Sink or swim: Dealing with a kitchen reno

Who knew there were so many kitchen sinks out there? And who knew that after you’ve seen about 25 different ones, your brain turns into sudsy water and goes right down the gurgler? Yes, I’m in the market for a new sink. No, I don’t know what I want. At this stage, I have more questions than answers. What will fit into my small kitchen? Do I need a draining board? Undermount, top mount or flush mount? Can I afford it?

Choosing a sink is probably the least glamorous of all the decisions one must make about renovating a kitchen because it involves one of the dreariest and most repetitive tasks known to man and woman: the washing of dishes. And yet in many ways, it’s the true heart of the kitchen.

Let’s face it, you stand at the sink more often, and for longer periods, than you stand at the oven, the cooktop, or even at the open door of the fridge, trying to work out what’s for dinner. And if I’m going to stand for that long in front of anything that isn’t a champagne bar, then I’d like to be able to congratulate myself on making the right choice.

Options run from stainless steel to granite to marble to porcelain to copper. From deep to square to round to wide. From white to black to metallic to – eek! – brightly coloured. From single sink to double sink to many variations on that theme. There are farmhouse sinks and butler’s sinks – neither of which I want because I have neither a farmhouse nor a butler.

Friends tell me that the best sink is the one by a window with a view, and I imagine they’re right – if their views are of sparkling harbours, native gardens, or leafy vineyards. I’m not as convinced when it’s of an air-conditioning unit, some dusty aspidistra and the tenement steps of the block of flats next door. But then, I’m not sure anyone should be gazing out the window when handling sharp knives and fragile glasses after half a bottle of wine.

And then, there’s the question of the taps. I’d wash my hands of it all, but for the fact that I’ll need a sink in which to do so. And taps. Aaaargh.

theemptyplate@goodweekend.com.au

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