Sinkology: February 2020

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Captivate with the Most Charming Farmhouse Kitchen

The farmhouse style kitchen is a modern design trend that we don’t foresee going away in the near future. And we’re thankful for that! We love the unpretentious effortlessness it evokes. But, if we’re being honest, this style is anything but easy to pull off with perfection. It may seem like the most laidback kitchen style of all, but to do this trend right, it requires a bit of foresight and purposeful placement. So today, we’re sharing the three things to keep in mind when creating the most charming farmhouse kitchen.

Natural Elements

A great farmhouse kitchen avoids stark, sleek metals and opts for warm, natural materials like wood, copper, and stone instead. Skip the modern, man made materials and shades and select natural wood cabinets in cherry, maple, oak, or pine, white marble subway tiles, and a perfect copper sink. Trust us on this one, simple shaker cabinets, hand-hewed barn beams, a walnut island, and our handcrafted farmhouse style sinks, like our Lange or Monet, can go a long way.

Of course, when it comes to color, you want to keep it simple. Skip vibrant pinks and inorganic greensBut don’t let that put you in a design rut. There are no hard-set rules when it comes to modern farmhouse colors. Pair anything from crisp to distressed whites with deep blacks, rich browns, and earthy reds to make this style your own.

And while we believe a kitchen sink is the best place to bring in a beautiful natural copper, keep in mind that a farmhouse kitchen is rooted in an “au natural” vibe. Don’t shy away from bringing in natural materials in unexpected places, like a wooden range hood, copper lamps. Plus, copper lamps boost brightness and warmth to your space. Bonus points for slightly distressed or white-washed finish.

Functional Pieces

The great thing about a farmhouse style kitchen is that it’s meant to be used. A deep sink and spacious prep area are the foundation of every great farmhouse-style kitchen. Whether made of porcelain or stainless steel, a farmhouse-style sink size is capable of catering to large, farm-to-table style meals. We love how it’s a striking focal point that’s equal parts functional and farmhouse style.

Wide Open Spaces

A farmhouse style kitchen centers on the people it serves. That requires expansive cooking spaces that can accommodate large meals and even grander dining areas for family get-together. A common feature of farmhouse-style kitchens are open flows. This is helpful in everyday living—like keeping tabs on the kids while you’re making dinner—as well as when you host. When guests feel free to flow in and out of the kitchen, it can really add an element of comfort and create a feeling of welcome.

In addition to open flows, big surface spaces are important. In a farmhouse sink, you’ll find plenty of surface area to stack dishes, let pots and pans soak, or prep your food for serving. One thing to keep in mind is functionality: don’t let your most important “spaces” in the kitchen be too far away. You want to have your spices and stirring spoons near your stove, while coffee mugs should be within an arm’s reach of the coffee pot.

With these tips in mind, you’re sure to captivate with your utterly charming farmhouse kitchen. Of course, not everyone is ready to fully renovate this most-used room, especially in more urban areas. You don’t have to make a complete renovation to take advantage of the farmhouse-style trend.

No matter what part of the country you live in, this is a great trend to try out in your kitchen, especially if you want to evoke an accommodating vibe. We’d love to see it in action – no matter if you go all-out or just tip-toe into the trend. Share a photo of your family enjoying your oversized table, deep-basin sink or other perfectly farmhouse element on Instagram with #MyFarmhouseKitchen. Don’t forget to tag us @Sinkology for a chance to be featured!

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If you have any additional questions during your search for the perfect copper, fireclay farmhouse sink or granite sink, our Sinkologists are here to help. Contact us or follow us on Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest, or Instagram for more helpful tips and design ideas.

The post Captivate with the Most Charming Farmhouse Kitchen appeared first on Sinkology.

source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/charming-farmhouse-kitchen/

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Everything Hummus

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
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Graze boards are one of the hottest food trends for 2020. I love the mix of foods and textures and colors that come together on graze boards. And the combinations, themes and options are literally limitless — so much so that they can be a little intimidating if you’ve never compiled one before.

So, I have a few tips and one outstanding recipe to help you as you attempt to incorporate this theme into real life!

Keep it simple

Size is a big consideration in preparing boards. The larger the board, the more intricate and expensive it becomes. So, start off with a small 2-6 person board, roughly 12″ in size. A small size also means smaller spending – which is always a good thing!

Shape matters

I love the oval and rectangle graze boards – they are beautiful! But for starting out, try a 12″ to 14″ round board. Rounds lend themselves to a natural symmetry and that means easy, beautiful assembly.

