we have a cloakroom where the countertop is very narrow, just 23 cm in width. we want a luxury looking basin but there are hardly any that are of that size. we are thinking of getting a countertop basin which will overhang the top and the one we like has width of 35 cm. will it look odd? the basin will match the rest of the cloakroom and is exquisite.

It is probably better to keep to one height in the sink corner, for all the above reasons. This time round I'm going free-standing. I discovered one height all round affects my shoulders - the worktops are too high for my height and different jobs (eg mixing, bread making, carving, chopping) and it seems there's a standard height just to fit the appliances underneath. My current, old, about-to-be-redone kitchen served its purpose but practically didn't work so well. So this time I'm including working heights that suit me, not the designer \ trader.

You can get worktops made to any thickness, granite and quartz usually comes in 20 or 30mm thicknesses but it can be made to any thickness and with different edge profiles, the underneath is packed with mdf and all the edges are made thicker. You can also get laminate worktops made extra thick by a laminate fabricator [google for a local fabricator], they would get/make the base board [chipboard] to your thickness and then bond the laminate sheet to the tops and sides [square edged]. There's also concrete worktops which can be cast to any thickness, copper and stainless steel worktops can also be made to any thickness. Also real wooden worktops can be made to look thicker by a decent kitchen fitter or carpenter.

You just need to mop up any spillages immediately and ensure everything is sealed with laminate worktops. They are cost effective with lots of choice and still one of the best sellers. If you’re looking for a solid top try looking at Mirostone or Pietra solid surface but installation for solid tops should only be carried out by certified contractors to make sure the warranty is valid.