Snob Essentials

Everything And the Galley Sink

galleysink_island
I have been a little distracted lately, by a few things but mostly because I gutted my entire house and am working very hard building my dream home. I absolutely love the process. You have no idea how much fun and excitement is derived from scrutinizing architectural details and how rewarding it is to pick out tile, light fixtures, faucets, basically every single thing in the house down to each individual knob, but where I get most giddy, of course, is in the kitchen. For someone who feels pure joy when cooking, I felt justified going with the no-holds-barred approach when designing my ultimate – and in equal parts beautiful and functional – kitchen. And believe it or not, my big splurge and the best thing in the kitchen is the SINK!!

How can I be so friggin’ excited about a sink??!!! Well, the Galley Sink is the single greatest human achievement since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. It is one giant leap for kitchen design. It is that amazing, I am not exaggerating. If you cook and make everything from farm fresh produce, you will appreciate the symphony that takes place when prepping, cooking and serving using the Galley. This isn’t just a sink, it is a work station, it performs for you. Imagine everything happening all in one place, no more running around the kitchen – you wash, cut, season, mix and stir all in one place thanks to the modular design.

galleysink_veggies-washThe deep sink is fitted with 2 tracks that allow for boards to fit in place creating a work station. Grab everything you need and dump it in the sink. Wash each veggie in the colander that is fitted in one of the boards and drains into the sink, next to it is the cutting board so you can grab and cut. Then when you’re done cutting you scoot the cut products in the prep bowl and throw discard in the trash that’s under the sink for easy clean up (you install it separately but definitely design it this way).

My range is directly behind the sink so once I’m done with prep I turn around and cook. I can even use the sink to finish, if mixing or stirring in of other seasonings is needed. Everything is done on the board fitted over the sink so the clean up is easy! The Galley has additional accessories you can purchase that will turn the entire sink into a serving area. You can do a pasta station, salad bar, charcuterie or build your own pizza bar. The larger sinks have an option to have 2 divided compartments so you can use the small sink as an ice bucket for drinks. And guess what? No dripping wet mess with a cooler! It’s a sink so it just drains away!9/25/14 6:24:24 PM -- Kitchen interiors of The Galley sink at Metro Appliance for Kitchen Ideas/The Galley Photo by Shane Bevel

I designed my entire kitchen island to be just the Galley sink. I have the 6 ft sink with a large 4 ft section and a smaller 2 ft. This is key because I can keep dirty dishes separate from my prep work. Speaking of which, if I don’t have time to clean up I can hide dirty dishes with the boards. It is deep enough to hide a lot of secrets!

Now the big question everyone has is, how much is this magical kitchen workstation? Remember I said I splurged right? It’s certainly not the most expensive thing in my kitchen (hello Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer) but it is a lot more money than a traditional, boring, single function, zero wow factor sink. The 6 footer with the double compartment is $7595, compared to a very nice stainless Franke sink at $2,000 (standard double sink). But the Galley is life changing. And the entire kitchen is transformed because it is truly a work of art. For me, cooking is my creative outlet and zen so once I knew about this, it was my only choice. Even if you don’t cook that much, on a purely aesthetic level, it makes your kitchen. It inspires an emotional response even from the most unenthusiastic cooks. You can save with basic appliances but if you have the Galley, your kitchen will still be a show stopper!

galleysink_doublebowlIt comes in 5 sizes, 2 to 7 ft, but it doesn’t make sense unless you go up to a 5 ft otherwise it would just function as a normal sink. The 6 ft single compartment is $6595 and $7595 for the double compartment, the prices are roughly $1000 difference per foot. The Galley sink is only available through authorized dealers. To inquire contact Loriann Savarese  of Savvy Kitchens. She designed my kitchen and is wonderful, her attention to detail is astounding and I trust her taste implicitly.

Below is a rendering of what my kitchen will look like with the island Galley Sink. I am a few months away from completion. I can’t wait to share the housewarming with you!

kellysink-1

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19 comments

  1. How are you enjoying your Galley? We keep going back & forth from the 4 to the 5′ and I think are heading towards 5′ based on your input. It is hard to get designers on board with a ginormous sink, however! Thx for sharing

    1. I would definitely get the larger 5’ sink if you are going with the Galley. It allows for more room with the boards and makes it more functional. The smaller 4’ won’t have the same impact because it will look like a traditional farm house sink. You need the wow factor of the spectacularly large sink!

