Tale of a Bathroom Sink

THE DEXTER HOUSE

Today I bring you a tale of a sink.  It's a long tale, but if you're into old-house renovations and design, I think you'll find this one a classic.  Spoiler: it has a happy ending!

Let us begin with our very elusive master bathroom sink.  To fit within the tiny footprint of our space, I searched out the smallest sink I could find, something that was no wider than 24" nor deeper than 18".  I picked this one from Wayfair, happily ordered it and thought we were done.  But boy was I wrong.  When the box arrived, Garrett opened it and started laughing.  He exclaimed "it looks like a doll house sink!"

The Grit and Polish - Master bathroom dollhouse sink

Yes, yes it does.  I'm not sure how you'd wash your hands in that sink, no less wash your face or brush your teeth.

So I returned the offending sink and went back to the drawing board.  We're about ready to start rough-in plumbing, so time was of the essence!  During one of my middle of the night Pinterest sessions (ahhh pregnancy, I tell ya!) I found this image:

Master sink inspiration - coastal living 6-17-15 source

The antique sink fits perfectly with the 'European/garden/vintage' vibe I'm going for in our master bathroom.  So I switched gears and started looking for an old sink off of Craigslist. My only requirement being that it had a nice shape.  Of course I wanted the condition to be fair - it can't look dingy or anything - but truthfully I don't mind some age-appropriate dings.  This antique sink is pretty spectacular too:

Designsponge antique sink inspiration 6-17-15

source

To my amazement, there was a similar-looking sink on Cragslist for $35 that happened to be nearby our Ravenna House.  But wouldn't you know it, I was second in line for the darn thing.  I tried everything to get the owner to sell to me instead - begging, offering more money, picking it up immediately - but turns out they couldn’t be persuaded, and the first guy got it.

I debated buying a new sink again, but I just couldn't get excited over anything I found.  So I decided to give myself one last chance to find something old before settling on a Home Depot special.

And that's when I hit the salvage shops.  I've bought lots of renovation materials from Second Use, Earthwise, and the ReStore in Seattle over the years.  But the inventory is hit and miss - sometimes you find cool stuff but it's usually not when you're looking for said cool stuff.  When I'm looking for something specific, say a bathroom sink...well I can never seem to find it.  But this time, luck was on my side.  I walked into Earthwise on a warm and sunny afternoon and spotted this beauty for $45!

Second Use - master sink 6-17-15

Sure it needs a little cleaning up and possibly new faucets, but it's as close to perfect as I was going to get.  If I wasn't so pregnant, I would have hauled that sink to the front desk the instant I saw it, but it's solid cast iron and too heavy for this mama-to-be.  But no matter, the sink is mine and the helpful staff lugged it around for me without complaint—there are some great things about pregnancy!

You can consider that a happy ending!

I hope you like the sink.  I'm crossing my fingers that the plumbing fixtures for the rest of the house are easier to find...

xoxo

-Cathy

p.s. um yes please!  This European-inspired LA house is gorgeous!

p.p.s. Is everyone as into black doors as I am.  Debating about painting a few at the Dexter House this color...

p.p.p.s. With summer finally here, I can't get enough of weddings!  This Oklahoma ceremony and these Colorado nuptials are stunning!