When It Comes to Ugly Lower Cabinets, You Can Skirt the Issue

“I think the skirted sink is coming back because we’re desperately trying to rid ourselves of the monotony that social media brings into the world,” announces designer Tali Roth. “By looking back, we get to find something unique and nondescript and reinterpret it to be our own.” She walks the walk, too—Roth posted a photo of a delightfully quirky nook in Studio Shamshiri’s Los Angeles office with this very feature on her Instagram, at which we couldn’t help but stop and stare.  

She isn’t the only creative longing for playful nods to the past like this one; skirted sinks have been popping up in interiors a lot lately. What’s compelling to designers about forgoing lower cabinets in the name of a patterned curtain? “I think its the unexpected texture and softness,” says Roth. “It’s easy to access and feels a little old school, which is defiantly back in fashion.” Here are a few ways to pull it off:

If You’ve Always Liked Pleats

Interior designer Frances Merrill of Reath Design went for a whimsical country look in this Los Angeles mudroom, opting for soft waves of yellow printed fabric that hang from a wood countertop.

If You’re a Maximalist at Heart

Not one to shy away from color or pattern? A pink bathroom with a marbleized vanity skirt might be just what you need. British designer Beata Heuman used her own velvet design, a kaleidoscope of color, to adorn this petite powder room in her home.

If You Want Us to Do You a Solid

One of Merrill’s signature styles: a plum or maroon skirted sink, with the textile hung from a slim brass rod. It’s a look that works just as well in a mudroom with a slate sink and duck egg–blue walls as it does in a breakfast nook with a green velvet dining booth.

 If You’re All About the Mini

 

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A post shared by T A L I R O T H (@talirothdesigns) on Mar 27, 2019 at 4:15pm PDT

The inspiration that started it all, Shamshiri’s office kitchen, takes advantage of an arched nook. A sink spanning its width is lined with vintage tasseled textiles that hang just low enough to hide the plumbing (not to mention, they add welcome texture).

As for Roth, she loves every take: “For a more modern effect, I would do a solid, like a suede fabric on bronze rings, but for a vintage throwback look, I would go with a quirky print or floral.” In the home, at least, it’s clear that skirts are back in style.