The sink is the newest implement making a splash in the kitchen. The kitchen sink is evolving into a workstation with more than just washing options, and homeowners should think outside the basin, especially when it's installed on the kitchen island, says Elle H-Millard, spokesperson for the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), based in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

"It used to be that designers would think in terms of a triangle when configuring where the cooktop, refrigeration and water source were located within the kitchen for maximum efficiency," she says. "Now, modular workstations set over a large sink are getting people to think linearly when it comes to kitchen design, both horizontally and vertically."

Featuring everything and the kitchen sink, The Galley -- based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 300 dealers worldwide -- was one of the first companies to create a comprehensive workstation system featuring a series of sliding and drop-in accessories that rest on the ledges of a stainless steel troughlike sink. In standard sink sizes measuring from 18 inches to 7 feet, workstations like The Galley are long on design and ease of use. Other basin-based companies -- such as Kohler, Blanco and Elkay -- also have sink accessories, with varying degrees of interchangeability.

"The idea is that prep work, serving, entertaining and cleanup can all be performed over the sink using special racks, cutting boards and culinary utensils," says Gabby Vonigas, spokesperson for The Galley. "Home cooks use The Galley workstation by sliding boards, serving bowls, colanders or drying racks across the sink's rim for seamless usage."

Line Cooks

With a workstation that looks like it belongs in a commercial kitchen and is most often installed on an island, The Galley really gets cooking at home. As a design concept, interactive cooking on the kitchen island isn't eroding; it's only becoming bigger and better, Vonigas says.

"Entertaining at home is a more interactive experience, involving family and friends in the meal's preparation," she says. "With the ability to have numerous cutting boards in place over a long kitchen sink, people can work side-by-side without bumping into each other."

With a long kitchen sink workstation installed on the island, multiple people can perform meal multitasking. With a cooktop installed next to the sink workstation, a cook can chop vegetables and saute in one fell sizzle. Refrigerator drawers built into the island can be stocked with a meal's ingredients and are a cool addition to the sink's workstation that maximizes cooking efficiency.

"This is about making the kitchen space really work for you," H-Millard says. "In an ideal situation, you have a full-sized refrigerator, in addition to refrigerator drawers, and another sink on the wall, where one can wash up big pots and pans without interfering with food preparation on the island workstation."

Design to Sink One's Teeth Into

Don't let your kitchen island's workstation become uninhabitable by neglecting to plan for specific design elements. The size of the kitchen's workstation is determined by the space that allows for traffic to flow around it, with NKBA's optimal recommendation of a four-foot clearance on each side.

A watershed moment of inspiration comes when the faucet is as thoughtfully designed as the workstation sink. As part of The Galley's workstation, the faucets (or taps) are curved with a hand-spray extension for an easy pot-filling feature. It's also important to have a spout at the sink workstation that rotates 360 degrees, so as to not soak food as it's being served.

Kitchen designers liken a comprehensive sink workstation to buying an appliance. With industry prices varying wildly based on the functionality and tools -- which can include a utensil caddy, knife block, a service set for condiments, a wash-and-drying rack, sheet pans, bowl and colander insets and cutting boards -- expect to pay around $1,000 per linear foot for The Galley's top-of-the-line workstation.

People just naturally hover and land around an island workspace, no matter where it's located, whether inside or outside the home. The sink workstation has migrated to outdoor kitchens, but requires extra attention in climates that experience freeze-thaw cycles.

The kitchen island's workstation set over the sink is a feast for the eye when one thoughtfully designs this newest culinary hot spot, H-Millard says. Spills during service are no problem, because the sink beneath serves as a catchall.

"While it's easy to move from food prep into food service in a buffet-line-style over the sink, you can also place a customized upper deck over everything to instantly hide used pots and pans from guests seated at the island," she says.

"The kitchen sink can become the hub of the home and a true place to congregate when it's equipped with a workstation."

When a Sinking Feeling is a Good Thing ...

-- National Kitchen and Bath Association, NKBA.org: Type in your state to find a designer near you. 800-843-6522

-- TheGalley.com: Click WHERE TO BUY to find a dealer near you. Click VIDEOS to see the workstation in action.

Steampunk styling in the home doesn't have to be conjured up just during the Halloween holiday. Using steampunk staples -- rich colors, salvaged antiques and ingenuity -- this unique design blends an elegant Victorian viewpoint with industrial elements to create an eclectic ethos that feels like a modern throwback.

