James Martin Console Bases

Console Vanity Bases

A console sits between a pedestal sink and a full vanity. There is a frame, usually a shelf, and a proper counter with a basin, but no doors and no box. In a powder room that means somewhere to put a folded towel and a bottle of soap without giving up the floor to cabinetry.

The Boston frames are stainless steel with clean square lines, and they suit a modern room with metal tapware. Auburn and Brooklyn use wood with a wire brushed finish, which reads warmer and works better against tile with texture. Widths are small by design, from around 20 inches for the tightest cloakroom up to 40 inches.

Where a console works best

• Powder rooms, where guests need a surface but nobody needs storage
• Bathrooms with a window or a radiator low on the wall behind the sink
• Rooms where the floor tile is the feature and should not be covered
• Period houses where a boxed cabinet would look wrong against the wall

Counters and basins

The countertop is selected with the base, and on several models it is a composite stone top with the basin moulded in, which gives a seamless surface with no rim to clean around. Because there is no cabinet to hide the trap, choose a metal waste and supply set in a finish that matches the frame.

Related pieces

For a legged frame without the shelf, see metal bases. For a wall hung version with no floor contact at all, see wall brackets. Full cabinets start at single vanities.