      My kitchen designer knew this sink was right for me based on my love of cooking. Also because it is in my island, it makes for a gorgeous centerpiece. I sometimes place farmers market flowers in the sinks if I’m feeling lazy about arranging them and it has such a warm feel to it. I absolutely love my sink!

  2. Thanks for this great piece on the Galley Workstation. I’m currently in the throes of a complete remodel of my kitchen, and it’s going to have a Galley, too. I’m really excited! My website is allyskitchen.com I’ve posted several articles on this process. It’s like birthing a child. Now to name that new kitchen! Yours is spectacular!

  3. Beautiful kitchen! I am going through the same process right now but will have to go with a 4′ sink. Did you evaluate a number of sinks before picking this one? I am comparing:
    – Julien SMARTSTATION 005454
    – Galley IDEAL WORKSTATION 4 – SINGLE BOWL (IWS 4S)
    – Ruvati 45″ Workstation Ledge Kitchen Sink – RVH8333
    – Kohler Prolific® 44″ – K-23652-NA

    If you have any feedback on any of these it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

    1. I’m curious to know what sink you decided on Sandy.

      Any insights after your research would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this article and all of the comments. Great stuff and very helpful.

    2. Hi All, Would love to know if there is specific experience with any of these sinks …. I am looking at exactly the same 4 sinks.

      Also, is it worth splurging on the really expensive Galley faucet? I am trying to understand what it adds… (other than looks).

    3. I am wondering what you ended up with. That was 2019 and now it is almost 2023. I am in the midst of the same question as my kitchen has been gutted and now we are wondering how we will change it. I added Rachiele to the list as I was going to go with the copper sink farmhouse with a workstation but it will take 6 weeks and we do not want to wait that long. The other choices are as you have it listed. Let me know if you are happy with your decision. Thanks!!!

  4. We went and saw the 4ft model, and I love it, in principle. Did you get yours installed yet, and how it is working for you? Did you buy any of the accessories? We are building our house soon, and I seriously see this sink as the single most important design element in the whole house.

      1. I had a chance to use a Ruvati 36″ sink for a few weeks, while staying at a friend’s house. It was great to have the chance to give it a test drive. Even though hers only had a single ledge, it was a great sink to use and the ledges (and entire sink), were very easy to clean. After using it, I now feel comfortable ordering one that has two tiers, andprobably a longer one. I also decided to get a sink with the drain towards one side, not the middle. When rinsing the single side of the sink that you’ve used, one tends to over-spray, and the water goes past the drain, over to the clean side, necessitating you to direct it back the other way. I think that would be less of an issue with a side drain.

  5. I fell in love with The Galley sink as well. We went to a local showroom and that was the first time I had ever seen such a sink, the beauty and functionality all in one! Unfortunately, the price tag scared me away. I kept hunting for a sink like the Galley and came across Havens. They are actually the inventor of the workstation style sink with the built in ledge system. The crazy thing is there sinks are HALF the cost of The Galley. We ended up going with a 5′ Eclipse sink by Havens, and absolutely love it. Makes you wonder why The Galley is so darn expensive. For anyone looking for a more cost effective alternative, definitely take a look at Havens Luxury Metals.

  6. I have two Galley Sinks and I wish I had never purchased either. They spot after every washing. Food sticks to them. They need to be cleaned and dried after every use. I tried to have a metal finisher come and help improve them, but he said the quality of the metal was too poor. Water sits on the edges where the boards are supposed to go unless you dry it after every use. If you don’t dry it after every use, the caulking goes and it looks messy and moldy. I would pull out my sinks, but guess what, you can’t do that with these sinks because of how they mount. If I pull mine out I risk damaging my counters which are very expensive so I am stuck with these horrible sinks. Also, the boards they provide are either plastic or bamboo. My bamboo boards molded and broke, due to bamboo being a cheap wood and not being able to stand up to water. I had new boards made out of walnut and have never had a problem with my new boards and I have had them 2 years. I contacted the company and asked about all this and they did nothing. I don’t know if my sinks did not get coated correctly or what but the company doesn’t care all even though I sent photos, ect. They do not stand by their product. The sinks are horrible. Do not buy them unless you are okay with a spotted, moldy, food stuck, messy look

    1. Question for those of you who have the Havens sink, are you happy with the accessories? We went and looked at the Galley and I LOVED the ease with which the stuff slid back and forth. I’m not loving the all metal Havens accessories as much as I loved the Galley ones. Also, if you have the Havens, how difficult are the radius corners to clean? Thanks!