"Steampunk design is an exercise -- not in juxtaposition -- but in fusion: beauty and durability; art and science; the past and present," says Bruce Rosenbaum, founder of ModVic, (short for Modern Victorian), a steampunk art and design company based in a Gothic church he's remodeling in Thorndike, Massachusetts. "I've always been passionate about history, art, antiques, technology and gadgets," Rosenbaum continues. "Steampunk brings all of these passions together."

Leather, wood and metal all fuse together in a rich color palette of black, dark red and browns to create a steampunk style that reveals how something works by exposing inner parts and showcasing gears, machine cogs, gauges and pipes. Rosenbaum repurposes salvaged antiques into functioning, modern Steampunk pieces: a pipe organ turned into a computer display desk; a contemporary cooktop made from an old cast-iron stove; and a cool commercial ceiling fan transformed into "Helioman," a Leonardo da Vinci-inspired installation.

At the same time Rosenbaum is renovating a Gothic church for his family's residence downstairs, he is also creating a showcase of steampunk pieces in the structure's nave. Sculptor Michael Ulman took Rosenbaum's idea for a "Humachine" -- a human/machine hybrid -- to mount an antique wooden mannequin onto a large ceiling fan. The installation of this unique cooling system 20 feet above the floor can be viewed during the eighth episode of the Netflix original series "Amazing Interiors."

"A steampunk sensibility can be hard to define, but you intrinsically know it when you see it," Rosenbaum says. "Steampunk has a worldwide following and is continuing to grow in many forms of popular culture, because it is fueled by STEAM -- science, technology, engineering, art and math."

Rosenbaum says this movement is picking up steam as the millennial generation grows weary of modern objects that have a built-in obsolescence. "A Steampunk style lifts the curtain behind how things are made and how they work," he says. "Younger folks are looking for meaning, authenticity and experiences in their lives, and steampunk delivers on all cylinders."

But, having a steampunk style in your home doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing design decision, says architect Andre Rothblatt, whose eponymous firm is based in San Francisco. In 2012, Rothblatt designed a steampunk surprise in an otherwise traditional Craftsman-style home on Clayton Street in San Francisco.

"This bathroom captures people's imaginations with its retro-futuristic style," Rothblatt says. "The space really celebrates pipes -- with an accentuation on the joints -- giving the bathroom a magical quality."

Instead of hiding the inner workings of the water lines, Rothblatt exaggerated and showcased the copper pipes as much as possible. Water lines zigzag and cross one another, with larger ones working as outtake drainpipes and smaller pipes serving as water intake supply lines.

Reminiscent of a Rube Goldberg machine -- in which the design is ingeniously constructed to perform a simple task in an overcomplicated fashion -- everything in this powder room is purposeful. With Frederic Grasset Design Build, based in San Francisco, serving as the general contractor, black tiles were installed to create a rich backdrop that allows the copper fixtures, sink and pipes to really pop.

Water is gravity-fed into the toilet bowl, with a gauge located near the separately elevated tank that actually measures and displays the water pressure. The patina of the copper pipes influenced the choice of the Victorian-style wallpaper, and Rothblatt designed the sconces on either side of a simple, antique-style mirror.

"Using industrial elements in home design is very popular today, but this project took that concept in a fun and quirky direction," Rothblatt says. "While the rest of the house reflects a traditional Arts-and-Crafts-style home in its design, this bathroom is a captivating curiosity."

The essence of true steampunk art and design is that it is both functional and beautiful. It is meant to engage the user to pay attention to details that might otherwise be overlooked, Rosenbaum says.

"Steampunk design is not just about the objects, but also the personal stories behind them," he says. "In its purest form, steampunk design is the intersection of history, art and today's technology. It is both form and function -- ageless and engaging."

You've Been (Steam)Punked!

-- Bruce Rosenbaum, ModVic.com, 781-784-0250

-- Michael Ulman, MichaelUlman.com, 617-325-9044

-- Andre Rothblatt Architecture, AndreRothblattArchitecture.com, 415-626-5112

-- Frederic Grasset Design Build, 415-309-0614

Campers are popping up as additional living spaces in the backyards of American homes. While it may not be uncommon to see a recreational vehicle or travel trailer "dry-docked" on private property, the digital age has ushered in a modern non-traveling twist that utilizes the space to add square footage to a homeowner's property for a guest bedroom, home office or man cave, says Jay Cullis, spokesman for Airstream, based in Jackson Center, Ohio.

