As our arms continue to recover from our recent kitchen priming and painting marathon (shared here this morning) we thought we’d take it down a notch or two with a post about sinks. That’s right, it’s like a slow jam following a spirited chicken dance or an energetic Macarena.
One thing’s that been fascinating about owning our second home is comparing its features to our first home and noting pros and cons (especially as we think about what improvements we want to make). There are many things that we prefer over our previous digs – like the larger rooms, opens hallways, en suite master bath, etc. And of course some things that make us miss our old set-up, such as our former more open laundry area, enclosed garage, etc. But when it comes to some things, we’re still unsure if they’re upgrades or downgrades… like our kitchen sink.
It’s a deep single sink (call me Captain Obvious). I like it. No, wait, I love it. I think. Okay, no, it’s probably just a like. Honestly I can’t decide whether or not I prefer it over the double sink that we had in our last kitchen (seen below).
Why do I love the single sink? It fits everything. Okay, not literally – but at least I finally can get my pots and pans (including handles!) fully in the sink to clean them. Seems silly, but the double sink we chose for the last kitchen did get on my nerves sometimes. Pan handles would protrude over the countertop. Water would splash everywhere during half-submerged rinse sessions. Frustrated husbands would curse the act of doing dishes. So this new situation is a welcome relief (the pan shown is 22″ including handles).
Some of the few of you who were reading way-back-then even questioned our double-sink decision. But despite my affection for the our single sink, I don’t completely regret choosing a double. Here’s why:
Now that I’m without a “Washing Side” and a “Drying Side” my pans end up on the counter post-wash. Yes, I realize it looks lame and messy (and that our pans are definitely past-their-prime). I know we could get a drying rack, but (no offense drying rack makers of the world) it’s hard to find something that looks good enough to earn a permanent spot on the already-limited counter space (my crazy pot drying method above only means that the side of the sink is occupied for an hour or two after dinner as opposed to hosting a drying rack 24/7). This is where my parents would probably tell me just to buck up, dry them by hand, and put them away immediately. But yeah, that’s not going to happen.
The other thing that makes us indecisive about this set up is the faucet placement. Usually we’re fans of a centered faucet, but such a square shaped sink must have required it be nudged to one side (it doesn’t look like it would have fit in the center). But in a surprise turn of sink-related events I’ve been enjoying the ability to fill up a pot while it rests on the counter (rather than having to hold it as it grows heavier with water in the sink). Life’s small pleasures, ya know?
In the end, we’re not planning to replace this sink and I’m still not sure which I prefer – though I think I now lean towards the single sink camp. What about you guys. Are you on the fence too? Or do you feel passionately about one set up over the other?
ell.uu says
when we bought our house it had a ridiculously shallow double sink. like 7″ shallow…was a huge pain, water splashed out whenever we washed dishes, couldn’t put more than a few dirty items in to soak. we replaced it with a deeper double sink, stainless steel, 70/30 split. I love it because it’s almost twice as deep, but the flip side of that is that the pile of dirties tends to accumulate. i wish we had a farmhouse, apron front sink, but that would require more reno than we want to do in this house.
Liz says
Oh man. I’m very passionately on the side of the single sink. When we renovated our kitchen we got a super deep, wide, single sink and i LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it. I would never, and I mean NEVER go back to a double. I never even thought about a single sink until our friends who renovated got one and I thought it was brilliant. You can fit everything in it. My favorite thing is that I can soak big cookie sheets because they lay flat. Ours is as wide as a double, so it’s bigger than yours it looks like. I put most of our dishes right in the dishwasher, and when I end up washing something by hand, I just dry it and put it away immediately. It’s actually kind of good for me to not be able to stack up dishes and leave them in the rack for forever! And you know, I kinda love that you can fill up a pot on the counter with that corner faucet. Who knew?
fd says
Thanks folks! We’re all learning today. You learned about the mad/pad thing and I learnt about the garbage disposal. I have never once seen or heard of this in Europe anywhere. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, I dunno. Seems like a useful little device though, I wonder why it never caught on? Anyhoo, we have a metal double deep sink, 70/30 faucet between the two, and the inbuilt drying area. I’d love a sprayer.
fd says
ahem. as fun as a mad/pad sounds, I meant a dryer mat/pad.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. We knew what you meant.
xo,
s
Suzi D. says
I think my parents really did it right on this one. They have a double sink, but one side is big enough for large pots and pans, even cookie sheets, to fit fully inside, and the other side is great for washing food, hands, etc. when dishes are piled up. They have a sink in their kitchen island, too, but alas, not everyone has the luxury of that much space for kitchen sinks!
