Zoning is crucial to an ultra-efficient and enjoyable kitchen – we look at how to design the sink area (also known as the wet zone) in detail to ensure your space works harder and smarter.

As one of the potentially messiest areas of the kitchen, the location of your sink zone is key. There should be plenty of space either side of the sink for stashing dirty dishes and for draining, and ideally not near where your guests will congregate – typically the dining area or breakfast bar.

KBB journo Charlotte Luxford looks at how to design the kitchen wet area to ensure your space runs like a well-oiled machine…

Finding the right spot

Under a window is an obvious pick with nice views to boot, or at least out of sight on a back run. You’ll also need adequate space for loading and unloading the dishwasher without obstructing pathways, so while you’ll want it close to your cooking zone for streamlined cooking and preparation, ensure its location isn’t going to conflict with oven doors.

If possible, avoid putting your sink in the island – I speak from experience and the designers I asked unanimously agreed with this; it’s almost impossible to keep clean and you don’t want your dirty dishes to become the focal point of your kitchen design.

“I always try to keep the bin, sink and dishwasher together to make the nightly clear up more bearable – scrape, rinse and load,” says Tom Edmonds, design director at Lewis Alderson. “A drawer above a pull-out bin to house bin liners and cleaning products also makes things that bit easier.”

The kitchen sink

When choosing your sink, consider how you tend to use it; do you want a double sink – one for washing up and one for preparing fruit and veg – or do you perhaps need a wider basin for large pots and big oven trays? Perhaps you’d like a separate preparation sink located elsewhere (this could be on an island given it’s for occasional use).

A hand spray on the tap is extremely useful for washing fruit and veg, but also for cleaning the sink, while a boiling water tap is ideal for making hot drinks and for speedy cooking, as well as eliminating the need for a kettle.

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