Solving Biggest Bathroom Renovation Dilemmas Part 2: Single Sink vs. Double Sink

This blog post is a part of the 3 blog series about solving the biggest dilemmas in bathroom renovation projects. The point of these posts is to help you not make rushed decisions that can cause a waste of your money, time, effort, and nerves.

After you finish with your bathroom renovation, you should enjoy its new functionalities, comfort, and aesthetics without blaming and teasing yourself about making wrong decisions that could have easily been avoided if you did a little research beforehand.

In the first part of this series, we talked about whether it will be best for you to install a bathtub, a shower, or both, considering your space, budget, maintenance costs, and other relevant variables.

You can check out the first part here: Solving Biggest Bathroom Renovation Dilemmas Part 1: Bathtub vs. Shower.

And today, we’ll try to help you solve another dilemma and go into more details about whether it’s best to install a single or a double sink, again, taking into consideration your space, budget, and maintenance costs.

Single Sink vs. Double Sink: Pros and Cons

Placed on a large countertop of the beautiful vanity just under the huge mirror, the sink can easily become the most eye-catching part of your bathroom.

But besides the design, the sink is the most used thing in every bathroom – a place where we stop any time we are in to get ready for work in the morning or a dinner party in the evening.

When you decide to renovate your bathroom, you may wonder if you should get a single sink or a double sink. Both options have their qualities, really, but the choice comes down to how many persons will use the bathroom, your available space, your budget, and of course, your style.

Let’s dive into more details about the pros and cons of both options, so you can easily decide what will be best for you and your family when it comes to sinks.

Pros of Installing a Single Sink

1. Having a single sink means you’ll have more countertop space for your toiletries. This way, you won’t need to take things out and put them back every time you need something. They all be available to you within reach of your hand.
2. One sink ensures you’ll have your own private bathroom time. Even though some people don’t mind sharing the space, others prefer to do their morning or evening rituals alone.
3. Having one sink reduces many of your costs in the bathroom renovation project. You will spend less on plumbing and electricity, you will have to buy just one faucet and one sink, and you will reduce either the number or area of the vanities and the mirrors.
4. With only one sink in the bathroom, you have just one sink to clean and take care of. Also, there’ll be only one sink that can leak and require immediate repair. That means fewer responsibilities and maintenance costs.
5. One sink takes less space, so you can easily place it in different parts of your bathroom’s area. You will also be more comfortable with its size and price because you won’t need to save space and money for another one.
6. The saved money that will be otherwise spent on another sink can be used on something else you’ll need while renovating your bathroom, like a laundry washer/dryer, additional bathtub/shower, tall storage cabinet, etc.

Cons of Installing a Single Sink

1. Having just one sink means that you may have to schedule who’s going to use the bathroom first, especially in the morning.
2. The said above can lead to another problem of having a single sink – a tension between the family members. Who to use it first, for how long, was it clean after the use, or are there traces of hair or toothpaste in it?  All those discomforts can be a foundation for many other serious misunderstandings.
3. Organizing everybody’s things around a single sink is not an easy task. Everyone will want their items to be within reach of their hands, so making it all functional for everyone might cause problems.
4. Having just one sink usually means that you’ll have limited space for storage in your vanity. And adding additional storage space in the bathroom leads to additional costs and maybe space issues if you have a smaller bathroom.

Pros of Installing a Double Sink

1. A double sink can create a new luxury space in your bathroom. It will bring an elegant look and refine the aesthetics of your bathroom. The double sink can easily become the focal point and everyone’s favorite part of the bathroom.
2. Families are living busy lives today. If there are two sinks in the bathroom, family members can access and use them simultaneously. The hustle and bustle of the bathroom will never be a reason to be late again.
3. Family relations will be more relaxed with a second sink in the bathroom. There will be no need to fight over one sink anymore. Situations like toothpaste spots on someone’s back of the hand, while both share a sink, are far from pleasant moments. Installing a second sink in your bathroom renovation project will make them history.
4. Each person who uses the bathroom daily can have their own sink and storage area to organize (or disorganize) as they see fit.
5. No more sharing things. Not only that the organization of things will be improved, but there will be no more sharing of personal toiletries, like toothpaste, for example.
6. You will get new extra storage space in the vanity placed underneath the two sinks, which can be well organized. You can never have enough storage space in your home, and any additional one is always welcome. It will also increase the value of your home in the eyes of potential buyers if you ever decide to sell.

Cons of Installing a Double Sink

1. Having a double sink costs more than a single one. Not just for plumbing, faucets, and sinks, but also for finishes and larger or double vanity. Instead of having a second sink, you can invest your money elsewhere in the house and improve your home decor.
2. Installing a second sink in your bathroom means that now you have two sinks for cleaning and maintaining. It also means that now you have two sinks that can leak and need repair. So with doubled functionalities, you will get double maintenance responsibilities.
3. The double sink occupies more space. That extra space can be used for something else like a bathtub/shower combination, laundry washer/dryer, etc., that can add more functionality to your bathroom than a sink.
4. Two sinks are reducing the countertop space. They occupy an area that could be used for displaying more toiletries for everyday use. You will have to frequently take the things out of the vanity and putting them back in.
5. If you choose a double sink solution for your bathroom renovation, you will have a less private experience. Although the things will be separately organized in your part of the bathroom’s vanity, your partner or other family members will have the privilege of immediate access to the other sink.

Even though a double sink sounds like a more modern and practical solution, some people prefer to go with a single sink. A possible combination with some benefits from both worlds can be made if you choose a single sink with a larger vanity or wider sink. It will give you some extra comfort and functionality with minimum cost rise and without significant enlargement of the used bathroom area or additional plumbing.

Which One Should You Choose

The decision of what solution is better for your bathroom renovation project depends on your and your family’s needs. There is no one-solution-fits-all; all people have different needs, personalities, and styles.

So, to not make a mistake when choosing what solution is best for your bathroom renovation project, take into consideration the following 3 essential criteria:

• The individual preferences of all persons that use the bathroom daily
• The size of the bathroom area, and
• The budget you have for your bathroom renovation

Having all of these things in mind, you will certainly make the right choice and enjoy your newly renovated bathroom.

This was the second part of our three-part series on bathroom renovation dilemmas. In the next part, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of having a Shower Curtain vs. a Shower Door. So, stay tuned!

If you need any help or advice for your bathroom renovation project, we’ll be more than happy to help. With over a hundred successful bathroom renovation projects, we know how to find the perfect balance between comfort, aesthetics, and functionality. A bathroom renovation – as it should be!

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your bathroom renovation project.