Interiors | Retro bathroom basins & sinks

Instagram is a dangerous app. For a while now, sponsored posts have been popping up on my feed and our house feed. The algorithm has me all figured out, especially when it comes to bathrooms. The first time I saw this Smithfield Basin from Claybrook Studio, I was smitten.

I love everything about it - the utilitarian yet luxurious feel, the chunky rounded edge, the fact you can paint the underside any colour you like. The price, however, is the thing I don't like about this basin. It's £600.

Smithfield basin by Claybrook Studio, £600

If we were just after a basin then I might consider saving up (selling a kidney, perhaps a child). But we're renovating an entire house, so we just can't stretch to six.hundred.pounds.

In a bid to find a cheaper option (there's always a cheaper option, isn't there?), I posted in my favourite Facebook interiors group - House Talk. One of the group alerted me to a similar enamel sink, over on one of my all-time favourite shops, Labour & Wait. Not quite the same but less than a third of the price.

Enamel Bucket Sink, £185 Labour & Wait

And then! I discovered Nomibis over on Instagram, whose bathroom features a pair of these enamel sinks looking effortlessly chic in that way only French interiors can. I was sold.

Seriously, go take a look at her account. It's perfection.

Nomibis bathroom and vintage ladder - for sale here

My final stop on this exhilarating journey to bathroom perfection came via an Instagram recommendation. My friend Natalie mentioned an Italian brand called Bleu Provence and their 'True Colours' range, which look incredibly similar to the Claybrook basins. Over the weekend, I had a good look to see how the prices compared, pinging off an email via the website to enquire.

Bleu Provence 'True Colors' basin, €550

And yesterday? I had an email back from Bleu Provence with the thrilling news that they're offering 40% off the 'True Colours' range before 15 March! Which takes the price of the 60cm basin down to a much more reasonable €330 (around £285).

Which means, I think, we should just about be able to afford it. The only thing left to do is to try to get that blooming Cyndi Lauper song out of my head...

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