Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Choosing a sink for your kitchen or bathroom remodel can be quite an experience. While stainless steel is still king for the remodeled kitchen, there are lots of other choices and configurations. One of the most unlikely, yet trendiest, is concrete. These sinks are strong, durable and natural looking, but can be quite heavy. They also tend to crack and stain. You can get the same look with a lighter-weight version that adds jute fiber but maintains the strength of traditional concrete. NativeStone makes both kitchen and bathroom sinks in any size or shape. Sinks can be surface mounted or under-mounted, but discuss your preference and the security of the sink with your professional builder.

Rectangular under-mounted sinks are also becoming more prevalent for bathrooms. Copper, stainless steel and fiberglass are all popular materials. Copper can also be recycled and made into sinks, for an eco-friendly version. Bronze is another metal that comes in a recycled form. Eco-friendly sinks can be made of virtually any recycled material. Recycled rubber sinks made from melted and purified rubber tires are actually stretched over a form for a sink. Recycled glass can also be an eye-catcher in a bathroom, with sparkling colors and reflections. The glass is surprisingly durable and easy to clean with a mildly abrasive cleaner or sponge.

For green kitchens, the same recycled materials can also be used for sinks. Solid surface sinks are popular, and despite the fact that they use acrylics in the manufacturing process, they do offer low VOC emissions once installed. Look at the manufacturer and the manufacturing process to be sure your sink selection matches your inclination to be green.