Louise Coster of mongers architectural salvage believes that sourcing reclaimed sanitaryware is worth the effort

good-quality antique sanitaryware has become harder to find — although cast iron baths remain fairly plentiful, premium ceramic items, which are fragile and can deteriorate with age, are scarce.

Be aWaRe…

Antique sanitaryware still needs to be practical for modern living. The current trend for converting larger rooms into bathrooms means that more large double basins are being sourced and sold as well as the continental style of serpentine-fronted basins, popular due to the expanse of flat surfaces. 1930s coloured suites are also fashionable now.

What to avoid

Porcelain can become porous when the glaze is excessively crazed. Some items can also be awkward to renovate, so if you are unsure of the mechanisms of flushing cisterns and valves, it is best to buy from a dealer who can restore them for you.

not all plumbers are happy working with old items. It is difficult to renovate a pair of taps, for example, while still on an old basin — let the seller take the risk of damaging the item.

Renovation tips

Old bathroom fittings are often considered difficult because they are in imperial sizes. This is completely untrue. The Victorians invented modern plumbing and exported it to the world, so although we may refer to metric sizes for our plumbing these days, the majority of fittings are still in British Standard Plumbing sizes and threads.

What to pay

A ‘cut corner’ basin – made by a British sanitaryware maker from the 1930s to the late 1950s – will start at £75. If you have the budget and the right property, a complete Victorian mahogany panelled suite, made in 1880, with shower bath, bidet, marble washstand and thunderbox loo, costs £30,000.