Life with Copper: Home Chef and Busy Mom
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily has been partnering with the Sinkology blog to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology customers that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic. As a chef and a busy mom, Emily has big demands for her sink (in both her kitchen and bathroom). Today, she shares a little bit about her life with a copper sink.
Almost 2 years ago, I wrote a blog post about one of my “riskier” design choices. At the time, I had been living in our new custom-built home for a little over a year and was finally at the point where I was beginning to feel settled. Within that year, I was living out what I had spent the two years prior just imagining – and hoping. I was imagining colors and how the light would play against them at different times of the day through every season of the year. I was picturing where doorways, light switches and electrical outlets would be most handy. I had been hoping room dimensions would accommodate my herd of growing kiddos.
Whether you have survived a custom-build or a room reno or you are gearing up for such an undertaking, I am guessing you know all about the piles of decisions, lists of questions, mountains of research and heaps of haunting doubts that flood through your mind at all hours of the day and night.
Among all of my questions, research, hopes, plans and dreams lay a nagging design idea. I really wanted a copper farmhouse sink in my kitchen and a vessel copper sink in my guest bathroom. The vessel copper sink was an easy decision for me. I knew it would be minimally used and although I didn’t know what life with copper looked like, I guessed that the less something is used the better it will age. ((Deep thoughts, huh??)) But the kitchen is a different matter all together. I knew one thing to be true about copper — it’s gorgeous; but I had no idea what life with copper looks like. Leading up to the kitchen sink install, cabinets were built & painted, counters were chosen, measured & cut and my choice of a copper sink was questioned over and over.
Would it be too “high-maintenance”??
Would it hold up to the demands of a busy family of 6??
Would it withstand all of the food remnants and dirty dishes sure to come from this recipe writing momma?
If any one of these questions would eventually be answered with a “no”, I would be stuck trying to make something work that really didn’t work. Thanks to some extensive research ((online reviews are so helpful)) and my overwhelming love for the look of copper, the most beautiful copper farmhouse sink found a home in my kitchen.
The copper perfectly accents the deep cool green of my cabinets and accompanies my farmhouse lighting *perfectly*. But I knew it would. Life with copper would only be able to be understood by — living with copper. ((Clearly, I am full of deep thoughts.)) So that brings me back to my original blog post. It’s there that I answered every last one of my original concerns. 9 months after that blog post was published, I got an email from Sinkology asking if they could use my review on their website. I have been writing recipes for Sinkology ever since.
I wasn’t paid to choose a Sinkology farmhouse, apron-front copper sink. I choose what I thought was beautiful and shared my experiences of living with copper. That is what I love most about my relationship with Sinkology: it grew from first loving their sink. And even to this day, I write about real life and what I love.
Speaking of real life, three years of living with copper brings even more insight. While my insight is increasing, my available time is greatly decreasing. The kiddos are now homeschooled, we have a house full of dogs and a prolific bunny farm, I am writing recipes right and left, teaching cooking classes and checking off everything else that comes my way in a week — unless I forget to check it off…
Remembering those little tasks of life is a struggle! I can’t even remember to take my kids to their orthodontist appointments. I can’t even remember to take them to their rescheduled appointments AFTER missing their previous rescheduled appointments. I mean – really?! Who forgets FOUR rescheduled orthodontist appointments in ONE week??!!? If these copper sinks required any special attention, they would be showing serious signs of neglect — because I PROMISE. I would definitely forget to take care of the sink.
But take a look at just how gorgeous these sinks are – three years and still looking just as beautiful as the day they were installed. Sure, extra drips of soap and unnoticed bits of food are left sitting on my copper sink. And yes, a bright spot is left when the sink finally gets rinsed. A cup or pot left overnight may leave a circle, lemon juice will always dissolve the copper patina and the kids extra ketchup drips sprinkle dots across the sink as bright as a brand new copper penny – but I quickly learned not to have a heart attack when spots appear. They ALWAYS disappear within a day or two.
A damp rag cleans my sink like a charm and thanks to the anti-microbial properties of copper, I have no concern about microscopic germs. That custom built grid, made by Sinkology to fit perfectly into the Adams Farmhouse apron front copper sink, is such a fantastic accessory. Because it creates space between the sink and the rack, I can leave a few dirty dishes overnight without leaving marks on the copper. I can also rest bits of compost on the rack until I am ready to take them outside. If I need to clean the rack, it fits perfectly into my dishwasher. ((How awesome is that?!))
So three years later, I still find great satisfaction in realizing every last one of my concerns have vanished.
- It’s so low maintenance! ((I wipe the sink out with a damp rag occasionally.)) If you want to show it a little extra love, Sinkology offers a copper armor care kit for purchase.
- The family often forgets to rinse the sink out after rinsing their cereal bowls or lunch plates – and food residue will lighten the copper in patches. But it ALWAYS QUICKLY returns to it’s original, beautiful appearance.
- Thanks to the grid, piles of dirty dishes and food remnants left over from a day of recipe testing can wait.
Whether the sink is full of dirty dishes, or spotted thanks to my underaged slave labor, it is always a timeless, classic, eye-catching focal point of my kitchen.
If you have any additional questions during your search for the perfect copper sink, our Sinkologists are here to help. Contact us or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Houzz, Pinterest, or Instagram for more helpful tips and design ideas.