Is a pottery sink basin practical/realistic?

[PattySprinter]

I have this lovely large pottery sink I got from Poland.
Is it practical at all to incorporate it into my use in my van?
I have not started my van build yet … just wondering how practical it would be if mounted properly.

 

[WanderingRose]

That’s gorgeous, tho I would hesitate using something breakable, but that’s me.

On the other hand, personalizing our interiors and having things we love in them is very important.

 

[maki2]

it is lovely and I do like Polish potter a lot so I admire it. However I do find in small spaces it is very easy to find myself hitting stuff against other stuff. An above counter bowl would be especially vulnerable to accidents of that nature. The other reason for having a sink that is sunk into a counter is you can put a cutting board on top of the sink and that gives you extra space for food prep. With an above counter sink you can't do that although it could be used to contain soft items for extra storage. But I would say that overall van living is pretty rough on things so they need to be durable and somewhat difficult to harm them versus fragile and prone to fractures and chips. 

But if you do enjoy decorative pottery and crave to have some of it in your van life style you can have some really nice melamine dishes with the look of expensive pottery. Williams Sonoma sells them as do some of the other high end types of kitchen stores. There are a lot of patterns and colors to choose from. This is an excellent time of year to purchase them since summer is the high season for their sales and they are now being sold at a discount.  I have seen them in person and I am rather a snob about the looks and feel of designer pottery and these do look good enough to wish I had some for my RV to liven it up. A little bit of colorful pottery can bring joy to a woman's heart on a dreary day, but breaking a favorite piece brings sadness. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/sea...-OnsiteSearch-_-MainSite&cm_type=OnsiteSearch

It is of course also possible to find a large, decorative melamine bowl and have it drilled for a sink drain. That would be fairly durable as a substitute for a metal sink and look a lot more like pottery.  There are some fairly large vintage ones from the 1970s that are now being reproduced as people enjoy their looks once again. Etsy and Ebay are good sources for them.

This summer Pier 1 had quite a few fun melamine pieces including large bowls, some were flower themed, others were ocean and fish themed

 

[maki2]

Here is a large blue melamine bowl from Pottery Barn that looks like a ceramic bowl. It could be made into a good size for a small above the countertop sink in a van. It comes in cobalt blue and turquoise.  https://www.potterybarn.com/product...mine|146|best|0|1|48||26&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

Anyway, there are lots of fun things you can find to get the look of pottery without the weight and fragility of the real thing.

 

[Cammalu]

You love it. Make it happen!

 

[WanderingRose]

I carry several lovely, handmade mugs with me, which in part satisfies some of those aesthetic needs while traveling.

 

[PattySprinter]

Wandering Rose and Maki2 -
I have been methodically shedding so much stuff over the last 7 years … I am now down to mostly sentimental stuff.
I have a fair amount of polish pottery that I bought on a trip to Poland with my daughter - just trying to figure out if I should sell it or try to make a go of it. I do not know how rough the road is on breakables.
The outdoor melamine dishes are so lovely - thank you for the link!

 

[WanderingRose]

Maybe carry a few pieces with you, wrapped carefully so as to survive a sudden stop or hard bump, which happens.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Do you 'really want a useable' sink in your van? or is it just a sink which can be turned into a bowl for use for holding anything you want. As a sink you need drainage, of course a bucket under it would be fine for collection, but even a sink can be turned into something else if it is the beauty you want in your van.

 

[Weight]

Having such a beautiful and interesting sink in my van would make me happier than any plastic item.

 

[ByeBye]

In this instance I'd vote for doing what makes your heart sing knowing that it may change but appreciating it while it's there.

Are you ok if it doesn't work out, i.e. breaks, etc??
Is so, do it!

Lol, my present concerns are covered in sweat and grease, this is a 'good' problem.

 

[AMGS3]

The imitations of things have the same look but you don't have the sentimental connection to the plastic version. For this reason I tend to agree with MaTaLa. If you are ok with the difference in weight between the pottery and whatever would be the alternative sink, and if you are willing to make reasonable accommodations to protect it from being banged and broken, and if you will not be crushed yourself if it does get cracked despite your best efforts, then I'd say it's worth trying.

Also, as Roamer brought up, you can get a bucket to use for drainage, and then use your bowl for storage and prep anywhere in your van instead of of having it permanently mounted on top of a countertop. You could even bring your portable sink outside for food prep purposes. The image that comes up in my mind is scrubbing up dinner veggies against a backdrop of the beautiful place you're parked. And perhaps having a portable basin would be easier to protect while moving v. mounting it permanently in place.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[LoupGarou]

Why not use it.

I took the sink out of my build to increase counter space. I replaced it with an enamel wash basin that I place on the butane stove when I need to heat up water.

 

[PattySprinter]

Thank you for your thoughts!
Roamer, I like the idea posted above about setting it into the counter and put a cutting board over it.
I do not want to plumb it - and I like the idea of multipurpose use - I could hand wash clothes, dishes and fruits and veggies in it and use it for storage of soft things when not in use.
Maybe if I have a well padded container under the bowl and counter that is well attached to the underside of a counter??

 

[PattySprinter]

Angie - I think that is the answer! Make a well padded safe place for storing it and bring it out when I stop

 

[B and C]

Practical, probably not. If it brings great joy, I would say go for it. If it breaks, you got to enjoy it and it wasn't left behind for someone who would not appreciate it.

My $0.02 worth if that

 

[PattySprinter]

Matala - Sweat and grease? Sounds like you are able to do the work yourself?
Brian … then make a mosaic countertop??

 

[B and C]

Brian … then make a mosaic countertop??

If that would make you smile.     Consider that mosaic tile has all the grout lines and unevenness.  Would this in anyway make preparing meals or cleanup not worth it would be my question.  Remember that Murphy is always near.  (Murphy's law).

My sister back in the sixties (man that makes me sound old.  I guess I am at 70) made a mosaic table.  Pretty to look at but not very practical.

 

[AMGS3]

I like that Patty
It's not broken, it's art supplies.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[ByeBye]

Able to, yeah, so far but certainly rather have someone else do it...lol
Curse/gift scenario but better than just 'curse' w/ no gift, lol.

Been a MacGyver all my life, dad and mom were hardscrabble hillbillies and I guess it's genetic.