Don't Get a Sink-Side Dish Rack Until You Read This!

114

Modern Organic
HDB (Maisonette)
≥1,500 sqft
4 br
Living with Family

Welcome back, homeowners! In this post, we’re sharing a little kitchen know-how that might just make your renovation plans (or future upgrades!) a whole lot smarter. If you’re still deciding on your kitchen sink setup, here’s one upgrade we absolutely swear by: the sink-side dish rack! We had an overhead dish rack in our previous home and hated how it always left water trickling down our arms whenever we put dishes away. So this time, we ditched it for a sink-side version and honestly, it was one of our best moves yet! And if we could convince every new homeowner to get a sink-side dish rack, we would, because it really makes a difference! We’ve been spotting more and more sink-side dish racks in home reveal videos by interior designers and contractors, and we totally get the hype. But here’s a little detail your ID might not even know to suggest! So if you're sold on the idea of a sink-side dish rack (yay!) and are hopping on the sink-side dish rack bandwagon (welcome aboard!), here's one tiny BUT IMPORTANT tip: ask your ID to leave a little space between the sink and the dish rack.
Trust us, there’s a good reason why! That little space comes in super handy for placing your cutlery holders to dry washed utensils!
In our case, we use one for cutleries and another to store our dishwashing essentials (like bottle brushes) and even keep our different pairs of scissors since it’s one of the most-used items in our kitchen. Having scissors within easy reach means we don’t have to keep opening drawers every time we need them. We’ve got a couple-friend we (of course!) convinced to go for the sink-side dish rack, too, but back then, we hadn’t yet learned how important it was to leave a bit of space between the sink and the dish rack. In their home, the dish rack was placed really close to the sink...maybe about 10cm or less? It looked great, but the tight fit meant they couldn’t place their cutlery holder beside the dish rack, so they had to put it behind the sink, next to the faucet instead. This was of course, only a small inconvenience and it doesn’t affect how they use the space too much… but hang on, we’re about to tell you why leaving that extra bit of space has been a bonus in our kitchen setup!
Yes! You can pop a drying mat in that space for those extra drying needs! Trust us, being able to do so has been such a bonus, especially on days when we’re washing big pots or woks...or when we’ve hosted and the dish rack is overflowing with plates and glasses…or just on days after a big cooking session when we have a ton of utensils, pots, and pans to wash and dry.
If you’re planning your own setup and wondering how much space to leave, ours comes in at about 33cm wide and 58.5cm deep. This isn’t a must-follow measurement or anything—just what we happened to go with, and it’s worked out really well for us.
Honestly, we didn’t plan it down to the exact centimetre at the start, but now that we’ve lived with it, it’s turned out to be a super practical little zone. So if you’re figuring things out, maybe this can be a rough reference point! In our case, the space comfortably fits a 40cm x 30cm drying mat, which comes in clutch when we need a bit of extra drying area, whether it’s for oversized cookware, an influx of dishes after guests leave, or just those random days when everything somehow ends up in the sink. We honestly can't rave enough about our sink-side dish rack...it’s hands down one of our favourite parts of the kitchen! Compared to the old-school overhead dish racks, this setup just makes more sense! ✅ No more awkward water dripping down your arms ✅ No more balancing acts struggling to empty trays of stagnant water AND BEST OF ALL... ...since it’s tucked to the side of the sink, any dishes left to dry aren’t the first thing you see when you walk into the kitchen, making the space feel instantly tidier and more put together, even mid-drying session!
That extra bit of space between the sink and dish rack is truly the unsung hero. It might seem like a small detail, but it opens up so many possibilities, from keeping your cutlery holder within easy reach to laying down a drying mat when you’re washing up after a big cook. It’s one of those quiet little features that ends up pulling more than its weight in daily use. We've noticed that many IDs or contractors may not bring this up, likely because the trend is still catching on, and we’ve seen it overlooked in quite a few home tours online. So if you're in the middle of planning your kitchen, we hope this little tip finds you in time! Because as much as we all want beautiful kitchens, it's the thoughtful details like these that make them a joy to actually live in. ❤️ Like this post if you found the tip useful! 📌 Save it for when you're planning your kitchen, perhaps? 🔄 Or...share it with anyone you know who's renovating or thinking about a kitchen upgrade! Till the next post...happy planning and designing!