Turn Your Standard Sink Into A Vintage Setup With An Easy DIY Trick

Your sink may not be the main fixture in the house you think about when it comes to getting creative with DIY designs. After all, as long as it works, why revamp it? But what if you could turn your modern basin into a vintage design worthy of a charming farmhouse, giving your kitchen an even more unique element? If you're already wondering how much money this DIY will cost and shaking your head at the dollar signs, don't worry. Not only can you upgrade your sink basin, but you can do it on a budget. As a bonus, you can revert it back to the standard design whenever you want, and the whole thing doesn't require taking your sink apart, a lot of work, or a lot of tools. All you need is a bowl, a wood board, a drill, and a jigsaw to build a sink overlay that imparts the ideal rustic vibe.

One mistake people make with their kitchen sinks is assuming upgrades have to cost a lot or require a complicated replacement. That's not the case here, so there is no need to know how to install a new kitchen sink drain, either. This design works with most standard kitchen sinks. As long as it's a recessed sink where the top is level with your countertops, you can try this hack. You will need a large block of wood, about the thickness of a cutting board. It needs to be long enough and wide enough to cover the entire sink, resting flat on the countertop, and acting as a visually appealing cover to your basin.

You will also want a rustic style bowl, which can be wood that matches or complements the overlay board to make a faux basin (you'll be drilling a drain hole). If you prefer, swap out the wood for galvanized steel for a more industrial finish, using a stainless steel bowl as well. Just make sure you have the proper tools to cut through metal. Should you use wood, consider using a stain or sealant to waterproof it, as water will be running into the bowl and draining through both layers of wood into the actual sink. 

Start by tracing the top of the bowl onto the wood board. Then draw an interior circle smaller than the top diameter such that when you place the bowl inside, it rests in the hole securely at the height you want. Use a jigsaw or reciprocating saw to cut out the circle in your wood board. This will be where your bowl rests inside, creating more of a fluid design, as opposed to simply setting the bowl on top of the wood. Once the board is cut to hold the wood basin, use a hole saw drill bit to cut out a drain in the bottom of the bowl.

Store-bought sink covers similar to this can cost upwards of $300 or more. By making your own, you can also build it to suit your kitchen and aesthetics. While the video above shows the wooden board resting atop the sink as a whole and beyond the basin, you could size the board to rest in your sink along the recessed, tiered edges many standard sinks have, giving the whole thing a lowered, more integrated profile.

Because neither of these pieces needs to be secured down, you can remove them whenever you like to access the sink below. Not only is this a beautiful kitchen sink idea to transform your space, but it could also work in bathrooms and laundry rooms. The non-permanent nature of the hack means you can change up your basin cover whenever you please. Play around with different materials to suit your preferences, and enjoy decorating without expensive renovations.