A vessel basin does not have to sit on a small standalone unit. Here, it sits on a long worktop above a row of cupboards, with counter space extending to both sides. The basin becomes one part of a fitted storage run, rather than dictating the width of every cupboard below.
This is useful when the available wall is wider than the basin you want. Plan the furniture and worktop around that wall, then decide where the basin works best within the run. The photograph shows how a small washing area can sit within a much larger stretch of closed storage.
