Coloured kitchen sinks buying guide
The coloured kitchen sinks here come in four constructions: stainless steel with a brushed PVD colour, stone-style sinks made of Arqstone, moulded quartz and resin, and fireclay. This page explains what each finish is made of, how each wears, where a finish should not be used, how to match the sink to the tap, and what to check before you order. It also answers the questions people search: what colour a kitchen sink should be, and where coloured sinks fit. For most kitchens the sensible choice is to pick the material before the colour, because the material decides how the finish wears.
What is the best colour for a kitchen sink
There is no single best colour, and the useful comparison is how each finish behaves. A mirror polish shows scratches and water marks more than satin or brushed stainless does. White shows coffee, tea and red wine more than black does. Scratches on a gunmetal finish still happen, run against the brushed grain and are less visible. Coloured PVD surfaces are not scratch proof, and sharp objects can leave marks on the surface colour.
Where coloured sinks fit
Coloured kitchen sinks suit a kitchen where the sink is meant to be seen. They run from navy and pink to copper and gold in the wider market, and the finishes in this collection are black, white, nickel, gunmetal, bronze, gold and brass. The sink then ties in with the tap, the handles and the appliances, and the sections below list the finishes by material.
Stainless steel with a PVD finish
The Meir sinks are the stainless range with a colour. They are 304 grade stainless steel, 1.5mm thick against an industry standard of 1.2mm, finished in a brushed PVD coating applied with nanotechnology. The finishes in this collection are Brushed Nickel, Gunmetal Black, Brushed Gunmetal, Brushed Bronze Gold and Tiger Bronze. PVD, short for physical vapour deposition, colours the steel in a way that is absorbed into the stainless steel, where older powder coating and electroplating sat on the surface as a layer, which is why a PVD sink is the sturdier route to a coloured steel bowl.
The Meir sizes run from a 300 x 450mm single to a 1160mm double with a drainer, and a Mini of 272 x 382mm for a bar. Each sink comes with a matching coloured waste, and matching accessories are available. One condition matters. The PVD finish is not recommended for a laundry, because of the chemicals that may be present there. If the sink is for a laundry, choose plain stainless steel or a different material. See Meir kitchen sinks, and for the individual finishes gunmetal kitchen sinks, brushed nickel kitchen sinks, brass kitchen sinks and bronze and gold kitchen sinks.
The Phoenix 4000 Series is also coloured, in a brushed black called Brushed Carbon. It is 304 stainless steel, 1.2mm thick, hand welded, 235mm deep, and suits undermount or overmount fitting. See Phoenix kitchen sinks.
Arqstone, quartz and resin
The Seima Oros sinks are Arqstone, a natural quartz, in black and in white, with an integrated overflow and 10mm radius corners. The Oros range is made in Europe. The Seima Rhodes and the round Icaria come in the same two colours. The Phoenix 5000 Series is quartz and resin, moulded in one piece, in matte white and matte black. The material is denser and quieter than a pressed steel sink and does not ring when a spoon is dropped in it. It has a built-in overflow, a centre rear waste and a 220mm depth. See Seima kitchen sinks and granite and stone composite sinks.
Matte black fireclay
The Turner Hastings Cuisine and Novi sinks are fine fireclay in matte black. The Cuisine is inset or undermount, and the Novi range is butler-style sinks, 510 to 850mm long. Fine fireclay is stronger and less brittle than standard ceramic. It resists scratches, stains and odours, but it is heavy and best handled with care during installation. See Turner Hastings sinks, and butler and apron sinks for the exposed-front style.
Sizes in each finish
The sizes differ by material, so the finish you choose may limit the size you can have. The Meir sizes are:
- 300 x 450 x 200mm single: a 250 x 400mm bowl and 20L.
- 440 x 440 x 200mm single: a 400 x 400mm bowl and 32L.
- 550 x 450 x 200mm single: a 500 x 400mm bowl and 40L.
- 760 x 440 x 200mm large single: a 720 x 400mm bowl and 58L.
- 840 x 440 x 200mm single with a drainer: a 400 x 400mm bowl and 32L.
- 1160 x 440 x 230mm double with a drainer: two 340 x 400 x 230mm bowls.