It’s in the details

I have a few standard additions to my grazing boards. I don’t use everything every time, but I like to have a few options on hand. Usually, I can make 3 boards out of 2 boxes of crackers and 3 small wedges of cheese :

fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies are an easy and obvious addition to any board (but carrots, celery and bell peppers are just as well loved)
1-2 small wedges of hard, semi-soft and soft cheese and
a variety of seedy, crisp, wafer thin various shaped crackers
savory or candied nuts
olives
dip

One special thing

Whether it’s a quick candied nut or a simple marinated olive salad, or a yummy dip — pick one thing that’s the star of your graze board. One thing that’s a little unique – but unique doesn’t mean difficult! And that’s exactly where this Everything Hummus recipe comes into the picture!

This recipe for Everything Hummus is so easy and unbelievably better than store bought. It will be the star of your graze board for sure!

Before I share the recipe, let me share a few hacks that make this hummus extra special and simple. First, used canned chickpeas. Don’t bother with cooking your own, it’s too much work. You can easily elevate canned chickpeas by draining, rinsing and boiling to soften. This removes the “canned” flavor and tenderizes the chickpeas (which ensures a creamy, smooth hummus).

Another important point about this recipe is it uses very few ingredients. Because of that, be sure that every ingredient is superior in quality. Use the good olive oil, purchase organic chickpeas and tahini paste – and use pink Himalayan sea salt. All those little details make a big difference in taste!

Last, taste all along the way. It’s easy to add more seasoning and salt but it’s impossible to undo over-salted and over-seasoned food. So take your time and taste at every stage.

Everything Hummus

2 (15.5 oz) cans organic chickpeas
4-5 c filtered water
1/2 c (4 oz) tahini paste
1/2 – 3/4 c (4-6 oz) olive oil, extra for drizzling to serve
1 t pink Himalayan sea salt
2 T everything seasoning blend (low to no salt added)

Start off by draining and thoroughly rinsing the canned chickpeas. Place them in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 20-30 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

Place drained chickpeas, tahini paste and sea salt in a blender or food processor. While pulsing, drizzle in olive oil and add reserved cooking liquid (I only needed about 1/4 -1/2 c water) until desired consistency is reached.

Place hummus in a serving bowl, stir in everything seasoning blend, season with additional salt to taste, drizzle with 2 T olive oil and serve with crackers and veggies.

makes approximately 4 cups.

The post Everything Hummus appeared first on Sinkology.

source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/everything-hummus/

Friday, February 14, 2020

Crafted Stainless Farmhouse Dream

Our friend Yvette on Instagram @homesweet.happyplace recently renovated her kitchen. She shared with us what a dream come true it is to have the new Sinkology Percy Farmhouse Brushed Stainless Steel sink.
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I’ve dreamed of having a farmhouse kitchen sink 8 years ago when we started thinking about our kitchen remodel. The Sinkology Percy Farmhouse Apron-Front Brushed Stainless Steel sink made this dream come true!

The kitchen remodel began December 2019. Our vision, timeless and classic farmhouse charm. I knew I wanted subway tile, butcher block countertops, an island and most of all an apron front farmhouse sink. Our dream kitchen was becoming a reality as the kitchen was gutted, walls came down, new walls went up, the floor was laid, cabinets were built, and then our Sinkology stainless steel sink was installed and oh my it’s absolutely gorgeous!

This stainless sink pairs beautifully with our stainless appliances and butcher block countertops. It is truly a timeless and classic piece with such charm that will be enjoyed for years to come. This stainless sink is a brushed hammered finish which makes it an absolute show stopper! It truly is a statement piece in our home.

This 32” Percy Farmhouse Apron-Front Brushed Stainless Steel single basin sink can hold so much! This is a huge benefit making meal clean ups so much easier. I can stack all the dishes in the sink and wash them clean within minutes. The single basin makes it so easy to clean baking pans, cookie sheets and serving dishes. They fit nicely in the sink making it so easy to wash them clean without having to tilt and maneuver. The deep single basin is also great when filling up pots, vases and watering cans. They sit nicely in the bottom of the sink with plenty of room to fill them up.

We paired the brushed stainless steel sink with the Zuri Pfister faucet in stainless steel and it truly is a match made in heaven! The faucet has a talk neck and a removable spray attachment. This makes doing dishes easy and fun! Makes washing dishes and cleaning the basin a breeze.

I could not be more satisfied with the aesthetic appeal and functionality of the Percy Farmhouse Apron-Front Brushed Stainless Steel Sink. It truly is a Dream Come True!

