A Guide to Installing a Hand Washbasin in the Dining Room
Take a look at washbasin designs that fit in a dining space, and check out the guidelines for their installation
Pooja Khanna Tyagi
21 August 2018
Houzz India Contributor. An Architect , Interior Designer, Valuer, a Marathon Runner, and love Writing Poetry and Creative Stories on Building Design. Have been practicing since the year 2000 with specialization in the field of Corporate Interiors with projects extensively published in journals of national repute. Recently honoured with the reputed A3 Foundation award for Journalism for the year 2016 an for architectural poetry in the year 2018. Currently practicing and residing in Delhi and Noida.
Website: www.khannaenterprise.com, Email: poojakhanna224@gmail.com, M:9891993392
Houzz India Contributor. An Architect , Interior Designer, Valuer, a Marathon Runner,... More
Factors like the position of the washbasin, a concealed water connection, the type of washbasin and faucets, all play a key role in achieving a flawless installation of the washbasin in a dining room. Here is an overview about how to go about designing this small yet highly functional space.
Why is a sink usually installed in the dining room?
- Many Indian families find it unhygienic to use the washbasin in the bathroom or powder room for washing hands before or after each meal.
- It is not practical to use the kitchen sink for washing hands as it is primarily used for cleaning vessels.
What should be the position of the washbasin?
- In compact homes, a corner of the dining room can be suitable for the washbasin. One can use tiles along the width of the countertop to waterproof the wall; but do only consider tiles that match the colour of the crockery unit or furniture or space.
- In a spacious home, strategically demarcate one corner or zone and separate this function from rest of the space with a semi-open partition. In this example, the area below the stairs is used to install the washbasin. Also, see how the floating cabinet and a small decorative mirror imparts a sense of lightness and does not look overpowering.
How to install the concealed water connection for the washbasin?
- It is advisable to plan the exact position of the washbasin in the dining room during the design or construction phase of the home, so that the water supply connection can be brought and concealed in a planned way.
- Most builder apartments come with complete floor and wall tiling for the kitchen and bathrooms. In order to install a washbasin in the dining room, one may have to break some kitchen or bathroom tiles to extend the water supply line from the kitchen or the bathroom and bring it into the dining room. Additionally, the plastered wall will have to be chipped to conceal the plumbing line. Make a note that in such a case, the broken kitchen or bathroom tiles will have to be replaced.
What should be the dimensions of the washbasin and the preferred countertop material?
Browse through more washbasin designs
- The width of the sink should range between 16 to 20 inches and the depth should be at least 7 to 8 inches The finished height of the washbasin from the floor level should be around 2 feet 10 inches.
- Keep a minimum clearance of at least 4 feet in front of the sink so that there is enough space for one person to wash hands and another person to pass through.
- For the countertop, use materials like marble, granite, quartz or solid surface. Avoid placing the washbasin on a wooden countertop; during use the water may splash from the washbasin onto the countertop and damage the wood’s finish.
Browse through more washbasin designs
What kind of washbasins and faucets are suitable for the dining room?
Read more:
How to Partition the Living Room From the Dining Area
Tell us:
Have you installed a hand washbasin in your dining room? What challenges did you face? Share in Comments below.
- Go for bowl-shaped vessel sinks or countertop sinks that are fixed on top of the countertop. They come in attractive designs like in this example and can create a striking detail.
- Consider freestanding faucets with a long spout that can impart a sleek and sophisticated look to this functional space.
- Try to avoid undermount or pedestal sinks because they resemble a washbasin in the bathroom.
Read more:
How to Partition the Living Room From the Dining Area
Tell us:
Have you installed a hand washbasin in your dining room? What challenges did you face? Share in Comments below.
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For dining areas the washbasin storage counter will look more interesting if the same screen design detail is maintained. And a sunk in basin works well if you want to hide the fact that's its a hand wash area.