The effectiveness of any kitchen design can be influenced by the planning of the layout and how well you select your kitchen appliances, all of which should meet the ongoing household requirements.
One of the things you must get right is the position of the sink.
It is perhaps the only place in the kitchen you will stand more often, and for longer.
For that reason, you should consider carefully how to position the sink as you figure out your kitchen layout.
So, Should The Kitchen Sink Be Centered Under The Kitchen Window?
Yes, but it is mostly a matter of aesthetics – it shouldn’t bother you much. You will realize that the sink and the countertop function perfectly regardless of the alignment mishaps. The looks of the countertop won’t be affected either unless you are too particular with your design aspirations.
Unfortunately, you may not be in a position to change anything if the plumber fails to get the alignment right, and you probably didn’t have control over it in the first place.
For example, if you buy a new home and you end liking everything about it except the unaligned sink, would you decline it?
Certainly not.
Also, if the sink was leaking but the repair guy ended up reinstalling it wrongly after repair, you wouldn’t remove it immediately for corrections.
It can also depend on whether you are a form or function person.
Plenty of homeowners free themselves from the prison of symmetry and precise “alignment” to make their cooking spaces more functional.
For other people, it would be all about an itch they could not scratch if they entered the kitchen and the sink was not perfectly aligned under the window.
Most people are a both of these two.
There are other routes to achieve almost anything that looks great beyond just plonking and pushing a sink below the window. Search for them.
Like using a faucet and offset sink. Or moving the entire sink.
Or reconfiguring your window to the underlying counter so you end up only seeing the kitchen window.
Must Your Sink Sit Under the Window Anyway?
No, but again, it depends.
Going by the design of most kitchens, the window seems to be the default position for the sink. You don’t really need to place your sink under it unless you have a good reason for it.
.A sink that is not aligned to the window or one installed in the corner away from the window will certainly pose a challenge when it comes to convenience and placement of other items in the kitchen.
The alignment of the sink with the window and whether it would be okay to move the sink away from the window are two questions that many homeowners deal with.
There are a lot of reasons why you should center your sink under the window.
1. Aesthetics
It makes aesthetical sense to have the sink right under the kitchen window.
While you are standing there scrubbing or rinsing your dishes, a seemingly easy and ‘mindless’ job, you also get to enjoy outdoor scenes – birds on trees, your garden, etc.
Please imagine how it would be like to use a sink placed in the corner of the kitchen far from the window! Dreadful.
2. Functionality
The presence of a window over the sink means no cabinets or other overhead items to worry about.
If there were overhead cabinets on walls over the sink, you’d have a hard time scrubbing your dishes especially the larger items in the pile.
A window creates a clearance area that permits the user to move large items.
It’s also more reassuring to know that the safety of your forehead is guaranteed as you wash your items, especially if you are tall.
3. Costs
Chances are that you aren’t planning to move the sink to the desired position away from the window because the costs of relocating it will be unbearably high.
If you are always operating on a tight budget, you would want to spend your money on other important aspects of your kitchen to maximize the look and design than move the skin to another location.
4. Plumbing
Another reason why sinks are traditionally placed under the kitchen window is that kitchen windows are almost always installed on an exterior wall.
So, in terms of organization and plumbing, using shorter waste pipes from the kitchen sink to the exterior drains is not just the only the cheapest option but also the most effective route to take.
Trying to move the sink away from the wall may end being the hardest move you could ever make in your kitchen.
If you move it away from the windowed wall, you will be compelled to lay extra pipes under the floor.
New pipes mean new holes and channels in the floor which are obviously laborious and costly to install and may also alter the looks of the kitchen.
Extra piping can present a new challenge – in the event of a blockage, it’s more likely that they’ll have to dig up your floor to reach the piping, which is a whole inconvenient and messy job on its own. It is also extremely costly.
5. Size of The Kitchen
If your kitchen is small that you barely have enough room to store the essentials, you won’t have a lot of choices when it comes to sink relocation.
You probably don’t have anywhere else you could move your sink, so leaving it under the window is the most sensible thing to do.
6. Natural light
Another reason why sinks are always placed close to the window, and one which you should applause for, is that it allows natural light to beam straight on the washing area.
This helps illuminate the interior of your kitchen as well before your turn on the light bulbs.
Back in time when the kitchen area was starting to be an integral part of the home, natural light from the window would cater for most of the lighting needs of this area just before dusk.
Today, the sink-side window remains a channel for allowing natural light to flow into the room and help you clean your dishes more adequately.
7. Wind/Breeze and Outdoor Awareness
If you dislike dishwashers and prefer washing your dishes in the sink instead, having the sink close to the window allows you to whistle over the chore and stay aware of all activities occurring outside.
Also, the intimate connection with the outdoor world and “mother nature” is something some of us take very seriously.
You have probably noticed that a windowed kitchen is the only other space that connects you with nature besides your patio and balcony.
You can stand at the sink and enjoy the smell of the dew and fresh flowers in the garden, or even let bad odors leave the sink and escape into the environment.
8. Inefficient use of the precious space
The kitchen isn’t the most spacious place in an average home.
If you want a sink under the window somewhere in your kitchen, it means that space can’t be utilized for overhead cabinets.
In a small kitchen, less cabinet space means less storage area for your extra food and kitchenware.
In a nutshell
Should the kitchen sink be centered under the kitchen window?
Yes, but it is mostly a matter of aesthetics – it shouldn’t bother you much.
You will realize that the sink and the countertop function perfectly regardless of the alignment mishaps.
It can also depend on whether you are a form or function person.
Plenty of homeowners free themselves from the prison of symmetry and precise “alignment” to make their cooking spaces more functional.
For other people, it would be all about an itch they could not scratch if they entered the kitchen and the sink was not perfectly aligned under the window.
Most people are a both of these two.
There are other routes to achieve almost anything that looks great beyond just plonking and pushing a sink below the window. Search for them. Like using a faucet and offset sink.
There are a lot of reasons why you should center your sink under the window.
It makes aesthetical sense to have the sink right under the kitchen window. While you are standing there scrubbing or rinsing your dishes, you also get to enjoy outdoor scenes – birds on trees, your garden, etc.
The presence of a window over the sink means no cabinets or other overhead items to worry about. If there were overhead cabinets on walls over the sink, you’d have a hard time scrubbing your dishes especially the larger items in the pile.
A window creates a clearance area that permits the user to move large items.
Chances are that you aren’t planning to move the sink to the desired position away from the window because the costs of relocating it will be unbearably high.
If you are always operating on a tight budget, you would want to spend your money on other important aspects of your kitchen to maximize the look and design than move the skin to another location.
