There was an old washstand in grandmother's bedroom with a copper basin and towels on it.

washstand 是由动词 wash（洗）和名词 stand（架子、台子）组成的复合词，字面意思是"用来洗东西的台子"，特指"盥洗台"，通常配有水盆、水壶等洗漱用品。