A sinkie? How to make your kitchen sink look effortlessly stylish

[This post includes affiliate links, which allows me to earn a small commission on products purchased via that link. Denoted with an asterisk *aff]

A stylish kitchen sink can often be the visual centrepiece of a kitchen – far more appealing than the soulless, functional look of the hob or the ugly fridge. When I designed my kitchen, I positioned my sink next to the window to benefit from the natural light that the corner of the room offers. I had carefully chosen the tiles (a more contemporary, vertical take on the overdone metro tiles) and the utilitarian (IKEA) tap and I thought that was that, I didn’t think much further on this tiny area of the room.

But then the builders made a terrible job of boxing in some of the pipes from the boiler above the sink and suddenly it seemed like the clean, simple look of my beautiful sink area was ruined. Instead of leaving my design mistake on show for me to sigh and roll my eyes at everyday, I turned it into a feature. I pinned postcards up and began to personalise the sink. Now, although it may seem odd for something so mundane and everyday, my sink shots are some of my most popular on Instagram (a sinkie? Like a selfie or a shelfie…). Bizarrely, it seems there’s nothing as satisfying as a tidy, organised sink!

Because even if you only have 5 minutes to do a quick clean, putting the dishes away and enjoying the sight of everything in it’s place (a fresh tea towel, a new sponge, a clean chopping board) will do wonders to help you feel a little more house proud and in control of all that daily admin.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so why shouldn’t we treat them like any other room in the house. They’re not purely functional places, they should also be filled with soul and elements of your personal style. I’m talking about displaying art (I love how Brittany Bathgate has leaned a frame on her worktop and displayed beautiful objects on a String shelf), brining nature inside and taking the time to style a calm space (my friend Nancy Straughan did a lovely 10-minute styling challenge for the kitchen on Instagram the other day).

So here are my tips for making your sink look effortlessly stylish:

– Invest in a beautiful bottle of hand wash or washing up liquid. Along with a good quality bottle of olive oil, this is one of the nicest gifts you can take when someone is hosting you for dinner – one of those things you might not spend that amount of money on yourself. I’m yet to find a bottle without a plastic pump, but I love this Frama one (below) because it comes in a stunning bottle made of brown Italian glass. Top tip – often I’ll refill bottles with cheaper soap (you can buy big refills on Big Green Smile) so I can keep them out on display 

– Likewise, you can decant your oils into pretty glass vessels. I use a vintage French bottle with an oil pourer top that fits onto most bottles. You can also use Kilner jars to display food stuffs.

– Bring in some texture to soften the kitchen’s clean lines with natural linen tea towels and tactile, unglazed stoneware

– Hunt around in vintage markets and antique shops for old marmalade jars and pots that could be used to hold utensils and washing up brushes. Their little imperfections will add character

– Use a sink caddy to separate your bottles, brushes and anything that’s drying. I have a small container in the sink to hide unsightly sponges or washing up liquid, so I can have the prettier things out on display on the worktop

– Swap the brightly coloured, plastic scrubbing brushes for bamboo alternatives and wooden brushes that are more eco-friendly and easier on the eye. Try Labour and Wait, Arket and Tea and Kate

– Brighten up your sink with a jug of fresh flowers or some plants – ferns will love the moisture in the room, herbs will thrive on a windowsill or you could hang some herbs from hooks to dry

– Use washi tape to pin up postcards on your walls or kitchen cupboards. It’s a more stylish take on tacky fridge magnets!

– Display beautiful cookbook covers by leaning them against the splash back. I think it’s always a bit of a shame when you see cookbooks in piles or rows and can’t appreciate their nice fronts

– Use a grout pen to clean up any tired, grotty grout, they work surprisingly well! Although I haven’t needed to yet in this kitchen. I’d recommend a darker grout in a kitchen as it’s less likely to stain with food splatters and grease

– Bring in colours from the rest of the space to help tie your sink into your scheme. You want to create a cohesive look that looks considered and meaningful. I have lots of grey and green in my kitchen and living room so I’ve brought those tones in, with utensils, objects and postcards to create a common thread

Here I’ve rounded up 30 simple, everyday products for a stylish kitchen sink, from wooden chopping boards and 100% linen tea towels to scrubbing brushes and dishcloths (boring but necessary). Perfect for a Spring clean and all year round. Your sink will never feel so loved!

1. Skagerak soft board, £59, Trouva
2. Tiller Evergreen Napkin set, £25, Daylesford
3. Terracotta canister in light grey, £17, Arket *aff
4. Bulb vase 25.5cm, £17, Arket *aff
5. Urban Garden clean dishes washing up liquid, £18, Trouva
6. Hay dishwashing brush, £3, Tea and Kate
7. Vetra linen tea towel, £15, Daylesford
8. Saleur white jar, £35, Daylesford
9. Tosca dish drainer, £76, Tea and Kate
10. Kitchen non-toxic cleaner set, £14, TINCTURE London
11. Irish Hantverk vegetable brush, £8.50, Arket *aff
12. Terracotta flower pot in green, £17, Arket *aff
13. Dish cloth, 2 pack in dark green, £4, Arket *aff
14. 2 pack tea towels in green, £3.99, H&M Conscious
15. Tumbler in stone, £28, Ingredients Ldn
16. Cleaning soap, £7, Arket *aff
17. Pure Marseilles soap, £3.50, Blanc living
18. Normann Copenhagen washing up bowl, £49.95, Tea and Kate
19. Olive wood chopping board, £27, Oggetto
20. Turtle bags String bag, £5, Arket *aff
21. Kitchen scissors by Hay, £5.42, Trouva
22. Nutscene jute twine spool, 75p, Arket *aff
23. Japanese rush trivet, £22, Tea and Kate
24. Organic cotton wash cloth, £7.50, White Black Grey
25. Hay toolbox in grey, £25, Tea and Kate
26. School slate set, £9.50, Labour and Wait
27. Pot brush, £14, Labour and Wait
28. Frama apothecary hand wash, £41, The Conran Shop
29. Nkuku Ama Ceramic mug, £9.95, Trouva
30. Fleur de Sel Oscar tea towel by La Cerise Sur Le Gateau, £14.46, Trouva

[The cleaning soap, string bag and The Nordic Baking Book were gifted by Arket]

Images: Cate St Hill