<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font color="#990000"><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-weight: normal"><strong>C</strong></span></span>hoosing the Perfect Kitchen Sink</font></font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; font-size: 10pt">When designing a kitchen, choosing the right kitchen sink can be a very important part of the overall plan. Kitchen sinks are naturally one of the hardest-working fixtures in the entire house. If you think about how many times the kitchen sink gets used each day, you’ll probably find that it’s used far more often than most other fixtures throughout your home. As such, choosing the perfect kitchen sink is an important task. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a kitchen sink for your home.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 200%; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; font-size: 10pt"></span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Assessing Your Needs</strong></p><strong></strong>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Just as is the case with every fixture or appliance within your home, it’s important to choose a sink that is a good match for your lifestyle. For example, even though a sink may be stunningly beautiful, it might not be a good fit for an extremely active family with small children. The size of your kitchen and the position of the sink within the room are also important factors to take into consideration. For instance, although you might absolutely love the look of an oversized farmhouse-style sink, its sheer size could overwhelm a small kitchen.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/2a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/2a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">When choosing a new kitchen sink, it makes a big difference as to whether you are designing a new kitchen from the ground up, or you’re simply replacing an existing sink. In the case of a new kitchen, you’ll have a lot more flexibility in regards to which sink style you choose. If you’re replacing an existing sink, it’s important to choose a new one that will fit into the current space.</p>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Understanding the Options</strong></p><strong></strong>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Once you’ve given some thought to your actual needs, it’s time to evaluate all the sink options. Basically, when choosing a sink, there are three primary installation categories from which to choose – self-rimming, undermount, or flush mount. Self-rimming sinks, commonly referred to as a "drop-in" sink, are quite common and easy to install. An undermount sink can be a bit more challenging to install. However, they make cleaning your countertops much easier, since you can simply brush crumbs into the sink. Flush mount sinks are similar to drop-in sinks, except that they are designed for tiled countertops.</p>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Size and configuration are two other important factors to consider. Although overall size will probably be primarily determined by the amount of space you have, configuration will be more of a personal preference. For example, if you do a lot of fresh food preparation while cooking, a multi-compartment sink can be a good choice. In other cases, you might find a single compartment sink to be a more convenient option.</p>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">The material a sink is made from is also something to pay close attention to. Stainless steel has been popular and affordable sink choices for decades. However, you might prefer enameled steel, cast iron, stone, concrete or a composite material sink instead.</p>   <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Before making your final sink decision, you’ll want to make sure you’ve also decided on a faucet arrangement. By doing so, you’ll be able to choose a sink that has the correct number and configuration of faucet holes.</p>   <p><span style="line-height: 200%; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; font-size: 10pt"><span> </span>Alyssa Davis is the top writer and creative design specialist for Metal-Wall-Art.com. She specializes in designing with <a href="http://www.metal-wall-art.com/beach-metal-wall-art.html" target="_blank">beach metal wall hangings</a> and <a href="http://www.metal-wall-art.com/abstract-metal-wall-art.html" target="_blank">abstract wall decor</a>.</span></p></span>