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source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/stainless-farmhouse-dream/

Obsessed With My New Crafted Stainless Steel Sink

Our friend Kayla over @thefarmhousepages on Instagram recently installed the brand new Percy Crafted Stainless Steel kitchen sink. She was kinda enough to share with us some gorgeous photos and how the installation went!
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HEY Y’ALL! I love and am boarder line obsessed with everything ‘farmhouse’ and I’ve been blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to collaborate with an incredible company, SINKOLOGY!

I loved our kitchen before, but our old sink was very undersized, and our faucet was showing age and wear (the chrome finish was beginning to flake off!). The previous owners of the house made a few renovations to the kitchen, not long before we purchased from them-but they weren’t exactly what we were wanting. They had painted the countertops to their liking (attempted to imitate black granite) and used baseboards as a backsplash to which they painted the same color/finish. To clarify, the paint they used, was designed for countertops.

One of the first things we did, after purchasing, was try our hand at painting them with the same countertop-paint-kit they used. And we loved the look, but we had trouble with the finish chipping and staining, so we decided to replace the countertops before installing our sink. Unfortunately the counter tops did not arrive, to be installed, until well after our sink was delivered. So, that put us in a bit of a time constraint to complete our project!

Let me also point out that our FORTIFY Crafted Stainless Steel kitchen sink arrived so incredibly quickly, within a week and a half of making our decision. Speaking of the decision making process, it was so enjoyable because of the ease of use of Sinkology’s website. On said site, they have so many choices and designs. We decided to go with a Percy Farmhouse Apron Crafted Stainless Steel Sink in Polished, paired with a Pfister Zuri faucet! We love the hammered finish of the sink and the sleek design of the faucet. And installing each of them was a breeze. My husband and brother in law had the countertop cut and sink (and faucet) set in place in less than two hours. They used a 1.5” hole saw drill bit for the faucet piping to go through, and cut the counter top out with a jig saw, after making a template of the sink out of cardboard. SUPER EASY! We also installed a white subway tile backsplash to compliment our gorgeous Percy stainless steel sink!

Now that the install has been completed, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the the look and function of our Percy stainless steel kitchen sink, Pfister Zuri faucet which combines the function of a commercial faucet with the sleek modern day residential design, kitchen sink bottom grid (for protecting the sink surface) and the Sinkology Care IQ kit! The kit includes a sponge specifically for cleaning your sink’s surface without damaging it, “Restore” cleaning polish used to remove scuffs, surface stains, and scratches, “Defend” protective sealant to give your stainless sink an alluring luster, and a microfiber cloth to safely apply each substance to the surface of our sink.

We absolutely LOVE each and every Sinkology product’s functionality and aesthetic appeal. Our only regret is that we did not to acquire their cutting edge products sooner!

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The post Obsessed With My New Crafted Stainless Steel Sink appeared first on Sinkology.

source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/obsessed-with-my-stainless-steel-sink/

Introducing Sinkology’s All-New Crafted Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks

If there’s one thing that history has taught us about kitchen sinks, it’s that stainless steel has been around for a long time. For generations, our families have trusted stainless steel to be the dependable, industrial solution for the kitchen sink. We have cooked holiday meals, bathed babies, prepped our food, and rinsed off the remnants of a full day of play in stainless steel sinks for decades.

Now, stainless steel is beginning a new adventure in our homes with the all-new FORTIFY Collection of Crafted Stainless Steel kitchen sinks! Built on the unfailing durability and utility of classic stainless steel, Sinkology’s newest collection offers a modern, handcrafted take with our signature Crafted Stainless Steel material.

A New, Handcrafted Design

Sinkology’s Crafted Stainless Steel adds a dimension of elegance and sophistication with its hand-hammered, hand-crafted beauty. Each sink in the FORTIFY Collection is finished by a skilled artisan and features the unique denting and surface texture that comes from the hand-hammering process. As the steel is hammered, it becomes denser and more durable while also creating a beautifully uneven surface that catches the light and adds an unexpected dose of intrigue.

