single vs double sink vanity - worth the extra plumbing hassle?

From a maintenance standpoint, double sinks aren't usually as daunting as people think. Yes, there's a bit more plumbing involved, but if it's done right from the start, you shouldn't face constant headaches. The real question is how much you'll actually use that second sink. If mornings are consistently chaotic, the convenience might outweigh the minor extra upkeep. I've seen plenty of folks regret not going double, but rarely the other way around... just something to consider.

You make a good point about how often the second sink would be used. I’d also separate sink access from mirror and counter access: if the real morning bottleneck is two people needing the same mirror or a place to set things down, would a second basin actually ease it?

A second basin helps when both people need to use the sink at once - for example, one can brush teeth while the other washes up. If they mostly need the same mirror or a spot to lay out toiletries, another basin by itself may not solve the pinch; the layout and usable counter space matter more.

For a hypothetical household that rarely gets ready at the same time, I’d lean toward one basin and keep the extra counter space for toiletries. A second sink’s advantage is clearest when both people need the basin together; if that hardly happens, the added fixture may take up room without easing the usual routine.

In that rarely-simultaneous-use scenario, would occasional waiting for the basin bother you more than giving up some counter space to fit a second sink? That seems like the useful test: how often the wait happens matters, but so does whether the remaining vanity still feels practical day to day.

If waits are occasional and brief, I’d rather keep the counter space; the extra basin seems more worthwhile when sharing it regularly causes a stressful delay. So I’d weigh how disruptive the queue feels, not just count how often it happens.

A sound installation can make the added plumbing fairly manageable, but it doesn’t remove the fact that there’s another fixture to maintain. I wouldn’t rule out a double vanity on that basis alone; I’d accept the modest extra upkeep when two people regularly need the sink at once, and favor simpler plumbing when that overlap is rare.

Imagine a vanity where adding a second basin leaves only a narrow strip for soap and everyday toiletries. Even if two people sometimes get ready together, one larger sink with a more useful counter might serve the routine better; the double would make more sense if both basins fit without crowding the shared workspace.

If that second basin would squeeze toiletries onto the only usable counter, a single sink could preserve the workspace; a separate mirror spot elsewhere might relieve the morning crowding without adding another basin. That only helps if the real bottleneck is getting ready together rather than needing the sink at the same time.