Secondary Sinks in the Kitchen

Currently, I am designing 3 different kitchens for 3 different clients who all have completely different needs. While working on each unique design, I have noticed one major commonality between them all.... a secondary sink.

My first set of clients are a married couple who's children are all out of the house living on their own. The husband and wife both love to cook and spend a lot of time in the kitchen together. For them, the secondary sink acts as a secondary "prep area". Even though, most of the time, they each have separate duties, they will undoubtedly need the sink at the same time. Now, they each have their own space to work on their own part of the meal.

In my second project, my clients are big entertainers. They love having parties and inviting all their friends and family over. The kitchen as a whole doesn't have enough room for an entire Wet Bar Built-In. So, by designing in a secondary sink, we are able to create a "bar area" for their guests. Now, they'll have a space that is suitable for preparing their guests' drinks and rinsing glassware.

The third kitchen design is for a family of 5. My clients have 3 young children all under the age of 10. Being the fabulous parents they are, this couple has their kids join in on the after diner clean-up. This is where the secondary sink comes in handy. While Mom or Dad are cleaning the big pots and pans in the main sink, the kids are able to rinse off all the dishes and put them in the dishwasher without anyone getting in anyone's way. Having this designated "clean-up center" makes tidying up the kitchen much faster and less of a hassle.

I've added some great "inspiration" photos of kitchens with a secondary sink.

Would you want a secondary sink in your kitchen? If yes, why?

~Bethany~