Before we headed to KBIS 2016 in Las Vegas, we heard from Kent Nelson, owner of Nelsons Bathtub Inc. that one of his company’s vintage style acrylic sinks would be on display at the show. Nelson’s is a longtime advertiser on the blog, and Pam and I both have long wanted to see one of these sinks in person. So, we made sure to visit the Master Brand Cabinetry display — which featured one of Nelson’s sinks in an adorable laundry room display. And hey — we really liked both the sink — and the adorable aqua cabinetry!
The sink we saw on display is one of the company’s new early century models (#3624) — which you can by alone or in a bundle that includes the sink, a Kingston Brass faucet and a drain basket.
After inspecting the sink, Pam and I both agreed that it was very nice, shiny and felt substantial. If I were in need of such a sink, I would not hesitate to consider one of the models available at Nelsons Bathtub Inc.
These sinks are made from premium-grade cast acrylic sheet – you can read about the material/process here. No, these sinks aren’t porcelain-enamel-on-cast iron — which as purists, we would prefer — BUT these are available in a wide variety of styles at a relatively accessible price point.
We count eight different designs available today (we remember when there was just ONE!) — including several featuring our beloved drainboards:
A cute vintage-style laundry space:
We also fell in love with the adorable laundry room setup from Master Brand Cabinetry. The vintage feel of the cabinets meshed well with the sink and faucet, plus did we mention how much we love the soft aqua color?
As we recall, the back of the cabinets were lined with fabric. This would be great to do with vintage wallpaper.
Just another testament to how using color in your home can make you feel — you know as opposed to that other colorless noncolor we always talk about — even the little dustpan hanging over the sink was happy!
Heidi E. says
So true on the color vs non-color. I was at Home Depot recently and said “Eww–it’s, like, Fifty Shades of Greige in here!”—*before* recognizing the pun in that. Well, it sure is torture, but nothing sexy about it!
Mary Moessingr says
How deep are these sinks ? They look awesome, but the original farm sinks are shallow……
pam kueber says
Jump over to the Nelson’s site to see the specs…
Sue Dunleavy says
Although these sinks look really marvelous,I would hesitate to buy one as my experience with the acrylic sinks is that they scratch easily and look horrid after a short while.I renovated my kitchen a few years ago and although I didn’t buy a sink from this manufacturer,I did buy a farm sink that was acrylic and in less than a year of use (I use a Rubbermaid dishpan in one part of the sink and do dishes by hand),I had to contact the maker and they sent me a replacement.Which was just as bad as the first.I would rather save up and buy a porcelain on steel sink.The last one in my house was there for 60 years with not too much wear.
lynda says
The sinks with the backsplash would work well with butcher block counters. No place for water to collect. We had a cast iron sink like that when I was growing up. House was probably build in 1920 or so.
cc says
What are the weight differences between these sinks and traditional materials? We’re going to be retiring and downsizing soon and it would be really nice to not just be stuck with stainless because its lighter. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Could you please clarify the eras of mid-century? It seems most people refer to the mid-’50’s to mid-’60’s (Mad Men, space age) when speaking of MCM, mostly in how they dislike the boomerang shapes (crazy, right?). And they forget that up until about the ’70’/’80’s, America was still pretty rural. Thanks!
pam kueber says
Midcentury modern is generally agreed to have had its rise and heyday from 1946 until 1963. The first use of the term: Cara Greenberg’s book. After 1963, design styles shifted. We were in a postmodern period.
In addition, many say that the post-WWII boom did not really take hold until 1953. So before that, much design was still in 1940s style.
As a style, midcentury modern was one of many after WWII. During that same period, Early American was likely even more popular (I have written about this several times before). The boomerang shapes are considered biomorphic, which relates to atomic, which can go nuts into googie.
See this story, it’s the most definitive I’ve written about this question: https://retrorenovation.com/2011/09/08/1950s-interior-design-and-decorating-style-7-major-trends/
I also write about how most homes were not midcentury modern — they were midcentury modest — on the outside, mashups of ranch+colonial.
Fortunately, I named this blog RETRO Renovation, which covers … everything and anything I want to.
Carolyn says
Well, that would explain why I’ve got such a fondness for all the eclectic stories you feature! I was born in 1957 when neither grandmas had indoor plumbing (one DID have a pump at the kitchen sink!) but had electricity, visited ranch homes with those excellent kitchen layouts, friends that had “fancy” brick fireplaces or several levels to their homes (jeez, I was such a hick). Now I don’t need to feel so defensive that I’d want the sinks featured today, the museum kitchen, chrome and formica, and the cool stuff on the uploaders.
And glad you are a source for old and new elements!
Joe Felice says
I’ve always correlated it to the birth dates of Baby Boomers.