Featuring a rustic look with rock-hard durability, the 30-inch, single-bowl IKON apron-front sink from Blanco America has a 1.5-inch rim and 9 1/4-inch depth.

“In an apron-front design, you’re up against the sink quite a bit. It gets a lot of abuse, so it has to pass the belt test,” says Christy Emens, marketing manager for Blanco.

The granite composite Silgranit material resists scratches, stains and temperatures up to 536 degrees F. Colors include anthracite, white and café brown (up to eight colors will be available).   

“This is the first granite composite sink made in an apron front,” Emens says. “With this material, the benefit to the end user is, over time, the front apron is going to stay pristine looking. It’s going to hold up to that wear and tear.”

The apron-front design recaptures the rustic look of earlier farm homes, when sinks also served as reservoirs before the days of indoor plumbing.

“Homeowners would have to bring water in by the bucket, heat it up on the stove and bring it over to the sink,” Emens says. “The apron-front sink held a lot of water or ice and you were able to do your food preparation or cleaning for the day before you had to drain it. The design is ergonomic. You can put the water in and work in it, and you didn’t have the cabinet separating you from the sink, so you’re not bending over, straining your back.”

The benefit of the single-bowl sink in today’s home is the ability to hold large, odd-shaped objects, such as cookie sheets.“When people buy an apron-front sink, they want that rustic look,” Emens says. “So, it’s a look, but also a function.”

The sink includes a custom floating grid that rests in the inner walls and can be used as an easy-to-reach, multitasking workstation or as a trivet on the countertop.

“It raises the level of the bottom of the sink,” Emens says. “You can put a pot there. You can use it to dry things, to wash vegetables. Floating over the bottom of the sink keeps things out of the dirty water. It gives you more functionality than a grid that has to sit on the bottom of the sink. And since the grid is not needed to protect the Silgranit surface, it can perform other functions.” 888/668-6201; www.blancoamerica.com.