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Original poster

Corner sinks - opinions and experiences please

27 replies

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 13:49

We are buying a house with a kitchen that is ok but not huge. Maximising cupboard space (I'd love to be a minimalist but I'm not and if I was I'd have to divorce the hubby and kids as they're clutter magnets) and maximising accessible worktop space is a priority in planning the new kitchen.

The current kitchen is unchanged in over 50 years. I saw corner sinks online and am quite taken with the Carron Phoenix stainless steel corner sink. Google seems to reveal that corner sinks are a marmite love or hate thing. My impression is that a lot of the haters are people who've gone diagonally across the corner, thus making the back of the sink hard to reach. I would go for the normal cupboard shape of 90 degrees.

I find undersink cupboards a pain and corner cupboards a pain so I'm thinking that having a corner sink means I have one less cupboard that I dislike/can't use maximally. Not at all bothered by it being next to rather than in front of the window.

Has anyone else got one? Is access to pipes etc for plumbing probs easy enough? It would be just normal taps, not insinkerators or quookers (sp?).

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ILikeBirds · 19/02/2013 14:00

They look huge to me so not sure you're making the most of available worktop space by using one . You lose the corner and a bit of the straight run on both sides

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 14:08

I think it's the only way to get a decent run of worktop in this kitchen , rather than tiny scraps in between things. House design is not my forte though! I'd be ok with one sink but DH blocks up sink with junk all the time which drives me nuts so need 1.5 and also he is obsessive about rinsing every last speck of washing up liquid off crockery so I need the 1.5 so that I have a rinsing sink.

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redandwhitesprinkles · 19/02/2013 14:15

We just have a normal sink with the draining board in the 'corner'. Would that not be easier?

We have a dishwasher so only use the draining board for bottles and plastic plates.

Surely that would give you most work top as you could get left or right hand sink.

annalouiseh · 19/02/2013 14:36

My dh has done some of these and says you need to think on your worktop material also.
If you go laminate they cant join the top under so you need a 900 x 900 min for it to work but then the facing edge, as needing to be cut will be different unless you get a square edge laminate
corner sinks work better with solid tops like wood, grainte, quartz etc
CDA do one also a little cheaper

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 19:41

anna - hmm, I didn't know it impacted on your choice of worktop, that needs some thinking about. Does your DH know whether access for maintenance is adequate via a undersink corner cupboard?

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annalouiseh · 19/02/2013 20:23

Excess will be fine but you are left with a very large storage area for all your cleaning products the chances of your new sink needing maintenance shouldn't be for a long time.
Was you thinking of going for Laminate?

EverybodysSootyEyed · 19/02/2013 20:30

I have a similar issue in my kitchen and will be getting a corner sink as undercounted in granite with grooves to act as drainer

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 20:31

Thanks Anna, undecided on worktop. won't go for wood. Not keen on granite as had it before and found it stained too easily and was always smeary. Haven't really looked at laminates yet. Saw some lovely glass worktops locally but don't know what they cost, might be beyond my budget. They looked lovely though.

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Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 20:32

Sootyeyed - have you had any interesting comments, adverse or otherwise, from your tradesmen?

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EverybodysSootyEyed · 19/02/2013 20:36

I had composite work tops in my last kitchen which were great - just don't go for anything too uniform (in any surface) as that shows the dirt and smears

I have had a marmite reaction too but I always do my own kitchen design because I find workmen/designers like things their way and that isn't necessarily practical for me.

I need to get sink, hob and fridge on one side so I can get a good run of counters on the other. Only way to do it is to make full use of the corner

annalouiseh · 19/02/2013 20:40

Kindle - if you go for a solid top and your wanting more worksurface you should look at a quartz and have undermounts

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 20:43

That's how I feel sootyeyed, I want a decent run of counters. DH is messy and smeary counters are almost a given in this house, I'm not sure what will minimise. Our granite was black speckled and was constantly watermarked by splashes. It probably didn't help that it was a very hard water area.

Do you have any good tips on kitchen design? We're not skilled in that direction and have only had a kitchen done once before and that was a much easier space, it was obvious where things would go. We're about to embark on a major refurb in the "forever house" we're buying and it's terrifying as we have no idea what we're up to and will be prey to every tradesman who wants to talk you into what's easier for him or gets him the best commission. I'm working hard at the moment on getting recommendations for builders etc.

