We swapped ours out last summer and yeah, storage was definitely an afterthought...oops. Ended up going with floating shelves above the toilet, which helped a ton. I briefly considered recessed shelving but chickened out because drywall dust gives me nightmares, lol. Plumbing-wise, we lucked out—no major headaches, just had to adjust the drain height a bit. But if you're not super confident with plumbing, maybe have a friend on speed dial just in case?
Pedestal sinks look great, but yeah, storage is always the kicker. A couple quick thoughts:
- Floating shelves are solid, but if you're tight on space, recessed shelving really isn't as scary as it sounds. Drywall dust is annoying, sure, but a good shop vac and plastic sheeting go a long way.
- Plumbing-wise, adjusting drain height is common. Just measure twice (or three times...) before cutting pipes.
- If you're hesitant about plumbing, snap a few pics of your current setup before starting—makes troubleshooting easier if things go sideways.
Did a pedestal sink swap last summer and yeah, storage was the main headache. Ended up going recessed shelves route—honestly wasn't too bad. Biggest hiccup was plumbing height... thought I measured carefully but still ended up needing an extra trip to the hardware store for fittings. Definitely second snapping pics beforehand; saved me when I forgot how the trap was originally set up. Overall, worth it for looks alone, just prep for a little plumbing puzzle-solving along the way.
Did one of these swaps in an older rental unit a couple years back. Definitely agree about the storage headache—ended up mounting a small cabinet above the toilet for essentials, which was decent enough. The plumbing though...yeah, that can get tricky fast. My main issue was the wall studs not lining up exactly where I needed them for anchoring the sink securely. Thought I'd measured everything twice, but still had to open up drywall and add some blocking behind it.
For anyone else going this route, I'd suggest marking out your sink position clearly on the wall first, then checking stud placement carefully before you commit. And be prepared for surprises behind old drywall—never know what you'll find back there. Still, tenants loved the updated look, so I'd say it was worth the effort. Just don't underestimate how much fiddling around you'll end up doing with plumbing and framing adjustments...
"And be prepared for surprises behind old drywall—never know what you'll find back there."
Couldn't agree more with this. When I swapped to a pedestal sink in my older bathroom, I thought it'd be straightforward—famous last words. Turned out the plumbing was offset just enough to make everything awkward. Had to get creative with some elbow fittings and extensions to make it all line up properly.
Also, storage was definitely an issue. Ended up installing a couple floating shelves on the side wall—budget-friendly and looked decent enough, but still missed the convenience of under-sink storage. If you're tight on space or budget, I'd strongly suggest mapping out exactly where your plumbing lines are beforehand. Even a small misalignment can cost you extra trips to the hardware store and way more time than you'd expect.
Overall, I don't regret it (bathroom feels way roomier now), but it definitely wasn't the quick weekend project I'd hoped for...