It’s fantastic that interiors showrooms are reopening and builders are back in business. If any of you are renovating your home right now, this must be such welcome news! And, if you’re working on a new kitchen, I bet you can’t wait to get stuck in again. However, you might need a little help when it comes to considering a kitchen sink for your home. So, if this is you, then help is at hand. I’ve been through this process as I had to choose a model for my new kitchen redesign. In fact, the kitchen sink should play an important part of the process, as this product will always be on view. The style you choose should suit your interior and you’ll need to make sure it’s functional, too.
How I use my kitchen sink
Despite the fact our dishwasher is on every night, I still use my kitchen sink for all sorts of things. Whether I’m filling a pan with water or rinsing veggies I’ve bought from the nursery, I certainly put our kitchen sink through its paces. We use this area to make tea and coffee from our steaming water tap, too. And it’s the perfect place to leave bulky pots and pans, while I sit down with the husband to eat dinner.
How will you use yours?
So, really think about what you will use your sink for. Do you like peeling vegetables here, so you may need an additional bowl? Do you require a decent depth so you can hide used pans, when entertaining (yes it will happen again one day), from view?! Are you planning to buy your sink as part of a whole kitchen project? Or does the new one need to fit the existing size you have on your current worktop? Also, are you looking for a version which will be easy to clean? In that case, you may prefer a kitchen sink, which is made from a material without any joins and is curved.
Kitchen sink types
Inset and undermount
An inset sink is pretty common – the design sits on the worktop with a lip and usually comes with a drainer, too. You can fit these into any type of surface, which makes them ultra versatile, too. You place an under-mount model under the surface of a worktop, for a particularly smart finish. It’s also useful if you want to wipe water or spills from the worktop straight into your sink. However, this style of kitchen sink will only work with a solid surface worktop, such as granite or solid wood.
Integral
If you’re looking for the smoothest possible finish in your kitchen, then an integral sink could be the one for you. The sink and worktop feature the same material and there are no visible seams. Corian, for example, springs to my mind and it’s contemporary and low-maintenance, too. However, you can also find some amazing stone designs out there.
Flush mounted
This style of kitchen sink will sit level with your work surface so this makes a great choice if you’re looking for a model which will blend into your worktop design. You’ll find it will be easy to wipe down and creates a gorgeous aesthetic for those of you who are fans of absolute minimalist design.
Belfast and Butler
These sinks essentially look pretty much the same – the only difference is you should find an overflow on a Belfast model and the Butler tends to have a more shallow bowl. However, these days some Butler kitchen sinks come with and overflow too. In fact some Belfast sinks don’t have an overflow either, just to confuse things!
Kitchen sink materials
These days, the humble kitchen sink is available in a whole host of different materials and finishes. So, where do you start? I remember thinking about the actual kitchen design itself and how the sink would need to suit the colours I had chosen. However, I also considered which look I wanted to achieve, too. My kitchen design is Shaker-style however I wanted a modern sink which would work with the modern appliances. So, in this instance I chose a stainless steel, angular style. I think any of the below would work well in a functional, stylish kitchen:-
Stainless steel
Now this material tends to be the preferred choice for chefs… and it was mine, too! After all it’s resistant to high temperatures. Just make sure you consider the gauge as this denotes the thickness of the steel. My sink is the Cubit 150 from Caple (discounted) and it’s ultra modern, too.
This year, there have been some real revelations in terms of what can be done in the wet zone. Copper and gold finish stainless steel kitchen sinks have become highly popular in more high-end design over the years, but there is one model out there which combines two metallic finishes in one. Just check it out here! I think it’s stunning and this would work well in both a classic and modern design. Ultimately, stainless steel is hardwearing and easy to clean. But I do like the fact you can now choose from a whole range of interesting finishes and a two-tone design will create a striking finish in any kitchen.
The ceramic kitchen sink
I must admit I do love a handcrafted ceramic sink and they are another easy-to-clean option. In addition, these models are created in high temperature clay ovens for a very durable finish. These tend to be traditional styles however I think they can suit any kitchen – I would choose a solid surface worktop to complement this design.
Composite sinks
These kitchen sinks tend to be made of around 80% quartz and 20% in other materials, such as acrylic as this helps to bond everything together. Other materials include granite resin and heavy plastic dusts. The finish can resemble a stone look and you’ll find these sinks can be named accordingly. There are also a variety of colours you can choose from to either blend into your worktop or provide a strong contrast. These sinks are highly durable and easy to clean too making them another wise choice for the kitchen.
Does size matter?
I’ve touched on this already but I really think it does. If you need a one and a half bowl or two-bowl sink then make sure your kitchen designer can allow for that. A two-bowl sink can work well in a family-sized kitchen whereas a single bowl with drainer would be adequate for a small kitchen.
