Improving the Kitchen Sink

• Article

By Mary Boone

Today’s hottest home décor items are often tomorrow’s design “don’ts.” Remember wood paneling, avocado-colored stoves and bright brass light fixtures?

Kitchen sinks evolve but, thankfully, not at the same pace. A sink installed this season will be fashionable and functional for many years to come. That said, it’s important to note that manufacturers are constantly fine-tuning designs in an effort to create multi-tasking kitchen centerpieces.

Often the changes are subtle, sometimes related to materials or basin size. Because of larger pots and skillets, for example, big single-basin kitchen sinks are now more popular than their double-basin counterparts.

Stainless, enamel still rule

Stainless-steel sinks remain the most popular choice. It’s easy to see why: They’re easy to clean, durable and many consumers like the way they look with stainless kitchen appliances.

Enamel sinks continue to be a strong No. 2 in sales. Enamel-on-cast iron is the more expensive version, costing about twice as much as an enamel-on-steel sink. The sinks are available in many colors and are easy to clean.

Composite sinks (polyester/acrylic, quartz composite or granite-based) are growing in popularity. Solid-surface sinks, which are integrated into the countertop with no seams or exposed edges, also continue to have their share of fans.

Basic to bold

While many homeowners lean toward neutrals, Kohler now offers its cast iron kitchen sinks in 26 different colors. This season, the company has partnered with designer Jonathan Adler to create enamel cast iron kitchen sinks in four bright hues: Greenwich Green, Piccadilly Yellow, Palermo Blue and Annapolis Navy.

“They’re bold, happy colors,” says Kohler spokeswoman Vicki Hafenstein. “Sometimes people don’t want to remodel their entire kitchen, but they want a new look. A bright yellow or green sink is an unexpected, tasteful way to change things up.”

Apron re-do

Hafenstein says one of her company’s hottest new products is actually a refinement of the long-popular apron-style sink.

Kohler’s Whitehaven Self-Trimming apron-front kitchen sink features a 7-inch apron, which is ideal for homeowners who want to achieve a farmhouse look without replacing their cabinetry. The sink is still 9 inches deep, but the apron is shortened to fit a standard sink base cabinet – no customization needed.

Good golly, it’s a galley

Thousands of design and building professionals gather each year at the national Kitchen & Bath Industry Show to spot trends and experience product introductions. At the 2012 show, The Galley sink was “the” item folks couldn’t stop talking about.

The Galley was developed by Roger Shollmier, a 35-year veteran of the kitchen design industry. His sink comes in 4-, 5½- and 7-foot models; each of the two larger sizes features two cutting boards, two colanders, two stainless bowls and a drain rack that slides above and below each other on tracks above a gigantic stainless steel sink (the 4-foot model has one cutting board, one bowl and one drain rack). The accessories can be rearranged or removed to suit the task at hand. Drain pasta while you continue to chop veggies at the other end of the sink. Hosting a party? Take off the accessories and fill the sink with ice to create a serving station for beverages.

This multi-tasking sink – which can also be used in outdoor kitchens – isn’t inexpensive. The smallest sink retails for $3,895, and the 7-footer sells for $6,995. Both come with the basic accessories set.