Five Sinks, Unlimited Appeal

Sinkology knows that kitchens of all sizes and designs needs sinks that are as beautiful as they are reliable. The FORTIFY Collection features a range of Crafted Stainless Steel sink models that come in all sizes to fit your kitchen, no matter how large or small. From the Wilson bar/prep sink to the Graham single-bowl drop-in sink, the FORTIFY Collection has a solution for every space.

polished crafted stainless steel bar prep sink — Wilson

polished crafted stainless steel undermount sink — Wilson

The Wilson – 17 in. Bar/Prep
The Taylor – 31.25 in. Single Bowl Undermount
The Percy – 32 in. Single Bowl Farmhouse
The Anning – 32 in. Double Bowl Farmhouse
The Graham – 33 in. Single Bowl Drop-In

Brushed or Polished to Perfection

From bright and shiny to understated and alluring, Sinkology wanted to satisfy our customers personal preferences. Each model in the FORTIFY Collection of Crafted Stainless comes in two finish options: brushed and polished. Our brushed finish offers a subtle, matte surface that graciously hides fingerprints and smudges. The polished finish creates a lustrous, high-shine surface that is guaranteed to grab attention. Pick your finish to style a look that’s right for your home!

See It to Believe It

If you think you know stainless steel—think again. The FORTIFY Collection of Crafted Stainless Steel kitchen sinks is unlike anything else available, and we can’t wait to see it in your home! Our sinks are available to browse on our website and to buy at various retailers across the country. As always, we make our sinks easy to find and easy to buy. Don’t forget to tag us in your post (@sinkology) when you decide to FORTIFY the heart of your home!

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The post Introducing Sinkology’s All-New Crafted Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks appeared first on Sinkology.

source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/introducing-crafted-stainless-steel-kitchen-sinks/

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Adding Stainless Style to a Laundry Room

Our friend Emily @twopurplecouches on Instagram, recently upgraded her laundry room with the Wilson Crafted Stainless Steel Sink. She shared the project with us, and how her new sink helps bring much needed style and function to her laundry room.
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Over the past few months, my husband and I have been in the process of updating our laundry room. We haven’t touched this space since we moved into our new construction home in 2011, and it was time to tackle this room! The three main things I wanted to change/update were 1) the wall color (no more “builder beige”), 2) add better storage with wall-to-wall cabinets, and 3) install a new sink and faucet to replace the plastic utility tub. My vision was a space that would be much more functional, and stylish, for our family of three.

Our old utility tub had taken a bit of beating since we moved in. It was dirty and stained, mostly from being used to clean up crafting messes and rinse out paint brushes and rollers. It was a cheap, builder-grade tub with a basic faucet. When the cold water knob in the faucet broke several years ago, I just stopped using the tub altogether. After our daughter was born and I realized I needed a spot to soak her stained and soiled clothes, I resorted to our bathroom sink.

As I began searching for a new laundry sink, I had a hard time finding an option that would work for our family’s needs as well as the layout of the room. Since we weren’t taking out a wall or relocating our washer and dryer, we had limited space. When I came across the Sinkology Wilson model in the FORTIFY Crafted Stainless Steel Collection, I knew I’d found the perfect sink for our laundry room.

When we first unpacked our Wilson sink, I was thinking we’d need to hire a plumber to install it for us. As I read through the instructions in the provided installation guide, I realized it would be easy for us to do this ourselves. And I was right! The sink installation process was very simple and straightforward, and the instructions easy to follow.

The first phase of this project was to get a cabinet and countertop in place that would fit the sink, since our old utility tub was anchored into the wall. We found a laminate countertop and a 21-inch wide cabinet at our local hardware store. We used a circular saw to cut the countertop to size and removed the back of the cabinet to accommodate plumbing.

We followed the instructions in the installation guide to trace an opening in the countertop for the sink, then used a jigsaw to cut it out.

Once the cabinet and countertop were securely in place, we were ready to install our new Wilson sink! It took us a few hours to get the sink and faucet in place, but the process went very smoothly.

With the All-in-One Kit, we had everything we needed for our new sink. Our kit included a Pfister faucet, drain of our choice (either disposal or strainer), and a stainless care kit. We chose the super sleek Pfister Kai faucet in matte black and oh my goodness, it’s the prettiest faucet I’ve ever seen!

The Wilson is absolutely gorgeous. It’s like a work of art. The polished hammered stainless sink is stunning in person, and it actually helps bounce light around the room. Our laundry room has no windows, so this little bonus benefit helps it feel lighter and brighter.

The combination of the Wilson sink and the Pfister Kai faucet fit perfectly in the space we were working with. The Wilson sink isn’t as wide as many other sinks, but it is very deep. This, combined with the high arc of the Kai faucet means there’s plenty of space to fit just about anything in this sink. I can easily water smaller potted plants, fill vases or pitchers, and even fill the tank on our daughter’s room humidifier, which doesn’t fit under our bathroom faucets. The Kai faucet also has a pull-down sprayhead and three different settings, so you can toggle between a spray and a stream with one finger.

