Sassy Sinks

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

19 Sep 2006 06:05 AM

I am a big fan of the Food Network and subsequently have become a big fan of Paula Deen ("Paula's Home Cooking"). She is affectionately known as the queen of southern cuisine and home cooking and has made quite a name for herself in recent years. A few months ago she expanded her "empire" by creating her own magazine, "Cooking with Paula Deen." I picked up a copy the other day and found it also offers decorating tips for your home and office.

The most recent issue features a tour of the powder rooms in Deen's Savannah, Georgia home. While the article was meant to provide readers with great design ideas for tiny spaces, what caught my eye were the unusual sinks she had. It got me thinking about bathroom sinks and moving past the idea that all sinks are created equally. One of Deen's powder rooms features a bucket sink. She was able to affix an actual wooden buket to her powder room vanity and use it as a sink. It looks fabulous and is a perfect fit in a room that has a down-home country theme. A bucket as a sink-clever.

Of course, after I read about the bucket sink I couldn't stop thinking that perhaps my own bathroom could use a bit of whimsy. I did some research and found that there are so many unusual sinks on the market it's a wonder it took me this long to contemplate a room makeover. My favorites include a sink in the shape of a gigantic blue fish. It would be perfect for my toddler daughter's bathroom (see this blog for the reason why). It looks very similar to the Fisher-Price Aquarium baby bathtub that is currently on the market, only it's a sink... the fish's hollowed out eye is the perfect spot to store a bar of soap-too cute.

The other sink I fell in love with is unusual, not so much for its shape, but for the rather exotic material it is made out of. There's no question that modern sinks have evolved beyond the traditional white porcelain, but being able to purchase a copper sink exceeded my expectations. The reason I was so enamored by the copper sink was because I learned they are virtually maintenance free. What's more, copper is more sanitary than any other sink product. I found out copper is a natural antibacterial product (bacteria will not live on copper). In fact, research has shown that bacteria can live for days on stainless steel and only hours on copper. After discovering that bit of information I considered switching out my stainless steel kitchen sink for one made of copper.

Do you have an unusual sink?

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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