Old homes often contain hidden treasures, gadgets and appliances of the past. For instance, a woman recently turned to the internet for answers after helping her friend clean house and the pair stumbled on a mysterious tiny sink with a secret purpose.
A Mystery Sink
Jennifer Leggett Jacka was at a friend’s home when her friend showed her a hidden compartment, containing a low to the ground sink. The pair wondered why a sink would be so low to the ground and turned to Facebook for wisdom. It turns out, the sink served a valuable purpose and sheds light on the history of the kitchen sink.
A “Mopping” Sink
The sink found in Jennifer’s friend’s home is placed lower to the ground because it was used to make mopping easier. This “thoughtful” design was meant to “facilitate easier filling and emptying of mop buckets without the need for lifting,” according to Goodolddays.
Replaced by Technology
It’s seemingly perfectly placed to make maintaining a home easier before technology brought us electric vacuums, mops, steamers, and shampooers.
The “mopping sink” was generally at knee-level and placed in kitchen pantries or utility closets, hidden away “underscoring the era’s tendency to keep domestic work out of sight and mind of the household’s more genteel inhabitants.”
Made of Numerous Materials
Antique sinks have been made with several materials including stone and porcelain. Many featured intricate and elegant designs, while others had inscriptions. Additionally, these antiques are shockingly durable, holding up several decades later.
These incredible sink designs are highly prized by historians, architects, and antique enthusiasts, for the way they symbolize the “era’s approach to functionality, design, and the demarcation of social spaces within the home.”
One of Many Changes
Additionally, they’ve undergone numerous transformations, each addition highlighting functionality and the decor of its era.
For example, sinks from the 18th and early 19th centuries were typically shallow stone or metal-lined wood boxes.
Plumbing Has Changed Too
In the mid 19th century the materials changed and the useful kitchen and bathroom items were then made of cast iron with an enamel finish. While some antique materials and styles are still created and on the market today, one major thing has changed since the 19th and 20th centuries. Modern day sinks have hidden plumbing. However, the older sink design included exposed plumbing as it was believed to be the most sanitary practice of the time. Meanwhile, openly exposed plumbing was less likely to freeze because it has access to warmth from other parts of the home in the winter.
Read More: 10 Vintage Home Features You’ll Never See Again
A “Butler’s Pantry” Sink
The next version of the sink came toward the end of the 1800s and early 1900s and was designed with servants in mind, namely homes with a “butler’s pantry.” They were made of copper or German silver because these metals were more durable and less susceptible to wear and tear, while the inside was cast iron, keeping water warmer for longer and minimizing waste.
Colorful Pastel Options
During the 1920s, the use of colorful or pastel materials became popular and “wall-hung” sinks became less popular. As such, the sink became standalone, meaning there were no built-in cabinets or other means of storage. However, some featured an “electric sink” or drain board.
By the end of the 1920s, sinks were integrated into cabinetry and had single or double bowls, often made of cast iron and an enamel finish or glazed earthenware.
Futuristic Decor
In the 1940s and 50s, colorful enamel was still popular but faucets began to change from wall-hung to deck-mounted. As a result, sinks were more commonly integrated into the countertops during installation. This allowed kitchens and bathrooms to have more storage space and provide a breakthrough functionality. New patterns also became popular such as hex tiles. Light pastel colors were popular but toward the 60s and 70s brightly colored kitchen decor and modern or futuristic styles became popular.
In Conclusion
Today some prefer the farm style sinks, English style sinks, or a vintage appeal. However, modern day sinks are made of metals that hold up against wear and tear and minimize bacterial growth.
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