Life with Copper: A Marketing Professional
If you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen, take a page from Jena’s book and do your homework first. Jena, a Sinkology customer and crazy successful marketing professional, spent a lot of time planning, designing, rethinking, and researching before she took on her kitchen redesign. Throughout her process, she landed on putting a new copper farmhouse sink in her kitchen. Once she had selected her copper sink, the rest of her design come together around that central component. We had a chance to chat with Jena about her process and her decisions throughout her kitchen renovation project.
S: Why did you decide to do a kitchen renovation?
J: Oh, it was time! The kitchen project had been on our to-do list from the day I moved in to our house. Not only was the kitchen dated, but it lacked style and, most importantly, functionality. The kitchen had soffits with drop lighting – most of which didn’t work. It was really difficult to cook and actually be able to SEE what I was doing in the kitchen.
S: Where did you start your search for design ideas / inspiration?
J: Pinterest was my go-to source for design inspiration. It was so easy to get inspired by all of the beautiful kitchens I saw there. Also, Pinterest was such a great place to create my own moodboard for how I wanted the kitchen to look and feel from not only Pinterest ideas, but also other sites that I was using to research fixtures, applicances, finishes – EVERYTHING. It was a great place to pull everything together. I also drew a lot of inspiration from Fixer Upper – I just love that shabby-chic, farmhouse, very comfortable and lived-in look.
S: Why copper?
J: Before we renovated our kitchen, I purchased a light fixture for the kitchen that had a copper dome. I loved it. When I saw a copper farmhouse sink on Pinterest, I instantly knew I wanted one. The rest of the kitchen was designed around the Adams copper farmhouse sink.
S: What do you like most about your copper sink?
J: Our sink is a show stopper. It’s the first thing people notice when they walk into our new kitchen. Everyone compliments it and immediately wants to know where we got it! Also, it’s not high maintenance, like others warned. We have the sink grid and love it. We got this a few months after the kitchen renovation, but wish we had it all along. With the grid, I can set things in the sink and not worry about it. Also, the grid completes the overall look for the sink, I think!
S: Why did you choose Sinkology copper sinks over other brands?
J: We chose Sinkology because of the quality and value. Also, I liked being able to see actual Sinkology sinks on Pinterest. This made me feel good about the brand and assured me that we’d be happy with the product.
S: How did your design your space around your copper sink?
J: Our entire kitchen was designed around our farmhouse sink! We explored the idea of opening our kitchen floor plan up, but didn’t pursue that option as it exceeded our budget. We instead decided to keep our existing cabinets and updated them with gray paint. After researching countertops, we quickly decided that Quartz was the right material for us — it was the light color we wanted, durable, easy to clean and maintain. The only item that gave us trouble was the backsplash. We considered a white subway tile but instead opted for a more rustic thin brick with a white wash paint. We like the unique pairing and LOVE how everything came together in our space. To tie in the farmhouse look, we created a wine bar with restored barn wood shelving. We, of course, have copper mugs prominently displayed. This setup is the perfect complement to our sink.
S: How do you care for your sink?
J: Caring for our sink is easy. Anytime we wash dishes, we quickly scrub the basin out with basic soap and water. That’s it! Anytime I work with citrus fruits or anything acidic, I’m careful to rinse the sink out afterwards. I’m probably even more careful than I need to be. I bought the Sinkology Copper Armor Kit and highly suggest that item. About once a month, we’ll use the microfiber cloth and spray wax to shine up our sink. The kit makes a big difference and is perfect for a little shine before a dinner party or before guests arrive.
S: Would you recommend copper sinks to someone else remodeling their space?
J: Yes, absolutely! It’s easily our favorite part of our kitchen — probably our house. We joke about the idea that someday it’ll be the perfect setup for a baby bath. 🙂 The large basin in the Adams Farmhouse Copper Sink will be PERFECT…someday! 🙂
S: What was your biggest hurdle in designing your kitchen, and how did you get over it?
J: Our biggest hurdle was dealing with backorders after we made selections on materials. One challenge was deciding what do to when we found out that the thin brick we selected was backordered for at least six weeks, maybe indefinitely. We made another trip out to the supplier to pick out something else as we didn’t want the overall project to be delayed. We found an alternate, but after it was installed, it was much darker than what we wanted. That’s where the white washed brick idea came in (thank you, Pinterest.) Now, we really like the overall look and feel.
We did our renovation during the summer. I’d highly suggest a renovation during the warmer months. We were able to basically live on our back patio and used our grill to make sure we could make healthy meals and not have to get takeout or go out all the time. We actually had a lot of fun doing it, too!
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.