Tracy says
I don’t understand how you rinse without a double sink? Anyway, a friend of mine has what I consider the best of both worlds – a single sink that’s actually as big as a double sink, with a removable wash pan, so you can have a double sink whenever you want.
Also, I have a drying rack that folds up, and I stick it in a cabinet when I’m not using it. Theoretically. :-/
Nico says
I recently switched to one of those bamboo trying racks which is so much prettier and I LOVE it. OR you can just get a drying mat to pull out when needed. I keep on under the rack and throw it in the wash when it gets stinky. Bed, Bath, and Beyond sell them for under $10.
Liz says
Ah, see, I’m in the opposite position. I have a double sink and I wish I had a single to accommodate large pots and pans, not to mention my little dog and soon to be arriving baby. I’m particular about the dish drainer aesthetic too, which is why I plunked down the extra cash for the very sleek Simple Human drainer (http://www.simplehuman.com/products/dishracks/steel-frame.html).
Diana says
You don’t have to have a drying rack on the counter. We have one from Ikea that attaches to the wall. It folds up when not in use and uses no counter space. We just put a dishtowel underneath it when stuff is drying.
Samma says
I wish I had a picture of our sink ‘in action’. But, it’s a big farmhouse double wide but single basin copper sink w/ the drain off to the far right. We keep a dish pan in the left half when we want a double sink, and take it out, when we want a big ol’ tub! LOVE it!
The link is to it w/out the dish pan, I dunno if that helps make sense or not …. http://samma.typepad.com/.a/6a0133f3f679e3970b0147e0471f36970b-pi
YoungHouseLove says
Woah! Amazing. Love the copper.
xo,
s
molly says
I just put in a Smart Divide sink by Kohler (an impulse purchase actually) and am excessively happy about it. The divide in the middle is tall enough to have a washing side/drying side, but short enough to have a big soaking area. And, it’s really deep. I had no idea I could be so in love with a sink.
StefanieK says
I loved having a double sink, but am soooooooo happy with our single sink in our new house. Our drying solution is a cheap metal drying rack that I keep under the sink 99% of the time. When I do dishes, I lay a dishtowel on the counter, place the drying rack on it, and use the rack. When I’m ready to put all the dishes away, I hang the dishtowel and put the rack back under the sink. Keeps our counters clear when the drying rack is empty. Our single sink is also large enough that I can keep a drying rack in half of it, even without the divider…so I’ll sometimes do that, and then just rinse everything really well at the very end once they’re ALL clean. Anyway, it works for us. I wouldn’t go back to a double sink now.
Pallie says
I don’t know if you’ve seen these but they now make double sinks that have a lower “wall” in between the two sections. It is really the best of both worlds…you get the two sides but your pot can still fit because the handle can rest on the lower dividing wall.
My mom just bought one from lowe’s when she redid her kitchen and absolutely LOVES it. Definitely worth a look.
Darcy says
Has nobody else suggested a pan rack? These things are amazing – solves your problem of somewhere to put the pots and pans while they dry, makes them super-convenient to grab when you need one, and you free up cabinet space for other things. And personally I think they’re gorgeous.
