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Teeny tiny kitchen and belfast sink dilemma - I need your help!

19 replies

SoulfulDress · 18/09/2013 17:52

Hello, I have never posted on Mumsnet before, but having bought a house am finding it incredibly useful for DIY advice. Thank you already!

We've just bought a little two up two down in Leyton that has been rented out for decades and needs a total overhaul.

One problem is the teeny kitchen which is only 2.16m by 1.7m. Small. Have mostly figured out a miniscule compact L -shaped affair with a little help from the IKEA kitchen planner, but am currently being thwarted by the sink.

My q is this (pls don't die of boredom): I want to buy the 50cm (little) sink unit, but want to have a belfast sink. Ikea, of course, don't do one.

If I buy a small 48cm belfast sink, do you reckon it had rest on a supported shelf?

The worktop (which will be wood) would then go all the way around the "sunken" sink. I'm not sure if this would look crap or if it would be massively impractical. Any thoughts? Could we have the sink sitting higher than the worktop?

I've already spent about 345 days on the other threads looking at the manifold disadvantages of having a wood worktop - but I'm going to do it anyway.

Any suggestions, advice from others who have grappled with tiny kitchen mania much appreciated.

OP posts:
lalalonglegs · 18/09/2013 18:51

A decent kitchen fitter could make it work but I'm not sure belfast sinks are suited to very small urban kitchens.

17leftfeet · 18/09/2013 18:58

If you or your dp are over 5ft 8 you will regret a Belfast sink!

killedanotherthread · 19/09/2013 15:32

Belfast sinks smash china and are difficult to clean. Look for an alternative! Smile

MinimalistMommi · 19/09/2013 18:46

...but they're so pretty, we're having one...

RCheshire · 19/09/2013 18:54

In a previous place we moved one from kitchen to utility room. Was good at a none standard height for washing clothes. Was awful in the kitchen for the reasons given.

fuckwittery · 19/09/2013 18:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jaynebxl · 19/09/2013 22:01

Belfast sinks are overrated. I've had one for about 8 weeks now and would love to get rid of it.

SandyChick · 20/09/2013 10:11

I have a Belfast sink and I love it. Never smashed anything and I find it easy to clean just like any other sink.

I'm not really sure what you are asking but I would say that you need to incorporate a drainer area next to the Belfast sink too. I wouldn't use a Belfast sink if I was limited to space. Ours is 600mm wide plus we have a 600mm drainer (grooves routed into worktop)

Maybe have a look at white ceramic sinks with a drainer?? You can have them under mounted like a Belfast sink.

OnePlanOnHouzz · 20/09/2013 22:10

Dependent on the height of the sink and the height if your cabinet below - some fitters have worktop fitted between the cabinet and the sink for stability and it looks nice too ! Then caulk in the 1m gap each side o finish it .

Stoneinwelly · 20/09/2013 22:28

Wow one plan, that's a lot of calk needed for a one metre gap each side.

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 20/09/2013 22:48

Rather than the Belfast, have a browse of these. I had a sink made of this stuff once upon a time. It was grand!
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1-bowl-ceramic-fragranite-6210-0000 sinks

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 20/09/2013 22:49

sinks
Ffs!

icklekid · 21/09/2013 05:32

Thanks for that website we are moving to a house with a new kitchen but no Belfast sink which I would have loved however because it has a large drainer next to the current sink I thought that we would just have to leave it- a ceramic sink would be a good compromise! Thanks

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 21/09/2013 12:10

Happy to help!

emsyj · 21/09/2013 12:13

We had a Belfast sink in our last house - we loved it when we viewed the house and hated it once we were living with it! I would never ever ever have one again. Solid wood worktops are hard enough to maintain, with a Belfast sink in the mix they are a nightmare. You will need to reseal the wood very very often and as others have said, you will certainly need a proper drainer.

OnePlanOnHouzz · 21/09/2013 18:42

Tee hee ! I can't seem to press hard enough on this keyboard ! 1cm not 1m !!!

HarderToKidnap · 21/09/2013 19:34

Ideal home had a teeny Belfast sink in it this month. I'm sure it's from ikea. I'll check later and try and link.

HarderToKidnap · 21/09/2013 19:35

A lip of sink so its set slightly out of the work top looks fine IMO.

Just moved from a house with a Belfast sink set into wood work top. Mouldy wood. And we maintained it. Really think hard about it! I'd either tile just round sink, maybe with slate?

thepeanutsparent · 10/11/2013 12:19

Hi soulful,

Did you get your Belfast in the end?
We have just bought a Warner flat in Leyton ( maybe neighbours!) with tiny kitchen too and I'm hankering after a Belfast.

I thought the rotting Worksop problem would actually be better as all the eg I've seen in showrooms have the tops overhanging the sink, so the water from splashes doesn't pool the way you get with proud sink surrounds...?

Can you let me know what you decided? Cheers!

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