Kitchen sinks and taps have been elevated from a humble afterthought to become a key part of every luxury kitchen design. And while dishwashers are an indispensable piece of kit for today’s busy lifestyles, it’s important to finish off your beautiful bespoke kitchen with a striking luxury sink and tap combination. The result: a stylish and hardworking wet zone to complete your contemporary Roundhouse kitchen. Read on and be inspired by today’s exciting line-up of contemporary kitchen sinks and taps.

Material gains

From hygienic, stainless steel to ceramic troughs and velvet-smooth marbles, an upmarket kitchen design demands a luxury sink and tap. The choice is vast and designer kitchen sinks come in a wealth of materials, used in ever more creative ways.

“Stainless steel is the most durable material for a sink as you can scrub and use brutal cleaning products to clean them,” explains Sam Hart, senior design consultant at Roundhouse. “However, steel is prone to scratches and until it has an overall patina (which could take a few years) most people dislike the look of the scratched material.”

A brushed, satin or textured steel is less likely to show up scratches, and while copper is beautiful, it stains easily making it impractical for some. Composite sinks (made from a mix of ingredients that create the look of stone) are hardwearing and you can match your colour choice to your worktop for a seamless look.

“Stone sinks also look beautiful, especially in an island, but they can stain easily. Also, a boiling water tap cannot be used with a stone sink as the boiling water can cause a thermal shock,” adds Hart. “However, we often design sinks with stone sides and a metal base to overcome this problem – and it looks fantastic!”

Perfect fit

Every detail of your luxury contemporary kitchen will be discussed with one of our Roundhouse designers and that includes where you want your sink to be positioned. Be mindful of the working triangle concept of keeping the main functions of the kitchen close together; plumbing considerations might be an issue too, especially in an apartment. Large modern kitchen islands are a great place to site a luxury kitchen sink – or even a second, smaller one for washing fruit and veg or keeping the champagne on ice!

How to fit your kitchen sink will also impact on style and functionality: rimless, undermount sinks fitted underneath a stone or wood worktop will create uninterrupted lines in a bespoke kitchen. Likewise integral, one-piece sinks crafted from the same material as the work surface are neat, high end and stylish. Drainer grooves can be carved directly into the worktop to finish off designer kitchen sinks.

Shape up

Rectangular sinks are the most popular shape for every type of material – from a slick, undermount granite to a chunky, ceramic Belfast sink. Smaller, square shapes work well as a secondary sink in a separate part of the kitchen or utility room, while circular designs break up the straight lines of units – especially in a standalone kitchen island. Large double bowl kitchen sinks are perfect for washing bulky pans and large oven trays but if space doesn’t allow, consider a smaller one and a half sink which is still incredibly useful for draining water and scrubbing vegetables.

Tip top taps

Taps are one of the most hardworking, frequently used elements of your bespoke kitchen so choose a style and design that complements your luxury sink and overall kitchen design. Mixer taps take hot and cold water and integrate the flow into a single spout, allowing you to adjust the temperature; more traditional pillar taps have separate hot and cold fittings. Think about style – do you want a modern brass tap with a sweeping arched spout or a wall-mounted tap in brushed nickel that frees up space on the worktop and creates a slick look. Don’t forget added extras, such as pull-out sprays, options for filtered and boiling water and hands-free sensor taps to create the ultimate, multifunction prep area in a luxury kitchen room. 

Utility rooms

A second luxury sink is useful addition if you have a separate utility room and creates the ideal spot to hand wash clothes, clean off dirty pets, arrange flowers and scrub muddy boots (not forgetting a makeshift ice trough to keep drinks cold in the summer). Deep bowl sinks in tough materials like glazed ceramic or stainless steel are great for family kitchen ideas with a utility or pantry room and you won’t go wrong with a Butler’s sink paired with a traditional pot filler tap. The extendable arm can reach difficult corners and be folded away when not in use.

What to look for when buying a kitchen tap?

As well as matching the tap’s colour, style and material to the rest of your bespoke kitchen, think about usability. Lever handles are a practical choice for one-handed operation and multigenerational households while pull-out spouts offer increased flexibility for filling pots and pans and sluicing down the sink area. Taps cast from solid brass or stainless steel (the body and the controls) are tough and hardwearing – look at luxury finishes such as nickel and pewter that won’t tarnish or stain. Check that the tap has a quarter-turn action for smooth, on-off operation and drip-free ceramic disc technology.

Our expert kitchen designers can help you make the best choices for your Roundhouse bespoke kitchen or wardrobes. Visit any of our seven Roundhouse showrooms; Wigmore St, Clapham, Fulham, Richmond, Cambridge, Guildford & Cheltenham and get planning!