http://www.reigninggifts.com/images/HangingPotPanHolderRack6035603.jpg
http://www.potracksgalore.com/images_new/site_templates/36/hanging_guide.jpg
Also, after some searching, we managed to find an on-counter drying rack that we think is pretty enough to deserve space on our counter: http://images.containerstore.com/catalogimages/105350/FoldingBambooDishRack_l.jpg
Rachel Tatem says
I’m a fan of two HUGE sinks… the type you have to special order the cabinet! But honestly my thing is they have to be deep. I cannot handle shallow… horrible but single or double I’m game so long as they are deep
Hana Zima says
A lot of people have put out the 70/30 as a solution to the bigger yet still a divide. Another option I didn’t see listed is Kohler’s Smart Divide Sinks. These sinks are generally either 50/50 or 70/30 BUT the division is lower so you can have the benefits of a 33″ sink and the benefits of two separate parts (for drying or soaking dishes). Check it out here: http://bit.ly/kXusYz
Katie says
NOTHING is better than our double farmhouse sink that we got at IKEA.
it is fantastic
It has changed my life
There is nothing in our entire renovated house that I am happier we added than that sink. Every single person who walks in the house gushes over it. I will only have a farmhouse sink for the rest of my life.
Erica says
SINGLE SINK-DEFINATELY!!!
Vicki J says
Everyone beat me to the punch we have a double sink –one side extra deep and yes it holds a big old frying pan handle and all.. and the other side is smaller and maybe only 8 inches deep– its my “clean sink” I put dishes in there to dry and wash veggies… both sides had the grates at the bottom…love it!
Audrey says
We just got a new deep single sink and I LOVE it. I especially love that dishes can sit inside and not be seen when walking through the kitchen. And once our newborn can sit up, she’ll be getting plenty of sink baths!
Now I just need new countertops and somebody to paint my oak cabinets white!
Here is a picture if you are interested in our new sink:
http://partyof5.livejournal.com/125410.html
YoungHouseLove says
Pretty! And great for sink baths!
xo,
s
Aubrey says
Single sink fo-ev-ah! We have a big farmhouse-style sink and we gave my son baths in it every night until he was two! My back thanks me each day. It’s also easier for when you wash the shelves in the fridge, since they all fit into the basin and you can soak them for twenty minutes before you scrub. Don’t be alarmed, I sanitized the sink every night before I put my baby into it.
Mitzi says
When we were remodeling our kitchen last year we got a double sided sink that has a low divider in the middle. My husbands number one requirement in a kitchen sink was one that was wide enough to fit an entire pan inside (handle and all) but I didn’t want to give up having two sides so this ended up being the perfect solution for us! I am not sure if that is the exact sink we got but it was Kohler brand and looks pretty similar!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZU9QKA/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002JURIIG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1XQZ1MA76S3TWW2GKGS9
Beth says
I’m completely sold on the single sink. Prior to renovating my kitchen (in the condo that we’re moving out of…boo, short-lived kitchen remodel), I had a double sink and hated it because nothing ever fit in it. I put in a single sink with the reno, and love it. I felt like the sink was kind of always “in the way” before, but the single bowl just flows with the kitchen now.
Rachella M. says
We just updated our kitchen and put in a large deep single sink and I love it! It’s large enough to lay cookie sheets flat in and still have room. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a double.
Cait says
My parents store their drying rack in the cabinet under the sink and put it away when it’s not actually in use for drying dishes. I’m too lazy to do that but it might be a good solution for your situation. Some of those bamboo drying racks are not too bad-looking.
kate says
Hey guys, I haven’t read through all the comments so I don’t know if someone has already made a recommendation, but want to let all you “dish rack searchers” know that I found a chic one (haha) at Ikea. It’s the Fintorp dish drainer….$9.99. It’s a perfect size and it’s black with a galvanized, slide out tray. I love it, and it really is fairly attractive (as far as dish drainers go), at least it’s not completely offensive, that I don’t mind if it gets left out on the counter.
Paula M. says
I don’t have a double sink but really love them.
I have a dishwasher but for in-between items and big pots, I’ve balked at putting a dish drainer on my stone countertops (I hear ya about those!), but was also getting tired of going through so many paper towels drying those.
And then I found a nifty little teak drying rack. You extend the metal handles and put it over your sink, and lay the handwashed items on top of it to air-dry. It’s cheap, it looks good, it doesn’t take up counter space, and because it’s flat and compact, it stores easily in between uses. I bought mine at a local (SF Bay Area) Ace Hardware store.
