Where to get those cute metal vents for a sink cabinet in a kitchen or bathroom? Yesterday, we looked at Dawn’s black-and-white tile bathroom remodel (fabulous) — and she pointed us to where to get a sink base vent. 
It’s quite inexpensive and kind of… perfect! Where did she get it? –>
She found this cute metal sink base, part number WPI-12-26STN at The Hardware Hut. It’s officially called a “ventilating louver,” and it’s by Washington Products, Inc.
This piece is just under 10.5″ wide and is well sized to look good underneath above that single base cabinet door and below the relatively small bathroom sink.
Looks like you cut a hole to size in your wood cabinet and pop the little guy right in. I tend to believe these were more commonly used in kitchen sink base cabinets — but this looks great in Dawn’s 1940s style bathroom, too. And, yes, it would be functional — allowing for some evaporation if the water pipe in the cabinet drips.
Above: This is the way the vents are set up in the sink base of my vintage Geneva steel kitchen cabinets. This sink base is 42″ wide. If your kitchen sink base is similarly wide, you might consider using two of the Hardware Hut sink vents — with a logo or some such in between, like my sink base design. What I’m saying is: Maybe don’t put in a sink vent that is “too dinky” for a wide sink base cabinet. Ugh. I am obsessive about such things. I will have Kate do a mock up to see.
Meanwhile, yay, metal sink vent discovered! Thanks, Dawn! Link love: See more of Dawn’s kitchen at her blog digadig home.
Once again, something I didn’t know I NEEDED and WANTED!
Thank you!
I don’t think you’re obsessive. The six air vents are perfectly proportioned to the cabinet. When you have design sense, you can see immediately when scale, proportion and balance are “off “. My teachers at art school were ALWAYS on about it. It was hammered into us, and I’m grateful for the education. Design people are often accused of being too picky, but I admire it as a trait. Is bringing order and beauty to the world so bad? That’s the difference between great design and “good enough.” There are always people who go the extra mile to add those incredible details. I love that.
Do they make other sizes? I need one for my kitchen cabinet!
I only saw the one size
As I mentioned – use two with a logo in the center?
Sink vents not only help when water leaks into the cabinet, they help bring warm air in to help old pipes from freezing. Pipes were typically exposed before about 1940 in part for this reason, with maybe a short decorative wood cover across the top cut with a decorative edge, with or without a sink skirt. The book, Bungalow Kitchens, has lots of pictures of this sort of kitchen sink treatment. Of course grills were also used as a decorative accent. Using a router, a drill or a skill saw are other options for creating simple and period appropriate below-the sink-ventilation, esp. for wood cabinets.
Yes, the vents in my kitchen sink cabinet are just routed right through the wood cabinet face. It works!
ohhhhhh, makes total sense! you taught me something new, thank you!!
Nice! Very excited to see this, being as I was the one that remarked on the one shown in Dawn’s kitchen. I’ll likely be ordering a couple here right quick 🙂
I’d really like to find under-sink cabinet doors that are vented in this way. Any ideas where to find some?
Vintage…
I am looking to get a metal sink base with drawers to put silverware in can you help, would like to get prices please
Hi Rebecca, I do not sell anything. Here is my recent story on where to buy these made new today >> https://retrorenovation.com/2019/06/04/resources-buy-steel-kitchen-cabinets/
And of course, you can also buy vintage. See: https://retrorenovation.com/category/kitchen/steel-kitchen-cabinets/