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Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 20:44

What exactly is quartz? (shows ignorance).

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EverybodysSootyEyed · 19/02/2013 20:51

Black is bad for watermarks - a lighter colour is better. We had dark cream with lots of speck and detail to it and it worked really well (dark kitchen)

For me there are a few things I would always ensure you have - counter space by fridge and oven for example. Also, hidden bins. I find loose bins clutter - maybe that is a good use for the deep under sink cupboard!! Think about the things you definitely like in your current/past kitchens and what you hated.

This is my third kitchen so I am no expert but you have to find the funny areas and know how to use them. It's amazing what you can do with alcoves etc

I am also a big fan of deep counters and tambours to keep kettle/toaster/coffee machine/blender etc behind with plenty of sockets.

Pinterest is quite good for inspiration.

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 20:58

Good points, thank you. I'm hoping to have cream or light blue/duck egg units this time to keep the space light. A light worktop would be fine with that. And we have one wall where I want shallow units and was wondering about tambour doors. DH does tend to leave cupboard doors open and on that wall it would be particularly annoying and result in bumped heads. Only reservation on tambour door is I'd like a trad-looking kitchen and the doors I've seen are too modern to work with that. I think I like having my main bin out, though with a designated space for it. But I'd like recycling bins in a cupboard. And I'm thinking of cupboards to ceiling. I hate the greasy, grimy tops which attract clutter otherwise.

I've never used Pinterest, I suppose I should try it out.

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EverybodysSootyEyed · 19/02/2013 21:03

Definitely cupboards to ceiling! I would do that if I didn't have original coving. To make the kitchen look taller you can have normal height cupboard with white ones (or whatever wall colour) above and set back an inch.

I love my tambours but in my first kitchen the shape was awkward so the carpenter made doors that go into the cupboard - like in a tv cabinet iyswim

Other clever storage ideas are drawers in your kick space.

Good lighting is also a must. Led down lights are a good option

annalouiseh · 19/02/2013 21:04

Quarts is one of the strongest materials know to man, a bit under diamond.
its crushed and mixed with a few other polymers and made into slabs.
Its non porous, heat resistant, pretty much scratch proof.
I cut on ours, but don't tell DH he would go mad.

EverybodysSootyEyed · 19/02/2013 21:12

It must be quartz in my kitchen from what you say Anne. It has little mirror bits in it which make lovely reflections and lighten things up. Probably the nicest thing in my kitchen (which I am desperate to rip out!!!)

annalouiseh · 19/02/2013 21:16

that will be mirror chip
Most suppliers do these, we have that in ours, Silestone Blanco Stellar.
Its great for me as im clumsy but lucky i don't get to cook much

SuckingDiesel · 19/02/2013 21:26

I have a corner sink exactly like this one

The position of the drainer is occasionally a PITA but as I have a dishwasher, I don't wash that much by hand....just oven trays and any pots that won't fit in the dishwasher. I do like having 2 full size sinks and it's the best use of space for our kitchen.

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 21:31

This is all so helpful. Quartz sounds lovely, is it pricy?
SuckingDiesel - I'd looked at that sink and rejected the idea as I thought we'd drip an awful lot of water transferring things from one sink to the other. Does that happen to you? It does look like a great use of space though and it's my no 2 sink choice behind the phoenix. And I'm planning to get my very first dishwasher once we move.

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SuckingDiesel · 19/02/2013 21:41

No, we don't tend to transfer things between sinks much so dripping isn't an issue at all. We rarely have cause to have both sinks filled with water at the same time.

SquinkiesRule · 19/02/2013 21:45

Mine looks like this one.
lakelurecottagekitchen.com/2009/11/18/the-first-annual-kitchen-reveal/ I have the two windows above it too, I hate it with a passion. I'm not quite 5 feet tall, I cannot reach all the way into the corner to wipe and also to open the windows or wipe the window sills, fine if you are very tall, Dh is 6 feet he can just reach the corner and I make him wipe it for me.

EverybodysSootyEyed · 19/02/2013 21:49

That is how I planned to have my sink but I am tall and there is a funny shape behind so it wouldn't be quite so deep!

Original poster

KindleMum · 19/02/2013 22:07

From what I've seen online, Squinkies, most of the people with the corner done across like that have the same problem, even tall people like your DH. It's why I'm looking at a 90 degree one as I think people are happier with that. Will you be able to change it?

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