Choosing between steel, stone-style and fireclay
Pick the material by how hard the sink will work. A coloured steel sink is the lightest and the easiest to fit, suits a laminate or timber bench with a topmount rim, and offers the widest range of sizes and layouts. A stone-style or quartz resin sink is denser and quieter, and its colour runs through the material, but it asks the cabinet to carry more weight. A fireclay sink gives a glazed, traditional look in matte black, and it is the heaviest of the three: the Novi 61 weighs 30kg and the Novi 75 weighs 40kg, so the cabinet is planned around the sink and not the other way round. Settle the material, then the colour inside it.
Pairing colours with benchtops
Each colour suits certain benchtops. Brushed nickel pairs with whites and off-whites, greys and stone tones, natural timber and oak, and marble. Gunmetal pairs with white quartz, concrete, stone, charcoal and natural wood, and its cool undertones complement whites, greys and deep blues. Brass, bronze and gold sit well with greys, greens and blues. A black sink looks best against a light benchtop for contrast, or against a textured stone when the kitchen is dark. A white sink shows up best against a bench that does not stain. Look at a sample beside the benchtop and the tap in the light of the room, because lighting changes how every one of these finishes reads.
The tap
Check the tap hole count on the product page before you order. Most sinks here have no tap hole, so the tap goes on the benchtop, and some drainer and tap landing models have one. Match the sink's size and depth with a mixer that has the right reach and swivel range, and note that a deep bowl needs a taller mixer or a pull-down. Choose the tap position with the cabinet maker before the benchtop is cut.
Choosing a bowl layout
A single bowl is one uninterrupted basin with room for trays and large pots. Single suits a household that runs a dishwasher and rarely hand-washes full loads, or has a benchtop run under 600mm. A double lets you wash on one side and rinse or prep on the other. Choose a double if you hand-wash often, prep vegetables or have children who need a separate bowl, and if the benchtop run is 900mm or more. A 1.5 or 1.75 bowl gives a main bowl plus a smaller prep bowl. A drainer adds width, and most drainer models are handed left or right. See double bowl kitchen sinks for the double layouts.
Accessories in a matching finish
Several finishes here have matching parts. The Meir PVD sinks include a matching coloured waste, and matching accessories are available for the finish, to turn the sink into a kitchen workstation. Seima makes waste and overflow covers for the Oros in brushed gold, brushed bronze, gunmetal, black, white and stainless steel, with bamboo boards sized to the sink, a drainer basket and roll mats. The Phoenix 4000 Series extra large single includes a matching sink protector. The sink wastes collection has wastes in other finishes.
Matching the sink to the tap and the room
Pair each Meir sink with Meir tapware, and use a simple rule to choose. Match the sink to the largest visible steel surfaces in the kitchen, usually the fridge and the oven, since large appliances are harder to replace. If the kitchen has a gunmetal appliance theme, choose a gunmetal sink and gunmetal tapware, and note that matte black taps are often paired with gunmetal sinks. View the sink styles together with the taps to get a realistic sense of the result. The kitchen taps collection covers the tap finishes, and the sink and tap finish names are not always the same word for the same colour, so compare the finish in the photographs of each sink and tap.
For a plain colour choice, there are single-finish pages: black kitchen sinks and white sinks cover the two most common.
How the sinks are fitted
The fitting method differs between materials. A topmount sink suits almost every benchtop, laminate included, since the rim covers the cut edge. An undermount sink needs a waterproof solid benchtop such as engineered stone or granite, and is not suited to laminate or timber. Undermount is the usual method for a premium look, especially with stone benchtops, and topmount suits a lower benchtop cost. A flushmount sink sits level with the benchtop and needs exact measurements. For the fitting methods in general, inset sinks and undermount kitchen sinks go further.
Caring for a coloured finish
The routine is short: rinse with warm water after use, wash with mild dish soap and a soft cloth, and dry with a microfibre cloth to stop water spots. On brushed stainless, follow the grain. Keep abrasive powders, bleach, ammonia cleaners and steel wool away from every coloured finish. Use a protective grid or mat to guard against heavy pots and utensils, and use the sink normally otherwise. Check under the sink once a month for leaks, moisture and mould.
Where to go next
This page covers coloured kitchen sinks of every material. If you have not settled on a finish, the main kitchen sinks page lists every range, and stainless steel sinks compares the steel grades and thicknesses in more detail. At 20 to 30 uses a day, the finish, the material and the size are worth getting right before you order.