"We're finding that people who buy Airstream trailers are finding all kinds of uses for them, beyond going on vacation," Cullis says. "As long as people have a Wi-Fi connection and the creature comforts of home, folks are exercising their freedom to use their Airstreams in unique ways."

The iconic Airstream trailer -- with its streamlined riveted aluminum exterior -- has been touted as a home for the road since 1931, and has become emblematic of American-style travel. With trailers that are efficiently outfitted with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, owners can use these spaces as getaways without traveling anywhere.

When not on the road, campers and trailers are pulling double duty and being used as:

-- A home office, creating a space that is both productive and professional, including easy commutes to and from the backyard.

-- A man or mom cave, which can serve as either a place for social interactions or a space to work on projects in solitude.

-- A teen hangout, which creates a drama-free scene in your home by allowing a special space for young adults to watch movies, play computer or video games and stay during sleepovers.

-- A guest suite is sweet for visiting friends and family, with enough space and privacy to accommodate loved ones.

"This generation is trading stuff for experiences, and silver bullet Airstreams attract those who appreciate midcentury modernism," Cullis says. "In an era of digital nomadic jobs, it's less about where your office is and more about how you office."

Kris Kircus owns nearly two acres of land surrounding her home, located outside Austin, Texas. Two years ago, Kircus bought an Airstream trailer, which she has nicknamed "Vie," the French word for "life." When not on the road, Vie is parked in the Kircus' backyard and is easily accessed by traversing a stone walkway from her home.

"I am a full-time teleworker, and while one of the advantages of working from home is that you don't have to get out of your yoga clothes, there are about 10,000 interruptions a day inside my house," she says. "Now, I walk the stone path from my backdoor to Vie and can focus on my work."

Kircus enjoys a change of scenery, whether she's traveling in Vie or it's parked on a crushed granite pad in her backyard. "Having Vie is a part of my lifestyle, and I love having the extra space without having to get building permits to remodel my home," she says. "The beauty is that I can hitch up Vie and drive to a state park for a long weekend, and still seamlessly have both work and play without missing a beat."

While an Airstream trailer ranges in price from about $37,000 to $150,000, it's important to check local codes within a municipality and/or homeowner's association before making plans to semipermanently park one in the backyard.

A trailer needs to be parked on a level and relatively dry spot, where rainwater won't collect. Also, an Airstream needs either 30- or 50-amp electrical service and both water and septic hookups to fully pitch camp, Cullis says.

Kircus has power, water and septic hookups in place for Vie, with a Wi-Fi extender in her home to boost the signal to her trailer for work and her son's video gaming activities with friends. "Visiting family and friends request to stay in Vie," Kircus says. "The trailer is also known by our neighbors as 'The Shiny Bar,' and it's become a place where people gather to socialize."

Amber Ehrlich of Phoenix, Arizona, has transformed her 2017 Flying Cloud Airstream trailer -- dubbed "Zoe" -- into a short-term rental unit. Parked in the backyard of Ehrlich's 1935 bungalow in Phoenix's Coronado Historic District, the "Zoe" experience features amenities both inside and outside the trailer.

Surrounded by a private backyard oasis with a fire pit and pool, Zoe houses a queen-size bed, working kitchen with dinette seating, bathroom and shower.

"Most of the properties in our neighborhood have guest houses," Ehrlich, a professional organizer, says. "Instead of building a structure in our backyard, Zoe can roll in and roll out."

Ehrlich has dedicated power, water and septic hookups for her trailer, which is especially important, since it is used regularly as a rental. Maintaining positive relationships with neighbors is essential to the success of Ehrlich's enterprise.

"There's something about the romance of camping in the backyard, and Zoe transforms the experience into 'glamping,' (glamour camping)," Ehrlich says. "I believe buying this trailer was a smart investment, as Airstreams tend to hold their value."

There are clubs and online forums dedicated to rehabbing old campers and trailers, Cullis says. "It's part nostalgia, but some might also think it's American enterprise," he says. "Not only do people have a sense of adventure when they buy an Airstream for the road, they also embrace its different uses when it's off-road."

Ehrlich says her dream is to someday live in her Airstream and rent out her house. "As decluttering is part of my career and lifestyle, you realize you don't need much to live a life full of joy," she says. "Having Zoe is part of a lifestyle that is very freeing and fun."

Park It

For more information on Airstream trailers, visit Airstream.com or call 877-596-6111.

To rent Ehrlich's "Zoe," contact her through TheTidyBungalow.com or Facebook message at Bungalow35.