Washing by the window in the kitchen: pros, cons and design

Many designers offer non-standard solutions for the kitchen interior. One of the ergonomic and popular ideas was the sink for washing dishes by the window. In this article, we will take a closer look at the pros and cons of this spatial solution.

In Europe, such a decision is not uncommon. Maybe because they have more room for imagination or the lack of standard apartment layouts. In any case, they see their advantages in this, which should be paid close attention.

• Increase in usable area. The sink takes up a significant amount of space in the kitchen, which, as a rule, reduces the area of ​​the countertop. The kitchen sink, combined with the window sill, allows you to increase the working area, making the cooking process more comfortable. In addition, the lockers located in the corner are now always freely available at any time. Even if one person washes the dishes, the other is quite free to use any part of the kitchen set.
• Reducing electricity consumption. The proximity to the window allows you to avoid using artificial lighting for a longer time. Daylight is both sweeter and more economical, and energy bills can be significantly reduced.
• Easy elimination of excess air humidity. It is enough to slightly open the window while washing dishes, and excess moisture will evaporate much faster. This point is very important, since mold and mildew often form in the kitchen precisely because of the high humidity of the air.
• Psychological comfort. Washing dishes is not the most pleasant experience for any person. During this work, it is much more pleasant to look out the window than at a bare wall or rest your forehead against a cupboard with dishes.

It is thanks to them that many people decide to implement a complex and expensive project. But the disadvantages of such a layout also exist.

Consider the disadvantages of planning a sink by the window in the kitchen.

• Complex project. It is quite difficult for a simple layman to think over all the nuances of the future interior with a sink in place of an ordinary window sill. To take into account all the problems of such a rearrangement, it is necessary to contact the specialists.
• Difficult installation. In ordinary apartments, the water pipes run far from the window. Replacing the sink will take quite a lot of professional work.
• Heating solution. As a rule, a heating radiator is located under the window. Installation of a sink will require a solution so that heat can freely enter the room.
• Additional material expenses. Moving the sink to the window is a tricky job. Therefore, significant cash costs are inevitable here.
• Damage to surrounding materials. This location is characterized by temperature extremes. It is rather cold in the immediate vicinity near the window, but the heating underneath heats the air. The additionally added high humidity enhances the effect of these phenomena. Wallpaper may peel off, countertops may crack, plaster may fall off.
• Dried splashes on the window. Since, instead of an apron, there is now a window in front of the sink, no matter how far the crane is from the opening, the spray will fly there. Scrubbing them off is not the most pleasant occupation.
• Only a plastic window can form a tandem with a sink. Wooden frames deteriorate from dampness, which makes it difficult to install a sink for washing dishes next to such a window.
• The dish drainer can no longer be placed on top of the sink. If, in a typical location of the sink, clean dishes are usually placed in the cabinet on top, now it is necessary to look for another place for it. This is not entirely familiar and convenient, since the trajectory of movement in the kitchen is now increasing.

These are the disadvantages of kitchen sinks near the window.

All the subtleties and nuances of such a redevelopment are quite difficult to take into account. The project is time consuming and costly. You need to understand in advance whether you will master it, or is it better to come to terms with the traditional location of the sink.

• The kitchen set must be planned so that the height of the countertop does not exceed the height of the window sill. Otherwise, you will have to redo the window opening. For a private house, such an operation is quite possible, but for an apartment building it is not, since the facade of the building cannot be changed.
• It is necessary to supply water, guided by the following rule: for a good drain, a slope of 3-5 cm is needed for each meter of the pipe. Otherwise, regular blockages can be expected. This can be avoided by placing a special shredder in the sink. But such a purchase requires additional costs.
• In order for the radiator to continue to perform its function, it is necessary to make the structure of the sink near the window with gratings that allow heat to pass through. Moving the battery to another place threatens dampness and cold.
• The choice of sink and countertop must be especially careful. It is better to get the sink as deep as possible to avoid splashing. The countertop must be plastic or natural stone, otherwise it may swell and deteriorate.
• The installed sink and faucet should not interfere with the opening of the window. To do this, you need to think about the optimal distance in advance. Another option is to choose a dedicated folding or slewing crane.

Planning a kitchen interior with a sink by the window depends on many factors: room size, shape, planned budget, preferred color scheme. Rectangular rooms with a short side along the window opening can be easily approximated to the shape of a square. For this, the countertop with a sink is made wider.

Consider ideas that may be of interest to connoisseurs of beauty, even in the kitchen. Design solutions with a sink in the kitchen near the window are very diverse.

• Wide wood-like worktop and sink just to the side of the window. A cozy and successful solution for a large kitchen space. The sink is quite deep, and the distance from the glass is maximal, which will not allow spray to reach the window.

• Large corner set with black worktop and steel sink by the window. The wide window opening is well positioned above the table top. The sink is also very deep and large.

• Gray sink on a white table top background. The square sink located far from the window fits very compactly into the surrounding interior. It serves not only as a place for washing dishes, but also as a kind of color accent.

• A giant sink in a large kitchen. A wide square of metal, in the shape of which the sink is made, looks very stylish, coupled with a black countertop. The dark interior is diluted with light walls and the landscape outside the window.

• Sink near the window, pushed forward. This technique perfectly solves the problem of a small space, as it increases the distance from the sink to the window. White shell and wood are great companions.

• Sink with two taps in front of a tall window. For those who are not satisfied with one sink tap, it is easy to make two, especially if space permits. So, it's easy to cook dinner for two and wash the dishes twice as fast with this convenient solution.

• A black sink of an unusual shape in front of a narrow window. The white countertop creates a contrast that plays up the design. The dark shell echoes the brown window frame. Visual communication helps to unify the interior.

• U-shaped high-tech kitchen with a sink in front of the window. Black and white tones and splashed countertops evoke cosmic associations. The state-of-the-art sink and tap together with the large window look just enchanting.

An overview of the sink in the kitchen near the window, as well as useful tips, see the video below.