Picking countertops is often one of the fun parts of designing a kitchen. Whether you are remodeling or building a new home, you get freedom of choice with countertops. During that process, you also need to pick your kitchen sink, and many people enter that part of the journey a little blind.
There are a lot of great sink options, but you have to know what is available to make a meaningful selection. So here’s a breakdown of modern kitchen sinks that will go great with your new granite countertops.
Picking a Style
The first consideration for your kitchen sink is the style. This is how the sink itself is designed and how that will play into its fitting and functionality. For the most part, there are four styles that are commonly found in modern kitchens.
- Single-basin style – This is a smaller sink for kitchens where space is limited. The design is simple, but it can still look great with the right materials, which will be discussed later.
- Double basin – This is where the kitchen sink is split down the middle (although not necessarily in half) by a divider. It’s one of the most common styles. These sinks tend to be bigger than single-basin sinks, and they serve as something of a standard for sink sizes and designs.
- Farmhouse sinks – These sinks escalate everything. They can come in single- or double-basin versions, but the single-basin style is more common for farmhouse sinks. The main point is that these sinks are huge. They were originally designed for kitchens that didn’t have running water. The large basin could hold enough water for cooking or cleaning purposes. Today, they are just massive sinks, and they come with all the benefits of that extra size.
- Workstation sink – These are sinks designed around efficiency. The designs vary, but you can expect to have a dedicated deep soaking station, a built-in drying rack, and a cutting board attachment. These sinks are great when space is limited, but even when you have plenty of room, the functionality of these sinks cannot be matched by other styles.
Understanding Mounting Options
Once you pick your sink style, you need to figure out how it will mount. You have two choices: overmount and undermount.
- Overmounting is the older, more classic style. This is where the sink has lips that hang over the top of the countertop. There is a visibly raised edge to the sink where it sits on the granite. You’ve seen these sinks everywhere.
- Undermounting is a newer style that is growing in popularity. This is where the lips of the sink attach under the granite instead of on top. Industrial-grade adhesives are used to permanently bond the sink to the granite. The point is that there is a seamless granite edge that runs right to the drop-off of the sink. It’s a modern aesthetic that many home designers and owners prefer.
As far as functionality goes, there’s not a clear advantage to one mounting option or the other. This is about what you like.
Materials for Your Sink
The last part of your decision is arguably the most important. This is where you choose the material for your sink. It will determine the aesthetic and much of the functionality of the sink. These are the most popular choices.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is far and away the most common material for a sink, and for good reason. It looks good. It’s incredibly durable. You don’t have to worry about denting or scratching it when you wash metal cookware. It’s also affordable because it is common. You can’t go wrong with this option.
Cast Iron
This material has grown in popularity in recent years. Since cast iron alone would rust in a sink setting, the entire thing is coated in colored enamel. This allows the sink to have the strength of iron with the aesthetic of the outer coating. You can get any color you want, and the enamel is easy to clean and maintain.
Granite Composite
Technically, you can get a composite from any stone, but for granite countertops, granite composite is the natural choice. These sinks are made from crushed granite and resin. They are as tough as granite but perfectly waterproof (you don’t have to periodically reseal them). They are hard to scratch and easy to clean.
Most of all, granite composite is a perfect complement to your granite countertops. It won’t match them. Instead, it will provide a beautiful contrast.
Copper
Copper is not a universal sink choice because it won’t look right in every kitchen. But when copper works, it is unlike anything else. It is usually mixed with a small percentage of zinc to make it very strong and prevent the green patina. As such, a copper sink will retain its copper color. Because it’s a soft metal, you can have designs etched into the sink — something unavailable with most other options. The perfect sink is out there. When you know your options, you can browse with purpose and find exactly what you want. For that last part, contact Wholesale Granite Direct for both granite countertop and sink installation in DFW. We can show you tons of sinks that are designed to work with your granite countertops.
