Home renovation inspiration: Kitchen sink debate divides household

On the eve of closing his Twitter deal, Elon Musk walked into the company’s San Francisco headquarters two weeks ago carrying a kitchen sink, prompting a global “why???”

All I wanted to know was whether the sink had a single or double basin. That was the subject of a raging debate at my house. I wanted a kitchen sink with one big basin. My husband, DC, wanted a sink split in two, and the debate had devolved until we were a house divided over a divider.

Our 20-year-old stainless steel sink, which came with the house, has two basins, a small one on the left with a disposal, and a larger one on the right. DC likes that arrangement. He can scrape and rinse on one side, wash in the other. I’d rather have one big tub that can fit a turkey roaster or a small dog.

“Look,” I argue, “even Elon Musk has a single-basin sink.”

“I’m sure Elon Musk doesn’t wash dishes,” DC said, alluding to the fact that though I cook, he does most of the dishes. So there’s that.

Nonetheless, I seek out second opinions — from my designer, the stone countertop installer and two plumbing supply sales people, who collectively have installed a bajillion kitchens. The result: 4-0 in favor of one basin.

A straw poll on Facebook reveals that two out of three voters favor a single-basin kitchen sink, though both camps had passionate defenders. Here’s a sampling: “One large, deep single sink. My husband changed ours for a double, and I’ve never forgiven him,” and “I purchased a home with one large farmhouse sink. I have always preferred a 70/30 split. Fast forward: I love the large sink and will never go back.”

I share my findings with DC, whose response is: “I’m the one who does the dishes. I like a split sink. If you want a single basin, you can start doing the dishes.”

I let that sink in.

Because choosing a kitchen sink involves more than deciding whether to have one basin or two, DC and I decide to agree on what we can agree on and temporarily table the basin debate. Meanwhile, Florida’s Millenia Bath owner Dennis Twomey, who has sold sinks and faucets for more than 30 years, walked me through other factors to consider when choosing the most used sink in the house:

Size: Most sinks have a cabinet underneath which determines how big your sink can be. Measure the dimensions inside the base cabinet side to side and front to back to make sure your sink will fit. And at counter level, leave enough workspace next to the sink for food prep or dish stacking.

Placement: Under the sink, note where the drain and disposal will go, as well as the soap dispenser or filtered water system if you add them. Those components, along with the sink’s depth, will impact how much usable storage space remains.

Type of mount: Drop in, undermount or apron-front sinks are the three most common options. If you’re replacing an existing drop-in (or overmount) sink and not replacing the counter, you’ll want another overmount sink. However, if you’re building from scratch or replacing the counter, consider an undermount. It looks sleeker and is easier to clean. Apron-front sinks, which have a panel that extends over the front edge of the cabinetry, are popular, especially in farmhouse-style kitchens.

Accessories: If you’re installing a new counter, installers will need to know how many holes to cut around the sink for the faucet. That will depend on the faucet handle configuration and added features such as a button for the garbage disposal, a soap dispenser or filtered water tap.

Material: The most common sinks are made of stainless steel, cast iron, composite (granite chips mixed with resin) or fireclay. About 65 percent of the kitchen sinks Twomey sells are stainless steel, which is affordable and durable, but shows scratches. Cast iron and composite each account for 15 percent of his sales, with fireclay, a type of ceramic, claiming 5 percent. Cast iron sinks, which are poured into a mold then coated with baked-on enamel glaze, take a beating and clean up well, but cost more. Composite sinks are durable and moderately priced, but don’t have the shine of other materials. Fireclay has a beautiful smooth surface, but it can chip more easily.

Number of basins: This ultimately comes down to the preference of the household’s chief dishwasher. We chose a cast iron sink with two basins, because I don’t want to do more dishes.

Marni Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books, including “Downsizing the Family Home – What to Save, What to Let Go.” Reach her at www.marnijameson.com.

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