How To Determine Where To Put The Kitchen Sink
An effective kitchen design depends on a well-planned layout, product selections that meet your ongoing household requirements, and a dash of individual style to give the space personality. There are many decisions involved in a kitchen renovation, and a trusted design professional can guide you through this process to realize your ideal space.
There are a few places in the kitchen where you are more likely to find yourself standing for extended periods of time, and one of those is the kitchen sink. Even if you rely on a dishwasher, you will still stand at the sink to wash and prepare food, rinse dirty dishes, and shake off excess water when they come out of the dishwasher. Consider carefully where you will place the sink when planning a kitchen design layout. This decision is based on several factors.
1. Where is the plumbing?
Let’s start off with the practical considerations. Where is your existing plumbing and is it in the location where you want to place your sink? Ideally, these two factors will match up and support your desired location with the existing plumbing. This will cut costs by saving on a plumbing contractor or construction costs to move the plumbing around.
If you plan to change the layout of your kitchen, then you may intend to move the plumbing around anyway. Almost anything is possible, and your kitchen design specialist can advise you on your options. Keep in mind that you can put the sink anywhere you want, but changing the plumbing will affect your budget.
2. What appliances does it need to be near?
Another practical issue is where the sink should be located vis-à-vis other appliances or work spaces. The sink is a central part of a well-functioning kitchen design, but it works hand in hand with other elements too. Ideally the sink should be next to the dishwasher, so dirty dishes can be easily rinsed and transferred to the dishwasher. You may also want the trash or food recycling bins to be located nearby to facilitate disposing waste during food preparation or when clearing dishes.
3. What is the best view?
Even with a dishwasher to do most the dish cleaning, you still spend a lot of time standing at the sink. Given the choice of location for the sink, give yourself a good view! This may depend on your home, the position of your kitchen, and your own personal preferences.
If your kitchen has a window with a beautiful view you may want to go for the traditional approach of putting the sink by the window, like the design below left. This allows you to get some natural light and have a peaceful view while working at the sink. Another option is the place the sink so it is facing a beautiful view inside your home like the one shown below right, or so it faces toward guests and family. You could achieve this by placing the sink in the island, which allows you to work at the sink while keeping an eye on the kids or chatting with family and guests. Decide which view you prefer when standing at the sink, and build your sink into the layout to meet that requirement.
4. Will you have more than one?
If your kitchen is large, you have a large family, or you plan to entertain frequently, you may want to include more than one sink. Typically, this would include one sink for clean-up and a second sink for food preparation or perhaps in a beverage bar. The kitchen design picture here has a standard sink and a Galley Workstation that is customized for food preparation, clean up, and entertaining. The design shown below that includes three sinks: a standard sink, a Galley Workstation, and a beverage bar sink. If space and budget allow, the possibilities are endless!
