Vessel sinks are everywhere these days and we thought we would shine some light on this bathroom feature’s history, beauty and practicality!

The popularity of vessel sinks appeals to the traditionalist as well as to the innovator. It reminds us of the old basins and pitchers and yet allows us to take advantage of modern materials and create elegant, inspirational and durable designs. Whimsical or practical, elegant or massive – the choice is yours. Rather than a boring sink that matches your toilet and tub, you can now make the sink the focal point of your personal creation. Vessel sinks are beautiful, practical and let you express your personal style!

The History of Vessels, Sinks, and Basins

Basins… have been around since the beginning of civilization – an indentation in rock served as a washbasin for our forefathers. Our English word basin comes from the old French word baçon, meaning shallow vessel or dish. Those basins were just basins and didn’t have a drain or plug or other conveniences. What we call sinks are in fact ‘basins’ from which the water ‘sinks’.
The term sink likely comes from the old English term ‘sincan’ – to become submerged, go under, or subside. Originally it referred to the place to where the contents of your basin would sink.
Which brings us to vessel. This term comes from the old Latin ‘vascellum’ meaning vase or urn or ship.

All in all, just as words adapt through time, so do style and design trends. Which is why classic, elegant, conversation-starting vessel sinks are today’s best choice.

Our Calma Collection

ICO carries a line of vessel sinks called Calma. The name Calma recognizes that, for most of us, our bathrooms should be a relaxing retreat from the daily hustle, a place of relaxation. A place of calm.

We are committed to quality. From concept to design and solution, our vision is to provide an inspiring range of modern, contemporary products to every house in North America. Each of our products has been created for a specific look and feel to suit the needs of architects, interior designers and individuals who appreciate sophistication and substance.

To keep in line with our beliefs, each and everyone of our towel warmers goes through a strict quality control assessment before being carefully packaged and sent out to you. Our warehouse team start by carefully assessing the finish of the product. They check for dents, dings, scratches and shine. The next step is to make sure that the towel warmer can warm up your towels – each one is tested to ensure correct heating. If anything is wrong that cannot be shone, buffed or fixed, the towel warmer does not leave the warehouse.

The final step is packaging our products to ensure that they arrive at their destination in perfect condition. The towel warmer is carefully placed in a protective wrapping of Styrofoam around the back, sides and top. This packaging protects from scratches and damage during shipment. Along with the towel warmer, we also include mounting brackets and any other hardware needed. These extra items are carefully placed between the towel warmers bars so you can’t miss them when unwrapping your new towel warmer.

We back our products and stand by our quality – if you ever receive a shipment that is less than perfect, we want to hear from you. You can call us at 877-757-8930 or email our amazing customer service team at cs@icobath.com.

There are a few different options to choose from when selecting a towel warmer and it might feel overwhelming at first, but with a few easy questions, we will help you find the towel warmer of your dreams!

  1. Is the towel warmer going to be used as a secondary heat source or only to warm towels?
      1. There are two different heating varieties of towel warmers, liquid-filled and electrical wire.

    Liquid filled towel warmers will not only warm your towel but will also act as a secondary heat source in whichever room it is added to.

    The electrical wire towel warmers will create enough heat to dry and warm your towel but cannot act as a secondary heat source.

  2. How much do you want to spend?
      1. We have 2 brands of towel warmers, Tuzio and Kontour.

    Our Kontour line is our economical line and prices range from $300-$700. These towel warmers are a great product at a great price. Keep in mind that Kontour towel warmers are heated by electric wire and cannot act as a secondary heat source.

    The Tuzio towel warmers are higher end towel warmers and prices range from $700-$3,000. This brand can also act as a secondary heat source.

  3. How can I power my towel warmer?
      1. There are three options to power your towel warmer; plug-in, hardwire and hydronic.

    The plug-in option is great if you don’t want to open your wall to access the electrical. The towel warmer is simply plugged in and turned on when you want to use it.

    The Hardwire option is great if you are renovating or building and the finishing touches in the home are not yet done. With this option, the towel warmer is wired directly into your homes electrical system. Hardwire allows you to hide the cord with a decorative tube and the towel warmer can be controlled using a programmable digital timer.

    Hydronic Heating is the final option. This is possible if you have a boiler in your home and can create a separate line to the towel warmer. Hydronic heating is great as no electrical elements are needed.

Once you have the technical decisions made, it’s time for the fun part… picking the size, style and finish!

Have you ever wondered what a towel warmer is and why you need one? You aren’t alone! Many people living in North American have never heard of or have never used one of these wonderful inventions made popular in European hotels.

A towel warmer is simply, a bathroom accessory that heats and dries your towel as well as supplies radiant heat to a room. However, that does not answer the question of WHY you need one so let me list the reasons; Read more