Why a Floating Sink Is the On

Swapping this one fixture can completely transform your bathroom.

Along with kitchens, bathrooms are one of the places that best sell homes—if you’re considering a renovation, they’re a great place to invest. Plus, they're spaces where small changes can make a huge impact. If you want to revamp a room, you can completely transform it with just a few tweaks. And, of course, unlike a formal dining room or a seasonal patio, your bathroom gets daily use—it needs to spark joy.

If you’re looking for the latest way to give your bathroom a beautiful contemporary spin, consider a floating sink or vanity. These baseless sinks create spacious, polished bathrooms with added visual interest. Now that they’re available in more styles, they’ve become more popular than ever.

Whether you’re thinking about increasing your home's resale value or you just want to enhance your home with an exciting update, we’ll give you all the info you need before opting for a floating sink in your home.

"A floating sink or vanity is a bathroom fixture that is mounted directly onto the wall, without any visible support legs or base," says Laura Sotelo, co-founder of Olive Ateliers. "This creates the illusion that the sink or vanity is 'floating' in mid-air."

Floating vanities aren't new, but they've become more popular recently due to the increase of styles they're available in, including looks using luxury materials like marble. Before, the style's limited options might have made the sink a fit in a sleek modern home, but not with more traditional or upscale designs. Luckily, now there are choices that fit in with any decor—if you've wanted to install a floating sink for awhile but were held back by your home's style, this is the perfect time to give it a try.

Though swapping out a sink doesn't involve the same amount of work as running with a full-scale renovation, it's still a significant project, not to be taken on without a bit of research.

Floating sinks can be beautiful, but there are some drawbacks—their lack of storage, for one. The absence (or smaller amount) of under-sink storage means that floating sinks or vanities might better serve a powder room or guest bathroom than a main family bathroom. Of course, you can always opt for standalone storage pieces as a workaround, but that may detract from a floating sink's sleek lines—definitely something to consider before ditching your vanity.

Plus, from a construction standpoint, Sotelo explains that the wall on which you choose to install the sink often must be reinforced. That means it's best to talk with your contractor before making the jump.

There are some practical perks to this style, too. Sotelo says that using a floating sink "minimizes the clunkiness of a sink base or legs for a cleaner look," which often gives the illusion of having more space. If you're dealing with a small space, this can make a bathroom or powder room seem larger. Floating sinks can also be hung at any height you like, so they're great for creating a more accessible space or customizing a kids' bathroom.

Luckily, when it comes to the design of the sink, you're free to do whatever works for you.

"Apart from the expected constraints that prevent a floating sink installation, like budgeting and non-reinforced foundations, we like to think that a floating sink can work in any style of home," Sotelo says. "While most think of a sleek, modern design with floating sinks, we've seen our antique Turkish marble sinks create a timeless and charming vignette when converted into floating vanities."

If you love this look but worry that it may go out of style, Sotelo has some words of wisdom: Don't let the trends dictate your design.

"Oftentimes, people think that only one interior genre can pull off a certain look or build," says Sotelo. "Take risks—we believe that anything that's a little rough around the edges will never go out of style."