(Sadly, I can’t find it on the Ace Hardware website, but FYI that it’s a single-level flat item. I found mine next to the cleaning products and kitchenware on the lower level of the 4th Street store in SF a month ago.)
Coleen says
Definately love a single basin sink! Hated the double one in our house. We finally replaced it about a year ago, so happy with the new one! Handwashing/drying is not too much of a problem for us since we have a dishwasher. For pots/pans I don’t even bother with filling the sink to wash or rinse, just fill the pot/pan with soapy water, scrub and rinse after. Let them dry overnight on a towel on the counter and put them away in the morning. I do keep a basin of soapy water in the sink to throw the baby stuff in during the day, then I just have to rinse and lay out to dry at night.
Jennifer says
Ah, damn. I came on here to boast that you could get a drying mat, only to find over 200 comments with loads of people telling you the same. Easy as can be, stores in the drawer after=it’s awesome. Although we do have one of those plain, wooden drying racks from IKEA to go over our metal drying area next to the sink. Ah, Europe.
sarah says
digging the flash back to the macarena- it was on the ‘do not play’ list for my wedding- but, how can you deny it?
Ruth says
We’ve got a 30/70 sink – it sounds nice but it’s really just a real sink with a useless appendage. I dream about how awesome it would be if we replaced the entire thing with a single sink of the same footprint. Aaaah that would be awesome.
Laura says
I love a super deep, double wide single bowl.
We just used this monster sink in our still-in-progress kitchen reno:
http://www.sterlingplumbing.com/sinks/kitchen-sinks/McAllister-R-Single-basin-Kitchen-Sink-18-Gauge-Stainless-Steel-11600-detail?productNumber=11600&resultId=-919368571-0
If you scroll down a little in this blog post you can see the sink with a gallon of milk in it for scale. We call it our trough!!!
http://monkeyandhobbes.blogspot.com/2011/06/faucet-and-windowsills.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my goodness – that’s amazing!
xo,
s
Lauren says
What color paint did you use for your old kitchen?
YoungHouseLove says
Glidden’s Gentle Tide. Loved it!
xo,
s
Suni (Sunny) says
In January we went from a shallow double stainless steel sink to a single (width of a double) deep, granite sink. I LOVE IT! It has a 3″ or 4″ lift so it’s split like a 60/40, but it’s still one basin. The lift has drain grooves so I can dry things there and the water will run down the the drain. My scrubby brush is NEVER on my countertop. It’s amazing. Who knew!
Kim says
We rented a house with a single sink while our house was being renovated. We were all set on a single sink until actually using one. It was hard to drain water and food out of the corners because of the width. Maybe it was just the sink. So we defaulted to the double, figuring we were used to that and didn’t hate it. But we made sure it was deep. Maybe that was a good thing, because there’s not that much counter space at all next to it for a drying area. Also, in the rental house we used a towel for a drying rack because we didn’t want to buy one since we wouldn’t be there that long (we’re cheap). It was great, so drying pads seem like they would be, too.
Lena says
I wonder if that might work instead of a drying rack? http://pinterest.com/pin/52552161/
YoungHouseLove says
It would work but it would take up valuable counter space. It looks really cute thought!
xo,
s
julianna says
This is about your future island, not your sink. And you probably already know this, or maybe someone’s already written it in the comments, but I am a chronic worrier, so I’ll mention it anyway. Code requires that any permanent island over a certain (not very large) size requires electrical outlets at specific intervals. Perhaps you already planned on outlets anyway, and I know you won’t be doing the island for quite some time, but I thought I would mention it now so you can keep it in mind as you make future plans. (if you don’t want electricity at the island, you can either put it on wheels or have a freestanding, moveable table.)
YoungHouseLove says
So good to know! Thanks!
xo,
s
Dusa says
Double sink: I’ve trained the hubby (:D) to put dirty dishes in the left side, then when we are ready to wash, we fill the right side up with the soapy water and transfer the dirty dishes into it. This opens the left side to set the dishes in for their rinse, then up to the drain tray to dry. However, if we had an automatic dishwasher, I’m be a fan of the big ol’ enamel sink!
