Kitchens are no longer just for cooking. A kitchen is often the main hub for the home where families get together or friends meet up for brunch or dinner or cocktails. Remodeling or designing a kitchen, the most trafficked area of the house, requires time, planning, and a willingness to work with all the fine details.
Everything makes a difference including something as utilitarian as the sink. Thus, the kitchen sink is a vital part of kitchen design. While considering the type and style of the sink might seem like a low priority, focusing on finding a balance between the use of space and the overall style is the best approach to find the best sink for your home.
A practical fixture or a designer focal point, or somewhere in between, the kitchen sink offers homeowners the space to stretch their design muscles by finding a balance between lifestyle and aesthetic. Our experts agree that though the sink is typically not the foremost detail when designing a kitchen, homeowners should take some time to consider carefully how the sink impacts the overall design of the kitchen. Lori Dolnick of Frank Advertising for BLANCO says, “While the sink is not always top-of-mind when designing a kitchen – it is an important element as it is the most used appliance in the kitchen for cleaning, prepping food,” and DeeDee Wade of Fridrich and Clark adds, “It is certainly a focal point that needs to blend with the rest info the aesthetic.” Taking the time consider the impact the sink has on the overall kitchen design is worth the extra effort.
There are a few options to think about when shopping for a new kitchen sink: style, size, number of sinks, depth, shape, and materials. All of these options provide plenty of room for those choices to reflect the personality of the homeowner. Experts note that workstation and farmhouse sinks are popular in 2020. While the farmhouse sink is largely the current favorite design trend, a workstation sink runs a close second. In our survey of kitchen sink trends, 85% of our experts said the top trending sink is the farmhouse style, “Farm sinks are big time desirable,” says Patricia Peddicord of Coldwell Banker Pryor Realty. The farmhouse style offers the best of all worlds while letting the homeowner’s personal style shine through. Running a close second is the workstation sink. Workstation sinks include things such as cutting boards, basket drainers, and a serving tray. A workstation sink offers homeowners options which is what’s making them so popular. Wade points out, “Workstation sinks with clean and simple deep drop in double basin” are trending in kitchen sink design. Space for prep work and clean up as well as ways to entertain guests give workstation sinks the ability to enhance user experience and keep the mess off countertops.
Other primary features when choosing a sink include the number of basins and how the sink is mounted. Our survey of local experts points out that the vote is split between single and double basins – % for each type, stainless steel dual mount undermount, flush mount, farmhouse, self-rimming, quartz, prep sink, island, granite quartz composite.
Consider: size, bowls, depth, maintenance, installation, cost features like drain racks, cutting boards prep sinks.
While stainless steel and white remain popular finishes for kitchen sinks for both the durability and ease of cleaning, copper is making a big splash in kitchen sink design. Deborah Hayden of DC 7 Designs says, “Copper is the high-end choice,” and Patricia Peddicord of Coldwell Banker agrees, “The biggest wow comes from copper sink additions.” Copper adds some pizzazz and warmth to a space and can be customized to any size and shape. If Copper isn’t your style but you’re still wanting to achieve 2020 Kitchen design trend of a unique mix of natural, understated kitchen design and dynamic, stand-out details, consider other options for the sink and let your design style show in other details. Hayden points out kitchen sinks are “also being made of the material the countertop is made out of.” Stainless steel is the standard material for kitchen sinks due to its durability and ease of cleaning, but Lori Dolnick of Frank Advertising for BLANCO offers that granite composite is an attractive and durable option: “Granite Composite is heat, scratch resistant, and resistant to acids. They come in colors that match today’s surfaces and they last for the life of the kitchen all while looking new.”
Overall, homeowners should consider their personal preferences along with the function of the space to choose the sink finish that will suite their needs the best.
Additionally, homeowners have other options to consider, such as size, shape, and special features. Thinking about how you use the space and what’s important for daily cleaning and food preparation will make many of these choices easier.
Single bowl sinks offer the advantage of being able to handle large pots and pans, odd shapes or sizes of items such as vases, and cutting boards. Double bowl sinks divide the sink into two basins. The advantage here is that a homeowner can use one side to wash fruits or dishes in one side and rinse or add other dirty dishes in the other. It also requires less water to fill. Double sinks also come in a double offset design allowing for a larger sink and a smaller sink right next to each other. Our experts point to the traditional rectangle remaining the most popular shape and offer functionality and ease of use. Though if you’re wanting to stretch your design aesthetic, Paticia Peddicord of Coldwell Banker Pryor Realty points out, “It’s worth splurging on specialty sinks.”
Our experts weigh in on other specialty features such as racks, drains, and strainers. Our experts agree that basket strainers and clarifying drains are the most popular. A basin rack, to protect the basin from knocks and dings, and a soap dispenser are also popular features that can be integrated into sink design. Lori Dolnick points out, “Space saving accessories like strainers, cutting boards, racks, and dispensers are trending. But small things like an off center drain placement can make a big difference in functionality and space savings under the sink. Sound dampening is always the sign of a quality sink and since the counter is cut and in place for the life of the sink – it pays to get a better sink.”
For finishing touches our experts are split. A touchless faucet is as important ad a pulldown/pull out faucet for homeowners. “Pull down/pull out are the most popular. High Arc or pro-look faucets really have great functionality and touchless faucets today are in high demand,” says Lori Dolnick of Frank Advertising for BLANCO. Deborah Hayden of DC 7 Designs reminds us that with the current pandemic, a touchless faucet is even more important. “Absolutely vital for avoiding the spread of germs or even viruses like Covid-19, the touchless faucets are a go to for my business as we focus on safety, accessibility and comfort of the home, not just the beauty of it.”
When choosing a sink to compliment the design of your kitchen, experts point to how doing a little research and knowing your space will save design stress in the long run. Amanda Sweeney of Just Design This reminds us that thinking about size is a priority, “You want to make sure the sink is large enough for the usage,” and Deborah Hayden and Patricia Peddicord urges homeowners to consider functionality, “They need to know how deep they need it to be. Will they be washing tall pots? Children or pets? Just the dishes (some of us old-timers still enjoy hand washing the small load we create daily). Think through all you do at that sink and buy accordingly,” “Think about how you use your sink. Don’t settle for the same as what you are used to. Look at larger bowl sizes – integrated accessories that save space and go for the upgrade. This is the space you spend the most time – so also think about what you are facing while you are cleaning/prepping. Ergonomics are key – but so is the space.” Paul Cailleteau points out the all important basics, “a sink is used a lot so function, size, is a must color style is last” Paul Cailleteau. Ultimately, it’s really about finding that balance between functionality and style leaving Patricia Peddicord to offer this, “See what’s possible in the space available as well as practical for the family size.”
Overall, the ability to customize the kitchen sink to the design, or design the kitchen around the sink, make designing a new kitchen as fun as seeing the final results. Our experts agree, watch for statement sinks such as a copper sink or large single basin farm sink with apron, and customizable features such as drain baskets and cutting boards integrated into the sink. The goal is to make the sink as integral to the overall design as possible. DeeDee Wade of Fridrich & Clark points out, “It has to blend with the rest of the design.” 2020 looks to be a great year for custom kitchen sink innovation.
There are a number of sources in the Nashville area for kitchen sinks including:
Frank Advertising for BLANCO Cranbury, NJ 609-490-0999
Coldwell Banker Pryor Realty Chattanooga, TN 423-681-8778
DC 7 Designs, LLC Nashville, TN 615-490-2637
Jennifer Jones Design, Inc Nashville, TN 615-354-8907
Just Design This Auburntown, TN 615-606-8450
Paul Cailleteau Real Estate Knoxville, TN 865-253-0587