The Google search can be a little disappointing when you ask how to choose a washbasin. No specific and universal recipe is likely to be available.

The washbasin is the central figure in the bathroom like leading actor in love story film. On the other hand, the choice of washbasins is really wide: different materials, dimensions, sizes, shapes and types.

Three important things about washbasins that are definitely worth paying attention to.

Washbasins are rapidly "slimming down"

For centuries, ceramics was the only material used to make washbasins, and it remains the most popular today.

Have you ever paid attention to the wall thickness of washbasins? From now the thinner walls that give a washbasin its distinctive elegance, whatever the style, that is the DNA of the modern ceramic washbasin.

The Swiss sanitary ware company Laufen has taken the slimming of washbasins seriously with the revolutionary SaphirKeramik patented ceramic.

This ceramic looks like conventional ceramics, but like in a science fiction movie, it suddenly has properties that are unlike conventional ceramics, such as strength, lightness and resistance.

SaphirKeramik washbasins wall thickness is 4 millimetres, edges to 1-2 millimetres, and bending resistance has doubled to rival… steel. SaphirKeramik is completly the new type of washbasin on the market - in Laufen's Ino series designer T. Nguyen has come up with a unique one-piece solution for the ceramic washbasin and shelf.

Designer K. Grcic is the the creator of the Val collection. He has come up with the idea to incorporate into the basins of washbasins a kind of ceramic island.

Other ceramic producers have also followed suit. The Spanish bathroom manufacturer Roca has started to use another patented ceramic material, Fineceramic. This material is 30% stronger than traditional ceramics and around 40% lighter.

Kaldewei, a German company, has launched enamelled steel washbasins that look very similar to ceramic ones.  "The 'slimming' washbasins have had an incredible effect on the evolution of the modern bathroom, with bathroom furniture also 'slimming' as their walls have become visually thinner, competing with each other in terms of precision craftsmanship, detailing and the functional layout of space.

Washbasins "decide" whether your bathroom is tidy

What's the difference between a washbasin and wanting your bathroom to be neat and tidy? Furniture washbasins with cabinets or drawers are an option. The size of the cabinets determines the depth and width of the hanging cabinets.

Cabinets come in a wide range of dimensions. Some of which are truly impressive. For example, the six-drawer Victoria-N cabinet from Roca has a width of 1200 mm.

The Stratum-N cabinet measures 1300 x 500 mm.

Small washbasins are not necessarily a guaranteed hassle

SaphirKeramik washbasins are also very useful in small bathrooms, and there is a wide choice of washbasins. This year, Val has added innovative and functional washbasin models for small spaces to the already mentioned series by designer K. Grcic.

Even in the category of small washbasins, the undisputed champion would be just… 34 x 22 cm. For washbasins with slightly larger dimensions, the designer has created highly functional and comfortable solutions.

The 60x31.5 and 53x40 cm washbasins are slightly larger, but at the same time have a seamlessly moulded area for storing bathroom accessories.

Experts point to the "space effect" of the small Val washbasins as one of their greatest advantages. Many would be surprised to hear that, thanks to the thinness of its walls and its design features, a 45 cm wide washbasin is comparable in ease of use and bowl size to a conventional sanitary ware washbasin of around 55 to 60 cm wide.

And finally some tips from interior designer Vaidos Kandratavičiūtė (design studio IDAS) for choosing a washbasin.

If the bathroom is used by at least several members of the family and there is a need to use it at the same time, you can choose one larger one with the possibility of installing two taps;

If you have the desire and the possibility to install two separate washbasins in one bathroom, note that bowl-type washbasins that are free-standing on the countertop of the cabinet look most elegant. But for cleaning, a solid ceramic surface with two integrated bowls is the most convenient.

-Washbasins with concealed water inlets work well in guest bathrooms or small spaces. This avoids the cost of manufacturing the furniture on which the washbasin is placed and hides the siphon under the washbasin, which does not decorate the interior. Cabinets under washbasins in small spaces are usually not functionally viable.

-The children's bathroom routinely needs practical care solutions. This could be a washbasin with a seamless moulded area for storing accessories, which is easier to maintain than a furniture countertop.

-If your bathroom is small and you need to save every centimetre, choose a washbasin that can be adapted to the smaller depth of the cupboards below. This will save space around the washbasin.