apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That is so hot. I'm so doing that, cant decide if i'm going to use strawberries or pansies - maybe i'll have to buy 2 sinks.

The pictures are flip-flopped.

AT just jumped the shark

I hate old plumbing out in the yard like this. Sinks and tubs and especially toilets really don't look that cool outside as you think they do, just because they're vintage, probably cracked, and essentially useless in the conventional renovations. And, the one with the pebbles looks like someone threw up creamed corn in it. Birds might actually rather you had.

Yep....

Y'all jumped.

This must be from the New Book "Double Wide Design." Terrible.

Wow KTG, maybe AT could spot you some coins for the therapy you need regarding that. Those sinks look pretty cool in the photo's, are you saying in real life they probably look like vomit? Darn lying cameras!

They might look neat, but these can be prime mosquito breeding sources if you're not careful and don't regularly clean them and change the water. It only takes water standing for a few days for mosquitoes to move in to breed. And with diseases like West Nile virus, do you really want to take a chance?

I'm from Australia, where I think this post is from - and whilst I get how this might not be everyones cup-of-tea so to speak, we dont have the West Nile virus glassesgirl - not that i know of anyway. But the good thing about birdbaths is birds eat the bugs that live in the water, so its not really a problem.
I've never been to the USA, it sounds like you dont have birdbaths at all for fear of these deadly mosquitoes - is this true?

I love the first image. I think a fountain in that sink would look great.

I don't know... it kind of reminds me of the time a next-door neighbor remodeled and left an old sink and toilet in the front yard for weeks.

Sorry, but I have to agree with KTG...The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the first picture was someone throw up inside that sink...Plus, this is a real mosquito breeder. Not cool.

I second KTGs opinion...usually I am very open minded, but this is horrible!

Not a fan. And even in Australia there are mosquito-borne diseases.

i have to admit, the first things i thought about were also vomit in the sink and mosquito breeding ground.

Don't care. Love it. Except the color of the pebbles in that sink.

My first thought was MY GOD SOMEONE THREW UP IN THAT SINK!

Love it! BUt would use bigger rocks in the sink.

Yeah, turquoise pebbles or large river stones could be really beautiful but it doesn't look nice the way it is.

I thought the first photo looked like beans soaking. I think birdbaths and fountains in gardens are really nice (and they're not uncommon, Bob Fossil) but I think there's something a little wormwood about these sinks.

uh... neat idea perhaps? I think I dig seeing a sink vs a toilet-

but the birdbath idea? Like most, I thought someone had thrown up in it and it looks like a definite mosquito breeding ground lol.

Maybe if they used the old-school glass pebbles you'd use in an aquarium set up-

Yeah, that's ugly, sorry AT.

I'd so much rather see a whiskey barrel (which has been done a million times) cut in half with plants or a water garden in it. That just looks like you have a plumbing problem.

While I don't love this, a simple pump would make the mosquito breeding less of a problem. But old junk in the yard just doesn't really seem all that creative and interesting.
Mirrors in the garden, on the other hand, are wonderful.

This is a great, creative way to offer your guests a beautiful place to puke in the yard. Now that is luxurious living!

Garden Junque makes it to AT. Wow. I didn't see that coming.

Does this mean Bathtub Madonna's are going to be the next hot must-have? I'm actually hoping it's the flower-tire planters...I have one that a previous owner left and I just want to be cutting edge for ONCE in my life.

For those of you who don't have a spare pedestal sink lying around (perhaps you did The Cure and didn't realize that old sink's awesome potential), you can always glue pennies or mirror shards to a bowling ball and make yourself a garden junque gazing ball.

Just be sure to send in a pic to AT.

bob fossil:

australian mosquito borne infections:

http://medent.usyd.edu.au/fact/mosquitoes.htm#mosq
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15721230.300-plagues-progress--a-deadly-mosquitoborne-disease-is-poised-to-enter-australia.html

mosquito biology:

http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/MedEnt/MosquitoFS/MosquitoFS.html

please note, birds do not seem to be on the predator / control list.

of course people still have bird baths in the US....and they either change the water regularly, get rid of rocks and crevices for larvae to hide in, install pumps, or ignorantly put their neighbors at seasonal risk.

having seen dengue, several types of encaphalitis, malaria, yellow fever, and west nile professionally, the birdbath would have to be much nicer then this for me to even imagine the risk:reward argument. and with global warming and international travel it is only going to worsen.

sorry to steal / kill some of the joy from your water features.

Done correctly, this look can work. When I say correctly, I mean:
#1: Setting: A ramshackle bungalow or craftsman style house with a bohemian vibe and garden to match can definately accomidate the sink as planter if

#2: Plants: various tall and medium plants are planted around the base to provide a bit of a disguise so you are not confrented by a sink upon entering the garden, but rather an unusually staggered grouping of flora and fauna.

I agree w/ Palmetto and the others that if a sink is going to be used as a water feature, make it an asthetically appealing one. Add a water pump and for the love of god, pick some rocks that look like they came from nature, not the pit of your stomach.