personality and color into the room without going overboard with a theme.

http://www.simplicityinthesouth.com/2013/05...

even, just to get just a couple of liters to live through the day. Rivers and streams are in numerous cases difficult to reach and often protected by the powerful Mother Nature's hand. You probably had to climb on rocks, go through bushes and bring your water home safe and sound. Also, nature was not domesticated and partially destroyed like we know it today. People back then didn't know how to deal with harsh droughts, or the opposite – long wild rains. Just imagine how much work and effort was necessary for you to drink a nice, clean, fresh cup of water. It's actually hard to imagine, because our lives are as relieved as they can get. Bathrooms and kitchens are pretty much common, and some people just don't ever think about what their lives would be like, if they had to use a distant river to take a bath or a well to cook and wash dishes. Thanks to numerous brilliant minds, our time is saved and all the trouble we would've gone through for just one simple refreshing glass of cold water is reduced to a minimum.

When in need of a water to cook, clean or bath – you turn to your nearest sink. The old sinks were usually made of light metal in rough shapes, and the handles on the taps were simple-shaped and were also made out of metal and later out of plastic – made just to serve its purpose. The evolution of the kitchen itself is connected to the evolution of the stove and the development of plumbing. Before the time when the kitchen became an indispensable room in the house, food was cooked outdoors – on an open fire, and water was brought from the closest source. Ancient people used to make kitchens in the yard, including the well and the cooking equipment, as well as pottery dishes. That surrounding was usually suited for women. So, as we developed plumbing and technology, and taught our men that cooking isn't scary or difficult, the kitchen became a place where the tastiest food is being made and a reason to gather a busy, chaotic modern family.

The Middle Ages were dark times for kitchens too. All around the world, people were trying to improvise electricity and failed to do so. Kitchens were inconvenient and it took a lot of space in the household because of the fireplace that was necessary for cooking and all the wood and tools to get it started. Also, there were a lot of shelves and hooks for dishes which were large, heavy, massive and complicated to use and clean. In wealthier households, there were often two or even three spacious kitchens – depending on the food that needs to be prepared in it. That is probably the best example of how much kitchens have been evolved and simplified for us. Gratitude is the least we owe to the ones that saved our behinds from all the trouble.

So, having in mind that all the pipes are in order, the time has come to play with shapes and sizes, colors and materials. A simple sink is made out of:

A Bowl-shaped plumbing fixture

A Tap

A Drain

Soap or a detergent holder fixed nearbyKnowing all these parts leaves us with a need to combine them using just a pinch of imagination. If you desire to turn it all upside-down – you can probably make it happen. Whether you're into cold stainless steel, massive concrete, worm wood, clear glass, elegant marble or simple modern plastics, chances are that everything is doable. With the right color and the image in your head properly and in details transferred to paper or words, they'll make your dream kitchen into reality. The sink is going to look like the final piece of the puzzle and the brightest, spotless and flawless trophy of the kitchen. Just in case you need help to start, here is a couple of fresh ideas that a will perfectly fit into a modern home, whether you prefer antique interior design or smooth urban surfaces.

A Single-bowled sink is probably the first and the simplest type of sink. Surprisingly, the sink with the one bowl is the oldest shape and today, after all the effort to make it perfect and easy to use, this shape is back in style. Size is an important element that you need to take care of if you decide that your kitchen needs this particular kind of sink. It's more practical than other types – faster to clean and easier to maintain.

A Double-bowled sink is a single-bowled sink that evolved. As the next in line, it has its benefits – there's more room for dishes (clean and dirty), and you can play with sizes of the bowls (make one bigger and the other smaller, or just make them the same medium size). The only disadvantage is that you need more time to clean the sink itself because you'll end up with two drains.

Farmhouse kitchen sinks are usually one-bowled sinks in the shape of a cuboid. They are large because they are designed for a big amount of huge dishes that need to be washed. Also, it's characteristic for them to have a shower-like movable tap which will make washing easier because you will be able to clean all the unreachable parts by moving the tap and not getting exhausted by moving the heavy dish all the time.

Also, it's important to think about how you'll fit the sink in your worktop in the kitchen. There's a choice between a top-mount and an under-mount sink. It all depends on what do you want to pop. If you want to put an accent on the sink in your kitchen, you should go with the top-mount sink. If you prefer the opposite and you want your worktop to be the central piece, then choose the under-mount kind of sink.With this, I think that enough has been said about sinks for one sitting. If you wish to explore other sources of info, feel free to continue browsing the net.

the grout. What is the best way of cleaning these? Thanks.

tile to surround our claw foot tub so I collected various colors of tile that I liked made a mosaic. I didn't draw it out, just wanted it to look free and flowing. Please excuse the mess in the rest of the picture, had a failed attempt at hanging a chandelier, need to find a smaller one. Oh, we have a farmhouse sink with a sideboard to be used in there also. The whole bathroom will be finished with all re-purposed materials, sink and tub found at junk sales, refinished, mirror found in garbage and repainted, windows off of Craig's List, floors taken out of a foreclosed house and put in by my husband, over the sink light from garage sale. OH and the 2 doors, not shown, are also Craig's List items.