A vintage dry sink can bring both storage and character to a home, serving as an alternative to extra kitchen cabinets or a freestanding console. The furniture was originally used for washing dishes, preparing food, and other household tasks before homes had running water, but it can still be put to practical use today.
Amy Hughes, owner of Salvage Style and a vintage furniture expert, uses a late-19th-century pine dry sink in her kitchen and breakfast room. She bought it at a furniture auction in New Jersey for $150. The piece has an open trough on top and a double-door cabinet below.
Hughes stores overflow appliances, cutting boards, large mixing bowls and serving pieces inside. Jars of dog food and treats sit on top, while extra pet food is kept behind the doors. She had considered adding kitchen cabinetry, but says the dry sink offered a less expensive, immediate solution. Its freestanding design also adds a break from built-in units.
Dry sinks can also be adapted as bathroom vanities, bar cabinets or entryway tables. For outdoor use, Hughes suggests turning one into a potting bench, with soil, tools and containers stored below and the trough used to contain planting mess.
Those looking for a dry sink can check secondhand marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Etsy and Chairish. Hughes also sells some through Maplewood Mercantile in Maplewood, New Jersey.
Sources: Apartment Therapy.