Functional Beauty: Reconsidering the Kitchen Sink
Today’s kitchens are far more versatile than they were just a few years ago. To see how efficient the modern kitchen has become, look no further than the once-humble kitchen sink. Smart designers are now creating sinks that do far more than merely hold water.
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Living large
While older kitchen sinks may have only been 6-7 inches deep, today’s sinks are often a more generous 9-10 inches deep to accommodate large pots and pans. The added depth also helps contain splashing.
Single-bowl models, made of KOHLER enameled cast iron, offer generous space for cleaning larger items that won’t fit in the dishwasher, or that require hand washing. But if you prefer a divided sink, you’ll have plenty of choices, including Smart Divide® bowls that feature lower divides for cooking trays and bigger pots.
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New-generation sinks make kitchen work more of a pleasure and less of a chore.
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Location, location, location
Prep sinks, also known as bar sinks, do a great job of cutting down on traffic around the main kitchen sink. The Eolia® sink is ideal for quick rinses or storing ice or defrosting.
New sink shapes, such as those in the Indio® line, have spurred fresh orientations for faucets, with clever offset designs that maximize the usable space in the sink and make the faucet more accessible, especially to children.
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Thinking outside of the box
Long, slim trough sinks are great for making the most of the space in narrow kitchens and allowing people to work simultaneously without bumping into each other. The streamlined Crevasse® prep sink also comes fitted with a sleekly high-tech synchronized garbage disposal that makes cleanup a snap.
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Blast from the past
The timeless apron-front or farmhouse sink is reclaiming its place in the home with more colors, textures and material options than ever before. But the innovations to this classic form go beyond style. The Whitehaven™ and Vault™ apron-front sinks feature a revolutionary Self-Trimming® design, allowing for easy installation in existing cabinetry.
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Material Matters
The abundance of options also extends to materials. Fireclay sinks are always a popular option due to their durability and beauty. Enameled cast iron is a classic material; not only for its strength, but also for a wide range of color options that offer yet another way to create a truly individual look in the kitchen. And stainless steel has a sophisticated, timeless appearance that complements modern kitchen appliance finishes.
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Sort it out
Some new sinks offer innovative, multi-tiered designs that provide additional storage, extended work surfaces, nesting storage trays, sliding cutting boards and accessories that allow the sink to be both supremely versatile and blissfully uncluttered.
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Making it work
The variety of accessories available for the kitchen sink extends far beyond the built-in soap dispenser. There are colanders perfectly sized for your particular sink model, cutting boards and drain boards, tool racks with custom “soaking cups,” wire rinsing baskets and drying racks in all kinds of materials. The KOHLER Prolific™ sink is the perfect example of how your sink can become a functional kitchen workstation.
The new generation of kitchen sinks are proof that even the simplest kitchen tools can be improved, making the work we do in the kitchen more of a pleasure and less of a chore.
