A kitchen sink isn’t just a kitchen sink. Nor is it just an important feature of a home. It’s a valuable appliance that gets a lot of use over the course of a day.
Keeping this in mind, it makes sense that workstation sinks are among the most popular types of sinks, says Kaitlyn German, showroom manager for Ferguson.
A workstation sink is a modern square sink with an integrated groove around the top where accessories – cutting boards, colanders, dish drying racks, storage containers, prep containers, utensil containers, etc. – can be placed.
“It’s essentially extending your counter space and making the thing more of an appliance than just a place you’re going to wash your hands and wash your dishes,” German says.
Ferguson is seeing a huge uptick in interest in workstation sinks, which almost every brand now offers at a variety of price points.
The most common material is stainless steel, but other options include cast iron and granite composite, German says. When purchasing stainless steel, German recommends staying within the 16- to-18-gauge range.
With the workstation sink, and all sink styles in general, a single bowl is most popular at the moment.
Workstation sinks increase counter space, add functional storage and allow for easy cleanup, among other benefits.
“Once you explain to a customer that it is really more of an appliance than it is just a sink,” German says, “people are willing to listen to what the options are. Then you can recommend just based off a conversation and getting to know them, getting to know how they use their kitchen.”
More Trends
Apron Sinks
An apron sink is a deep, wide sink with an exposed front or “apron” that protrudes past the cabinets. All four edges are installed underneath the countertop. The apron sink is a more modern alternative to the farmhouse sink. It provides the same depth and size of a full farmhouse sink without the need to design around the farmhouse sink trend.
“The apron front style is still very much popular, and so that terminology is shifting a little bit,” German says.
Granite and Quartz Composite
Granite and quartz composite sinks are made by a lot of different brands, and are popular because they come in a wide variety of colors. They’re also lower-maintenance than stainless steel and have a warmer feel than cast iron.
“A lot of people go towards the granite composite because they can coordinate it very closely with their countertop,” German says. “It allows you to kind of diversify and add an extra design element into your kitchen.”
Granite composite is extremely durable, with high chemical and scratch resistance due to high density of rock particles at the sink’s surface. Quartz is similar, with a smooth and nonporous surface that also has bacteria and odor-resistant properties.
“(It’s) really nice because it is the same material all the way through,” German says. “So if you have a really sharp kitchen knife and you happen to scratch it – keep in mind, it’s very scratch resistant – but if you did, you’re not really going to notice the scratch because it’s the same color all the way through.”
Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.