Nicole says
why not just put the pans into the sink to dry at the end after you’ve washed everything?
YoungHouseLove says
Then when we want to wash our hands or dump water into the sink or something else it gets all over the pots. Just doesn’t seem to work for us (they just never dry in there since we keep using the sink).
xo,
s
Gaidig says
I’m sure a million people have said this already and I haven’t read the comments yet, but get a folding drying rack and tuck it away under the sink when it’s not in use.
Paige says
I hear you on the double sink. But…my preferene is a single, deep sink.
Dani says
We recently remodeled our kitchen and changed out our large double porcelain to a large single stainless steel sink – and I love it. It’s huge and deep and holds everything!
On another note – I notice your granite has a seam by the sink and the pictures make it look like the coloring on the two slabs do not match very well. Does it look that noticable in real life or did the camera enhance the color on the right side?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- that area of the granite backsplash is a really obvious seam, but we plan to remove the little mini backsplash and the tiled backsplash above it in favor of retiling the entire area with the same tile for a much more seamless and clean look (two backsplashes seems kind of redundant, haha).
xo,
s
cheree says
At our last home (which we remodeled), we opted to install a double sink but with one caveat, one side was much larger than the other. It totally fit my big pots and pans AND it was extra deep which aided in washing dishes. The smaller side was perfect for drying things and it was great when the big side was full and I just needed to rinse veggies. It also came with a cutting board that sat in the lip of the smaller sink. Kohler thought of everything. love.
ours was not an undermount, but it basically looked like this http://www.faucetdirect.com/kohler-k-3891-undercounter-offset-stainless-steel-kitchen-sink-from-the-staccato-collection/p1249272?source=spg_1249272&baid=493399519&.
Megan says
I was about to come tell you about the great drying mats we got from Bed Bath and Beyond, but I see at least one other person has already mentioned them! We have two (of the gray ones: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17287109), and just keep them rolled away in a cabinet near the sink when not using them, then set them on the counter when we need to let things dry. They’re very absorbent and handy!
Kacie says
I am a fan of the double. I cook a ton though so I think it depends on whether or not you cook/use your kitchen constantly.
Kacie
http://www.acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/
Lacey says
I love that we are pondering sinks! This is one of those conversations my husband’s going to zone out of when I bring it up…”I was on that new blog, the one with the young couple and 1 yr old baby girl like us…the one that I got the pinata idea from…they use cloth diapers too…are you listening?!…yes? okay. single or double sink, what’s your preference?” ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hilarious.
xo,
s
Rabbit says
No need for pads, just use a dish towel! Or, do what my mom does, puts pots and pans into the oven to dry off :)
Erin says
This debate is going on in our house at the moment. At our rental we had a wide single sink, but when we bought our house recently it came with a double sink. While I like having the 2 sides to wash and then rinse, it’s just not big enough. The middle of the sink always gets in the way when I am trying to wash cookie sheets or my daughter’s high chair tray and then it seems like it is inevitable that I splash water all over the counter trying to rinse it off. Plus, I can’t soak my cookie sheets in the sink which I occasionally need to do. I really really want a farmhouse sink but luckily we’re not redoing our kitchen for another year or 2 so I still have some time to decide.
Kelly Jo says
We totally understand the rebellion against a dish rack – that’s why we got this:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16675261
We can just fold it up after our pots and pans are dry and toss it back under the sink!
Wendy says
We recently had our countertops replaced and had to make the decision between a single or double sink. We primarily use the dishwasher so it made sense to get a single sink since we don’t use one side to wash. I am so happy with our decision. We got this sink: http://www.amazon.com/Franke-ORX-110-Kitchen-Sink-Bowl/dp/B000GPU50Y/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b. The best part is the ledge about half way down that a shelf/rack fits on top of to dry stuff (and covers only the right half of the sink).
Erin @ AroundTheFarmhouseTable says
We just moved into a house with a single sink, too. I love it and am excited about our intended double-use…we will be using it for a baby bath in the near future. No bending down on the bathroom floor!