2 bathroom sinks vs 1

Heather1290
Level 2
Phoenix, AZ

2 bathroom sinks vs 1

Hi! We a building a 3 bed 2 bath cabin that will sleep 12 (1 king, 1 Queen, 4 built-in full bunkbed room).

 

My question is for the bathrooms, would it be better to do 2 sinks for each (with small countertop space), or just do a single sink so there’s more countertop space for toiletries?

 

thank you!

11 Replies 11

@Heather1290   What sort of group of 12 people do you envision booking this property? It sounds like you can comfortably accommodate 8 people, if that group includes 2 couples. But 12? I'm drawing a blank. Swinger party? R. Kelly's "family"?

 

I used to see the double sink in American houses and imagine they were designed for married couples who both had to go to work at the same time and brushed their teeth side-by-side. Well, I've been married for a long time and that concept still sounds gross. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but I think of a home bathroom as a one-person-at-a-time environment, especially considering all the things other than tooth-brushing that it's supposed to facilitate. 

 

When I look back on the two-sink vanity combo (which was hilariously common in the 80s), this is what immediately comes to mind:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avb1XbO0EIs&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive

 

Maybe it's different in Phoenix though. Never been there. Still, I'd probably be thinking more about that guest-to-bathroom ratio than the sink-to-bathroom ratio if I were you.

 

 

@Anonymous  That's hilarious.  I  sold my condo back in 2006 for way less than market because the "young professionals" all wanted double vanities in the bathroom, and a separate shower and tub.

 

My condo had neither, and the competition, all new construction, offered those things. 

 

I'm sure for no better reason than that's what the developers were selling at the time, along with a pale tangerine or pistachio color scheme.

 

 

@Michelle53  I'm sure Radiohead had a few verses about the young professionals with their double vanities and granite countertops. 

Heather1290
Level 2
Phoenix, AZ

Thanks for the feedback. In the US real estate market  2 sinks are ideal, and this demographic is for 2 families or a family & friends (2 rooms for the couples, bunk room for kids or friends separately). This will be a large A-frame cabin in N Arizona which is common to large cabins sleeping 8-10+ with 2 bathrooms. I was asking for input thinking as a guest and countertop preferences, thanks.

 

 

@Heather1290  Which would you prefer as a guest? More space to keep your personal stuff in a bathroom that you're sharing with half a dozen people, or an extra sink for those special occasions when you and a relative go to the toilet together?

 

That seems like an easy one.

 

But for what it's worth, the occupancy limit you state on your Airbnb listing should never rely on some of the guests being children. If you advertise that the home sleeps 12, it should be suitable for 12 adults - declining a booking based on any of the guests' ages or family status would violate the Nondiscrimination policy. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Heather1290  Two sinks on one bathroom counter has always seemed weird and excessive to me and while it may be useful to a couple in their own home who are trying to get ready to go to work at  the same time, doesn't seem particularly useful in an Airbnb.

 

I think more counter space would be more useful than 2 sinks.

Heather1290
Level 2
Phoenix, AZ

Thanks all for the feedback. Yes this will be able to sleep 12 adults. Best wishes to you all 

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Heather1290  Put me down as thinking that more counter space is better than two sinks.  I'm not sure why Americans decided they needed double sinks, because as @Anonymous  says, it is probably very  unlikely that a couple is going to decide to go into the bathroom at the exact same time for the purpose of hand/face/teeth washing.  Plus, a lot of guests travel with a LOT of toiletry items and would probably more appreciate the counter space.

Heather1290
Level 2
Phoenix, AZ

Thanks everyone, we decided to update the plans to go with 1 sink for each bath! 

Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

@Heather1290 at home, I prefer not to share a sink with my husband. (We have different sink use standards; e.g. I do not leave my beard trimmings in the sink. Also, I am a foot shorter than he is, so when we built our bathroom the counter heights differed accordingly.) However, in a vacation rental shared short-term with several people I would vote for a single sink with more counter space. If more than two people are using the bathroom they're going to be sharing sinks anyway.

@Lisa723  Where do you leave your beard trimmings? 🙂