If you're doing a complete bathroom renovation or looking for ways to breathe new life into your existing bathroom, 2012 is the year to throw out all your old ideas about bathroom fittings and have a look at what's new. The perfect place to start is at your bathroom sink. If the idea of replacing your old white drop-in sink with another white drop-in sink just doesn't sound all that exciting to you, these innovative bathroom sink ideas will come as a welcome relief.

The Shape of Sinks to Come

Have you ever stopped to wonder why bathroom sinks have to be oval? Innovative designers have and apparently they've come to the conclusion that there is no good reason at all. They've also questioned the wisdom of always having to hide the sink in a cavity on the benchtop. Why not create a sink that you can be proud to have on display and that will also serve its purpose as well as or better than a traditional sink? Some of the ideas they've come up with are amazing and include:

• A seemingly freestanding porcelain sink with an integrated chrome mixer tap curving gracefully from its side.

• A wide, shallow, rectangular table or benchtop mounted sink.

• A free-flowing water slide that deposits waste water through a floor grate.

• A whimsical free form rim on a drop-in sink.

These are just a few out of dozens of new bathroom sink ideas that have already gone from the drawing board, to the production line and into better bathroom showrooms.

A Rainbow of Colours

Bathroom sinks used to come in colours ranging from white to white. While white remains a popular choice, there's nothing to stop you now from getting a pedestal sink with a white exterior and a hot pink interior, if that's what you want. If that's not your style, how about a lemon yellow interior in a half-lemon shaped bowl? For the ultimate in sophisticated design, look for a wall mounted or benchtop sink in gunmetal grey.

Combine an innovative bathroom sink shape with innovative use of colour and you end up with a bathroom sink that is nothing like anything you have ever seen before. However, this isn't where the innovations stop:

Anything but Ceramic

While ceramic (vitreous china) sinks will never go completely out of style, if you're looking for innovative ideas, it's a good idea to pretend that you can have anything but ceramic. Stainless steel may be the first alternative that comes to mind, but put that in the back of your mind, too, and see what else is available. These are just a few of your options:

• Copper

• Bronze

• Glass

Glass bathroom sinks in particular are taking the design world by storm. The sheer variety of shapes, styles and colours that are available is mind boggling. While clear glass vessel sinks are probably the best sellers, you can also find glass sinks in a range of solid colours and patterns that look more like hand blown vases than bathroom sinks. Like vases, they are designed to be displayed and are proudly mounted on top of hand crafted vanities, with elegant tapware to add the finishing touch.

If the vast range of innovative sink ideas is too much for you to try and fit into your overall bathroom design, you may want to get a local interior designer help you with the job. Don't be surprised, though, if you end up designing your entire bathroom around your sink. Many of them are so stunning, they deserve to be the centre of attention.