I’m so, so happy that we chose the Wilson Crafted stainless sink. I like to mix classic and modern elements when I’m designing a room. Stainless steel is a timeless style, and I know I can count on the quality and durability to last us for years to come. The polished hand-hammered finish is gorgeous, and brings a beautiful modern twist to this classic look, especially when paired with the Kai faucet. I may actually do more laundry just to admire our new sink!

If you are on the hunt for a stainless steel kitchen sink or laundry sink, you can’t go wrong with the Sinkology FORTIFY collection!

Emily Kennedy

Two Purple Couches

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The post Adding Stainless Style to a Laundry Room appeared first on Sinkology.

source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/stainless-laundry-room/

Friday, February 7, 2020

Bright and Warm Double Island Kitchen Renovation

Our friend Lindsey of @lindsey.maestas on Instagram & sparrowsandlily.com recently renovated her kitchen. She installed the Bradstreet ll and was kind enough to share with us how it went.
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I can’t believe I’m finally posting our bright white, double island kitchen renovation! I feel like it took forever to make it all feel ‘complete’, but it also somehow happened in the blink of an eye.

It took me almost three months after we moved in to finally choose a paint color for the kitchen island, so I’m sure you can only imagine how long it took me to choose all of these details. We gutted the entire house, so choosing every details at once was a lot. I’m so thankful for friends who helped me in the fog of feeling overwhelmed. {Sources linked at the bottom of the page.}

To begin with the renovation, we covered the sliding glass door with drywall. There are so many doors in our house that this one felt excessive, unnecessary and just overall odd.

I actually attempted to do one large island rather than a middle island, but the piping wouldn’t allow for it. I’m so thankful that I had to stick with the two islands; I think I would have been kicking myself if I hadn’t. To be honest, it’s now my favorite part of the kitchen now.

As most of you know, I LOVE to entertain. This middle island has given me life during parties and gatherings! I’m able to to put all of my food, desserts – you name it – on the middle island while keeping the second island open for people to eat. More seating = more people. I’m all about it!

One thing that I knew for sure before I started everything was that I wanted white cabinets, marble quartz countertops and wood shelving.

Back to the island – I ended up going with SW Oyster Bay and I am beyond happy with it. I tried about 9 different paint colors before I decided on this one. It is a sage green that takes on different shades in different lighting, but what I love is that it’s never too blue. I love hints of blue throughout the kitchen (the coastal vibe is appealing to me), but that wasn’t what I envisioned with this kitchen.

I wanted airy and bright mixed with warm, calming tones to work with the openness to make it feel comfortable and homey. There are still a few changes I’d like to make now that it’s complete (I’m already ready to switch out the bar stools), but I’m focusing on other areas in the house that need more necessary attention before I begin replacing things.

I had both the wood hood vent and the shelves shipped as unsealed and unstained maple wood. I had a very specific color in mind that I wanted, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. We ended up mixing three different stains to get the exact color that I had been dreaming of for over two years. I will say that that was a successful and amazing day (thanks to our incredible painters, Frank and Christian!)

This space has honestly become everything I’ve been dreaming of and I’m just incredibly happy with it. It’s definitely my favorite room in the house and I think it always will be.

I love to gather in the kitchen and hope that this gives you some inspiration for your exciting home renovations! Keep an open mind and trust your gut when it comes to what you know you’ll like. I’ve listed our sources below! Happy renovating, friends!

Our farm sink and faucet were gifts from Sinkology and I still really, really love them. The faucet is sleek and functional and I have been so surprised at how sturdy our sink is! The boys drop things into the sink all the time and the porcelain withstands those moments without a problem.

I purchased most of the decor for our open shelving and countertops at Target (thank you Chip and Joanna!) and still need to invest in some dishes for our glass cabinets. We also still don’t have a microwave (the one we’re using is a rinky dink microwave from Target.)

Important Tip: We learned that a ‘microwave cabinet’ doesn’t actually fit a regular sized microwave. We had to order a specific microwave with built-in siding to fit in our pre-cut microwave cabinet. If we could do it again, I would have just asked our cabinet guy to leave an opening for us, rather than paying extra for a microwave cabinet. That’s just something small to think about as you choose cabinets for your home.

Well, that’s it! It’s finally here and I’m so glad to have this out into the world.

I love you guys! Thanks for joining me for this incredible journey and I hope you liked this bright white, double island kitchen renovation.

What is your favorite part of this space?

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source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/double-island-kitchen-renovation/