In the kitchen, especially a modern kitchen, style and appearance are just as important as functionality.
From the cabinets to the tiles to the appliances, every little piece adds up and contributes to the overall aesthetic of the whole.
Even the kitchen sink, once a forgotten area where you wash dishes and clean vegetables, can add to the style and look of the kitchen.
That is where undermount sinks come in.
Undermount kitchen sinks are an important part of the clean design that is so important to modern kitchen design.
Rather than fitting over the lip of the hole in the countertop like a traditional sink, the edge of that hole is polished smooth and the sink is mounted from underneath, giving a clean, neat appearance that you just can't achieve with a traditional setup.
They also help with the functionality of the surrounding countertop, as surrounding messes can simply be swept into the sink without having to worry about getting grime and food residue in the seam between the sink and the counter.
There are two drawbacks to an undermount sink that you will traditionally not run in to with a standard model.
The first is that the countertop it is being installed on must be a very sturdy, durable, solid material like granite or marble.
If it is not, you run the risk of the sink simply falling out when the material can no longer handle the strain.
The second drawback is that they are more expensive to install.
They require more expertise than a traditional sink, as well as more time to correctly install without running the risk of future problems.