do so harshly. If you’re looking for a simple, classic look, silver taps on a white basin could be the option you have been looking for.

You do not typically see silver bathroom taps on black basins as their contrast could be seen as a touch garish. However, if you are looking for a unique aesthetic, this combination is perfect.

Finally, if you wish to round out the industrial look, then you want to affix silver taps to your silver basin. This creates an aesthetic that could be seen as unhomely in the traditional sense, but it has a memorable aesthetic that you will come to associate with your home.

How Do I Clean the Different Colours of Basins and Taps?

The maintenance of your bathroom may be an important factor to you when deciding how to fit it out. Therefore, it is crucial you understand the different cleaning principles needed for the different colours of basin and taps.

When cleaning painted taps, like black or white ones, you simply want to use a soft cloth and warm water. This should easily remove any marks or buildup from the taps.

However, when cleaning silver bathroom taps, you can be a bit stronger, due to their surface being metal. For example, you can mix vinegar in with the warm water to get a deeper clean. However, it is important you never use vinegar on a painted tap as it could be damaging.

It is also worth noting that if you use regular toothpaste, your mess will show up more on black basins and if you use charcoal toothpaste, then your mess will show up more on white basins. It is recommended you always keep your basins clean, but it’s also good to keep in mind how to stop them looking as messy during use, for a more aesthetically pleasing experience.

Final Thoughts On Coloured Basins

Overall, there are many different reasons to go for aby of the colours available. You must decide what effect you wish to achieve and choose your colours with that effect in mind. Do you wish to pursue minimalism or maximalism? Do you wish to explore contrast or consistent colouration? What mood do you want to evoke? One of relaxation or professionalism? Ask yourself these questions and have a browse of our amazing sinks and accessories to see which colours suit your creativity.